Latest news with #BalochistanAmendment)Act2025
Hans India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Pakistan: Rights group accuses authorities of conducting surveillance, harassing Baloch protesters in Islamabad
The Baloch families sit-in in Islamabad demanding the release of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders and an end to enforced disappearances in Pakistan's Balochistan continued for the 26th consecutive day on Sunday even as the BYC accused the Pakistani authorities of maintaining road blocks, conducting surveillance and harassing protesters instead of addressing their legitimate demands. According to the BYC, Baloch protesters, including elderly women and young children, continued to stay on the roadside without shelter amid scorching heat as authorities did not allow them to set up a camp. The protesters held the banner with the message "Stop Collective Punishment" and "Release BYC leaders." The banners also featured pictures of BYC leaders, including Mahrang Baloch. In a statement shared on X, BYC stated: "Today marks the 26th consecutive day of the Baloch families' sit-in in Islamabad, held to demand the release of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders and an end to enforced disappearances in Balochistan. Amidst scorching heat, these families including elderly women and young children remain on the roadside without shelter, as authorities continue to deny them the right to set up a camp." "The road to the Islamabad Press Club remains sealed, cutting them off from the space traditionally meant for victims to raise their voices. Instead of addressing their legitimate demands, Pakistani authorities maintain road blockades, conduct surveillance, and harass participants," it added. On August 8, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed grave concern over the escalating human rights crisis and deteriorating state of fundamental rights and civic freedoms in Balochistan. A report of the fact-finding mission of HRCP titled 'Balochistan's Crisis of Trust' revealed a disturbing pattern of continued enforced disappearances, shrinking civic space, erosion of provincial autonomy, and unchecked impunity - conditions that continue to fuel public alienation and political instability in the province. "Enforced disappearances emerged as the most urgent and widespread human rights concern during the mission. Testimonies from political leaders, civil society actors, and law enforcement officials collectively point to the scale, impunity, and evolving character of this practice. Accounts suggest that the phenomenon, far from being isolated or exceptional, has become systematic, thereby undermining the rule of law and severely eroding public trust in state institutions," the HRCP report read. The rights body also called for independent investigations into alleged reprisals against those who speak up against enforced disappearances. The mission noted that "while militant attacks targeting ordinary citizens, including non-Baloch settlers, are indefensible and must be prosecuted, the passage of the Anti-Terrorism (Balochistan Amendment) Act 2025 is deeply problematic". It mentioned that "the law permits 90-day detentions without meaningful judicial oversight, raising concerns about the potential for torture and abuse". The mission urged the Pakistani government to withdraw the Act and instead ensure that all counterterrorism efforts comply with the country's human rights obligations. According to the report, electoral manipulation and the political sidelining of nationalist parties have severely undermined public trust in democratic processes in Balochistan.
News18
02-08-2025
- Politics
- News18
How Balochistan's Anti-Terror Law Legalises Pakistan's Brutal Repression
By introducing a blatantly exploitative and tyrannical legislation, Pakistan has further legalised the brutal repression in a region which it has illegally occupied since 1948 The illegal occupation of Balochistan by Pakistan represents a long-standing festering wound. The largest, resource-abundant, yet poorest province of the country, Balochistan has been reeling in the crossfire of a chronic armed insurgency and a disproportionate state response, in addition to systemic political and economic marginalisation. Even as Pakistan was recently engaged in military confrontations with India—the most severe since the Kargil conflict of 1999—the Baloch insurgents kept intensifying their operations. Now, in the name of more effective counter-terrorism, the puppet government in Balochistan has passed another legislation that threatens to worsen the situation by legitimising state excesses in the province. Amid vehement opposition by legal experts, human rights groups, and civil society, the Balochistan Assembly passed the Counter-terrorism (Balochistan Amendment) Act 2025 on June 4. The legislation, which makes new inclusions into the 1997 Anti-terrorism Act, authorises armed forces, civil armed forces, and intelligence agencies to preventively detain a person for up to three months without any charges or trial. Eliminating judicial oversight, joint investigation teams can now issue detention orders, seize property or other possessions, and conduct ideological or psychological profiling of the detainees, all on their own accord. The Act has been put in place for six years, after which it can be extended for a period of two years if the provincial government thus notifies. Even when the Act was a proposed bill in the provincial assembly, human rights groups, including the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), had staunchly opposed its passage over concerns that it would legalise state instrumentalisation of enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention. After it was adopted, the HRCP condemned the 'sweeping powers of preventive detention" outlined by the Act, which undermine civilian law enforcement domain by involving military personnel in the oversight boards, and contravene the country's constitutional obligations under Article 10 (legal safeguards for those arrested or detained) as well as its commitments under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The BYC, too, released a strongly-worded statement, decrying the Act's 'grave violation of fundamental rights, including personal liberty, due process, and protection from arbitrary detention". Meanwhile, the Pakistan government is projecting the Act as a decisive framework against terrorist forces and something that will help end the issue of missing persons. