KARACHI: Police on Thursday “picked up” Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) chairman Asad Iqbal Butt in a raid on his Federal B Area residence on Thursday in a bid to stop his participation in the July 28 rally against enforced disappearance in Gwadar, rights activists and police sources.

A police officer, who wished not to be named, told Dawn that the HRCP chief was “detained” by the police from his residence over reports that a rally was being organised by the Baloch Yakjehi Committee (BYC). However, he was released later, he added.

HRCP member Prof Dr Tauseef Ahmed told Dawn that the Gulberg police along with policewomen arrived at Mr Butt’s residence at around 1:30pm.

They “detained” the HRCP chief and brought him at the Gulberg police station, where he was asked as to whether he was going to attend the Baloch conference in Gwadar scheduled to be held on July 28.

Dr Tauseef and other rights activists reached the police station and finally Mr Butt was released at around 4pm. “We have brought Mr Butt from Gulberg police station to his home now,” Dr Tauseef told Dawn.

As the news of Mr Butt’s detention spread, the HRCP demanded immediate and ‘unconditional’ release of its chairperson and said that he was ’arbitrarily detained by the police“ in Karachi. “The HRCP believes that this measure is an intimidation tactic designed to stifle the voice of human rights defenders like Mr Butt,” it added.

Meanwhile, BYC organisers claimed that their several workers had been picked up by law enforcement agencies from different parts of Karachi since Wednesday.

They claimed that three Baloch activists were taken away from Lyari for distributing pamphlets and installing banners for the BYC gathering in Gwadar, where leaders of different political parties and rights activists from across the country were expected to attend and discuss the issue of enforced disappearances.

A fourth activist was taken away from Old Golimar allegedly by law enforcement agencies, they added.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2024

Opinion

Broken promises

Broken promises

Perhaps the biggest impediment to the successful mainstreaming of ex-Fata and its development has been the lack of funding.

Editorial

Wake-up call
Updated 09 Nov, 2024

Wake-up call

Pakistan must heed UN's wake-up call and bring its laws and practices in line with its international human rights obligations.
Foreign banks’ exit
09 Nov, 2024

Foreign banks’ exit

WHY are foreign banks leaving Pakistan? In the last couple of decades, we have seen a number of global banking...
Kurram protest
09 Nov, 2024

Kurram protest

FED up with the state’s apathy towards their plight, the people of Kurram tribal district took to the streets on...
IHK resolution
Updated 08 Nov, 2024

IHK resolution

If the BJP administration were to listen to Kashmiris, it could pave the way for the resumption of the political process in IHK.
Climate realities
08 Nov, 2024

Climate realities

THE Air Quality Index in Lahore once again shot past the 1,000-level mark on Wednesday morning, registering at an...
Rule by fear
08 Nov, 2024

Rule by fear

THE abduction of an opposition MNA, as claimed by PTI, is yet another grim episode in Pakistan’s ongoing crisis of...