Dec 30, 2024
Staff Report
LAHORE
Police and security forces on Monday detained several protesters in a crackdown on a peaceful demonstration in Balochistan’s Hub district demanding the safe return home of a university graduate abducted from his home two days ago.
The protesters were calling for the safe return of Zubair Baloch, a political science graduate of the Balochistan University, allegedly abducted from his home in Hub district on December 28.
According to the Balochistan Yakjheti Committee (BYC), police fired tear gas shells and ammunition to disperse the demonstration, and detained several protesters at Hub Chowki. The BYC said it was deeply concerned about the well-being of the peaceful protesters, most of whom were women, children, and elderly.
Abdullah Baloch, a member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, told Voicepk.net that the whereabouts of the detained protesters could not be ascertained. “Lawyers and relatives of the detained protesters have visited three police stations in Hub but the detained persons had not been brought there, raising concerns about their safety,” Baloch said.
Earlier, the Hub district administration had warned protesters about forcefully dispersing them if they did not end their demonstration.
The BYC said Zubair Baloch is a resident of Tijaban in Turbat district. Zubair had returned home to Hub Chowki during the holidays. However, armed men barged into his house at around 3 am on December 28. The intruders manhandled Zubair Baloch and took him away at gunpoint, the BYC claimed.
In response, Zubair Baloch’s family members staged demonstrations and roadblocks at Hoshap area of Turbat city in the Kech district and Hub Chowki. According to the BYC, protesters faced harassment at various locations in the Kech district with reports of security personnel snatching mobile phones to intimidate and suppress the voices of the protesters.
In a statement posted on its social media page, the BYC said it strongly condemned these inhumane and brutal practices against innocent men, women, and children. There was no official confirmation from the district administration about the number of protesters detained in the crackdown.