Pak journalist criticises Islamabad police, highlights silence of political parties on plight of Baloch women

She referred to an earlier incident in which more than 200 Baloch women, including young girls, were arrested. They were kept in custody despite a court order. Mir criticised the silence of major political parties about the inhuman treatment of Baloch women in the federal capital.

Mir’s remarks came after reports of PTI leader Umar Ayub Khan saying that 11 out of 13 PTI women arrested and illegally detained by Islamabad police had been released.

In a post on X, Hamid Mir said, “The same women police of Islamabad arrested more than 200 Baloch women, including young girls, last year. They never released them despite IHC orders. All main political parties remained silent on that inhumane treatment meted out to Baloch women in Pakistan's capital. Unfortunately, today the same women police are doing the same with PTI and will do the same with PML-N in future.”

Last year, Islamabad's women police arrested more than 200 Baloch women, including young girls. They were never released despite the IHC's order. All major political parties remained silent on the inhumane treatment meted out to Baloch women in Pakistan's capital. Unfortunately, this is what happened… https://t.co/lOP6zQAVvR

– Hamid Mir (@HamidMirPAK) July 23, 2024

Earlier, PTI leader Umar Ayub Khan had said, “Out of 13 PTI women illegally detained at Sitara Market women police station, 11 were released at 3 am. The PTI women were illegally detained against their will. This is a clear case of kidnapping.”

On a cold December night last year, several Baloch women and children were detained without charge at a women's police station in Islamabad. The incident took place during a “long march” from Turbat near the Iranian border in Balochistan to the Pakistani capital. Covering a distance of more than 900 miles, the march passed through villages, towns and cities across the country in protest against enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in the province.

The illegal detention of Baloch people in Pakistan has been a long-standing and controversial problem that has been widely discussed internationally and domestically. Baloch activists and human rights organizations have documented numerous cases in which people, including political activists, students, and journalists, have been arbitrarily arrested and detained without due process.

Key concerns include allegations of enforced disappearances, where individuals are apprehended by security forces or intelligence agencies and subsequently held in unknown locations without any acknowledgment or legal recourse. Families often face prolonged uncertainty about the whereabouts and well-being of their loved ones, adding to their distress and trauma.

Critics argue that these practices violate fundamental human rights principles, including the right to a fair trial, protection from torture, and freedom from arbitrary detention. The Pakistani government has faced calls from both domestic and international bodies to address these issues, ensure transparency in law enforcement practices, and hold accountable those responsible for human rights abuses.