August 20, 2025
By Rehan Piracha
LAHORE
Zameer Ahmed Shahwani, son of Justice (R) Zahoor Ahmed Shahwani, former vice-chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), was on Wednesday, briefly detained after a heavy contingent of Balochistan’s counter-terrorism department (CTD) police raided their residence in Quetta in the early hours of the morning. Although Shahwani was released later, the unauthorised raid on their residence drew strong condemnation from rights activists and lawyers in Balochistan.
‘Raid was harassment’
The action, carried out without any legal warrant or authorisation, was widely denounced as yet another violation of constitutional freedoms and human rights in the restive province.
Speaking at a press conference alongside other senior lawyers of the Balochistan High Court Bar Association in Quetta, Justice (R) Shahwani said CTD personnel stormed his residence in Quetta at around 3 am without presenting any search warrant.
“They violated the sanctity of my home and took away my son, advocate Zameer Ahmed Shahwani, who is currently serving as a state counsel,” he told the press conference. “He was released in the morning, but such actions reflect the prevailing lawlessness in Balochistan.”
Justice (R) Shahwani, who has served as former president of the Balochistan High Court Bar Association and judge of the Federal Shariat Court, said that no one in the province appeared to be safe.
“People are being picked up routinely without due process. Even lawyers are not spared. If there are any charges, they must be brought before a court of law,” he asserted, citing the recent disappearance of advocate Attaullah Baloch from Mastung.
He vowed to file an FIR against the incident and pursue legal action, stressing that “enforced disappearances and unlawful detentions cannot be justified in a constitutional democracy.”
Leaders of the Balochistan High Court Bar Association also condemned the raid. BHCBA President Attaullah Langove said that the late-night intrusion was a blatant violation of fundamental rights. “Entering a house in the dead of night without a warrant and breaching the sanctity of four walls is unacceptable. If there are allegations against lawyers, proper judicial and bar forums exist to pursue them,” he remarked.
In a strongly-worded statement, HRCP expressed deep concern over the incident, terming the CTD raid and detention a flagrant violation of the Constitution and human rights. “HRCP strongly condemns the unlawful raid carried out in Quetta in the early hours of 20 August 2025, in which nearly 50 personnel of the Counter-Terrorism Department, accompanied by men in plainclothes, forcibly entered the home of Justice (R) Zahoor Ahmed Shahwani, former vice-chair HRCP Balochistan, without presenting any legal warrant or authorization.”
The rights body said that such actions not only undermine the rule of law but also further erode public confidence in state institutions.
“This brazen disregard for constitutional safeguards against arbitrary arrest and unlawful entry into private premises is deeply alarming. Such actions erode public trust in law enforcement and undermine the rule of law. Mr Shahwani must be released immediately and the officials involved held accountable,” HRCP statement added.
Harassment against human rights defenders
The incident has once again spotlighted the deteriorating security and human rights situation in Balochistan, where enforced disappearances, targeted violence, and curbs on civil liberties have long been a source of widespread concern.
In July, HRCP warned against shrinking space for human rights defence work in the country. It urged the authorities to respect the fundamental freedoms of association, assembly and expression, and to ensure that human rights defenders can operate without fear of reprisal or undue interference.
Prior to that, civil society activists expressed outrage at an initiation of an inquiry against political leader and human rights activist Farhatullah Babar in April. In a statement, HRCP expressed “serious doubts” about the legitimacy of the inquiry, given Babar’s long history of advocating for human rights and democratic reforms, even on difficult issues. “Based on a private citizen’s complaint, the timing of this probe raises serious doubts as to its legitimacy, given that Mr Babar — who has been the driving force behind some of Pakistan’s most progressive legislation and also serves on HRCP’s governing council — has long been a vocal critic of state policies,” the HRCP stated. The organization called the inquiry “an example of the state weaponizing legal machinery to silence dissent and harass those who speak up.”
The commission demanded that the inquiry be withdrawn and that the state issue a public apology to Farhatullah Babar.