Pakistan’s Caretaker Government Releases Baloch Protestors Amidst Negotiations

Pakistan's Caretaker Government Releases Baloch Protestors Amidst Negotiations

VoM News Desk | December 29, 2023 | 10:46 AM IST | Asia, Pakistan News, Politics, World | Follow on Google News

Pakistan’s Caretaker Government Releases Baloch Protestors Amidst Negotiations Image/X@BYCKech

Pakistan’s Caretaker Government Releases Baloch Protestors Amidst Negotiations

The caretaker government of Pakistan has taken a significant step by releasing 34 Baloch protestors who were recently arrested during a police crackdown in the federal capital, as reported by Geo News.

This move follows the fulfillment of legal requisites for their release, as outlined in an official declaration. Notably, the decision came upon the advice of a negotiation committee formed by Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar.

Under the leadership of caretaker privatization minister Fawad Hasan Fawad, the negotiation team engaged in talks with the protesters, who were demanding the immediate release of those detained.

Earlier, the government had already ordered the release of Baloch women who were initially taken into custody during the crackdown.

The protest stemmed from the outcry against the “extra-judicial killing” of a Baloch youth by officials from the Counter-Terrorism Department in Turbat earlier in the month. Baloch women commenced a prolonged march on December 6, culminating in their arrival in Islamabad on December 20.

However, upon their arrival, law enforcement initiated a crackdown, dismantling their camps outside the National Press Club and resulting in the arrest of numerous demonstrators, inciting widespread outrage.

While the government defended its actions, labeling the crackdown as a preventive measure to avert a potential catastrophe, the move faced severe criticism from human rights organizations, politicians, and analysts, as reported by Geo News.

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a prominent organizer of the march, issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Pakistan government to address their demands.

These demands included an agreement to eradicate enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, placing restrictions on the Counter-Terrorism Department, and ending alleged state-sponsored death squads.

Moreover, the BYC urged the Ministry of Interior to acknowledge the deaths of disappeared persons in supposed fake encounters through a confession, an acknowledgement letter, and a public press conference revealing the names of all victims.

The Baloch activists stressed the importance of the government displaying sincerity in curbing human rights violations and illegal actions in Balochistan to demonstrate its commitment to resolving the issues related to the “Baloch genocide.”

VoM News Desk

VoM News is an online web portal in jammu Kashmir offers regional, National & global news.