GWADAR: Jama­at-i-Islami Baloch­istan Emir and MPA Maulana Hidayatur Rehman Baloch arrived at the Central Police Station here on Monday to court himself for arrest in connection with a recently filed FIR, but authorities decli­ned to take him into custody.

Despite his voluntary ap­­­pearance, police declined to take him into custody, cit­­ing the absence of the SHO.

According to local reports, Maulana Hidayat arrived at the station accompanied by party members and spoke with the deputy superin­tendent of police, who also refused to detain him.

The FIR, lodged several days earlier, accuses the Jamaat-i-Islami leader of making contentious spee­ches during a provincial as­­sembly session. The party has denounced the move as politically motivated.

A spokesperson for Jamaat-i-Islami Balochis­tan called on the Balochistan High Court and the Inspector General of Police to intervene, urging an end to what he described as a “practice of lodging false and politically motivated FIRs”.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2025