Pakistan: Amnesty International, UN demand release of Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch

Amnesty International, South Asia, Regional Office, wrote on X: "More than 38 hours since Mahrang Baloch's unlawful detention, she is still being denied access to her lawyers and family. There are also worrying reports of continued arbitrary arrests and detentions across Balochistan province."

"Pakistani authorities must immediately release Mahrang Baloch and all others being detained for exercising their right to peaceful protest, and refrain from implicating Baloch activists in frivolous cases to unlawfully prolong their detention," the X post further said.

UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor also expressed concern over her detention and wrote on X: "Very concerned by reports that Dr Mahrang Baloch @MahrangBaloch_
and a number of other HRDs have been arrested in #Balochistan following a crackdown on Baloch Yakjehti Committee protesters in Quetta "

Meanwhile, Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders on  Monday demonstrated against the arrest of the group's leadership and the crackdown on its Quetta sit-in.

The BYC had announced a protest at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) against the “illegal detention” of its key leaders, including Dr Mahrang Baloch who was arrested on Saturday along with 16 other activists from their protest camp in Quetta, a day after claiming that three protesters had died due to police action, BBC reported.

Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi imposed has issued a notification announcing a ban on all types of gatherings across the city under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).