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti described it as a milestone which, according to him, will counter the 'organised conspiracy" and 'false allegations against state institutions" regarding enforced disappearances. Bugti also claimed that the insurgency in Pakistan-occupied Balochistan is a 'foreign intelligence agency driven war" against Pakistan, a narrative that has been parroted for a long time by the Pakistani establishment. This absolute denial and deflection by the authorities point to their utter unwillingness to acknowledge, address, and resolve the plight of the Baloch people, further alienating them and fueling the militancy. The Baloch people are already subjected to an extremely stifled environment, wherein demands of accountability from the state are constantly misconstrued as separatism, justifying excessive crackdown and harassment. The BYC-led peaceful Baloch civil resistance movement, which has emerged as a resilient force in the past couple of years, has had to face constant vilification, disruptions, harassment, and violent crackdown by the state, with its leaders, including Mahrang Baloch, incarcerated. Rather than taking advantage of a peaceful civilian platform that works towards state accountability and political reconciliation within the federal framework, the heavy-handed response of the Pakistani state creates conditions where peaceful political activism loses relevance and the people, particularly the youth, increasingly view armed insurgency as the only alternative. Within the context of an ever-ascending insurgency, progressively alienated people, rising attacks on CPEC workers and projects as well as Punjabi migrants, the newly passed amendment act will certainly estrange the Baloch people further. The ensuing state excesses, which will now take on a robe of legal legitimacy, will exacerbate the security crisis in Balochistan. By introducing a blatantly exploitative and tyrannical legislation, Pakistan has further legalised the brutal repression in a region which it has illegally occupied since 1948. This is like planting an existential landmine and stepping on it while blaming others for the mess which is a sole creation of Pakistan. The writer is an author and a columnist. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. 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NDTV
08-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Pakistan's Controversial Detention Law In Balochistan, What It Means
New Delhi: The Balochistan Assembly, on June 4, passed the Counter-Terrorism (Balochistan Amendment) Act 2025, a new law that gives sweeping powers to security forces operating in the province. The legislation has been met with strong criticism from rights groups, legal experts, and civil society, who warn it could further fuel repression and unrest in the region. What Does The Law Say? The legislation allows military and intelligence agencies, including the Pakistan Army and ISI, to detain individuals for up to 90 days without filing any formal charges or presenting them in court. This can be done purely on the basis of suspicion, with no requirement for judicial oversight. Joint Investigation Teams (JITs), composed of police and intelligence operatives, have been handed expanded authority to issue detention orders, conduct ideological profiling, and carry out searches and seizures without prior judicial approval. Military personnel will now also have a formal role in civilian oversight panels. Why Is It controversial? Critics warn the law blurs the line between civil policing and military operations, paving the way for mass surveillance and state repression, particularly targeting the ethnic Baloch population. Human rights organisations, including Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and local watchdogs, have slammed the legislation, calling it a clear violation of constitutional protections and international law, particularly Article 10 of Pakistan's Constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The Baloch Context Enforced disappearances have haunted Balochistan for decades. Numerous families continue to search for missing loved ones, some unaccounted for after 15 to 20 years, allegedly abducted by state forces. Activists argue that this new law effectively legitimises these practices, turning Balochistan into what they describe as a "legalised detention zone." The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a civil rights group, issued a sharp statement against the law, calling it a step toward the militarisation of civilian life. "Such provisions constitute a grave violation of fundamental rights, including personal liberty, due process, and protection from arbitrary detention," the BYC said. "This echoes the collective punishment tactics seen in some of the darkest chapters of modern history, including Nazi concentration camps and the internment of Uyghur Muslims in China," the group added. What The Pakistan Government Says The government has defended the law, arguing that it is necessary to strengthen counter-terrorism operations. A provincial spokesperson stated that the bill targets only those involved in anti-state activities and that law-abiding citizens have nothing to fear. The law comes at a time of heightened tensions in Balochistan, where separatist insurgency, political alienation, and military crackdowns have fuelled long-standing unrest.
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First Post
08-06-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Pakistan gets law to arrest Baloch citizens for 90 days only on suspicion
The Pakistani-administered Balochistan Assembly passed a law that allows security forces to detain Baloch civilians for 90 days without any judicial recourse. Activists compare it to laws in Nazi Germany. read more Earlier this week, the Balochistan Assembly passed the Counter-Terrorism (Balochistan Amendment) Act 2025, prompting a widespread alarm among human rights groups and Baloch civil society . What makes the law controversial is the fact that it allows Pakistan's military and intelligence agencies to detain individuals, especially Baloch civilians, for up to 90 days without charge. The authorities are allowed to detain them solely on suspicion. Shortly after the law was passed in the Balochistan Assembly, legal experts and human rights activists warned that the legislation bypasses judicial safeguards and effectively legalises the atrocities and practices already being committed by the Pakistani security forces in the shadows. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Under the Act, Pakistan's Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) can now operate with expanded powers. They can issue detention orders and conduct ideological profiling of the suspects. Not only this, but military officials will now be sitting on the oversight panel, eroding civilians' control over law enforcement. Why is it concerning? Apart from this, law enforcement agencies are also granted increased authority to search, arrest and seize property without any form of prior judicial approval. With these provisions, activists are now arguing that the law paves the way for widespread abuse and mass surveillance. It is pertinent to note that enforced disappearances have been a persistent issue in Balochistan, where families have waited for decades to get any information about their loved ones. The Baloch activists insisted that the new law effectively codifies these practices, placing entire communities under constant fear of state violence. 'This Act transforms Balochistan into a legalised detention zone,' the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) said in a statement after the legislation passed. The group condemned the legislation, calling it a step towards full militarisation of civilian lives. Not only this, the group compared the tactics authorised by the Act to those used in Nazi Germany and the modern-day Xinjiang region . What makes it more concerning is the fact that the law violates Article 10 of Pakistan's Constitution, as well as Pakistan's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). In its statement, BYC called on the United Nations, international human rights organisations, and global civil society to intervene and pressure Islamabad to repeal the law. 'Silence now is complicity,' the group averred. With inputs from ANI.
