QUETTA: Maulana Hi­­dayatur Rehman Baloch, the chief of Haq Do Tehreek (HDT) and general secretary of Jamaat-i-Islami in Balochistan, was detained by the local authorities on Friday in an attempt to prevent him from visiting the border town of Chaman.

Officials said that Mr Rehman’s planned visit to Chaman was intended to show support for the ongoing sit-in protest, organised by various political parties and traders to protest the government’s new Afghan border crossing policy, which requires a passport and valid visa.

Police officials led by a senior officer arrived at Al-Falah House, the Jamaat-i-Islami’s provincial office, on Al-Gillani Street and asked Mr Rehman to cancel his Chaman visit, citing a security threat.

Mr Rehman explained that he just wanted to exp­ress solidarity with the pro­­­testors, who are demanding a return to the old border crossing system using a national identity card.

Abdul Wali Shakir, the Jamaat’s spokesperson, said Maulana Hidayat had been under house arrest for over 24 hours. He lamented that the action was taken despite assurances from the party to the inspector general of police and other authorities that the party would maintain law and order.

Maulana Abdul Haq Hashmi, JI’s provincial emir, called for the withdrawal of police from the party office.

Hussain Wadela, the central chairman of Haq Do Tehreek Balochistan, tweeted that the policy of “suppressing the voice of the oppressed by force will not work for long”.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2023