According to Dawn News reports, civil society in Karachi gathered outside the Karachi Press Club on the first day of Eidul Fitr to demand the release of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Sammi Deen Baloch. Sammi was detained last week after leading a protest against the arrest of her colleague, Dr. Mahrang Baloch.
Sammi, along with five other activists, was taken into custody for violating a newly imposed Section 144. Although a judicial magistrate ordered their release the following day, Sammi was detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance for 30 days, sparking outrage among activists and rights groups.
At the press conference, Sammi’s sister, Mehlab Deen Baloch, spoke passionately about the injustice her family has endured. Her father was forcibly disappeared 15 years ago, and now, on Eid, she found herself pleading for her sister’s freedom. Flanked by prominent lawyer Jibran Nasir, activist Sheema Kermani, and academic Nida Kirmani, Mehlab accused the Sindh government of targeting Baloch women while advocating for women’s rights elsewhere.
“The political elite think they can silence us,” she declared, “but as long as enforced disappearances continue, our voices will not be silenced.”
Nasir condemned the government’s heavy-handed approach, questioning why peaceful activists are being jailed instead of engaged in dialogue. He also criticized the alleged inhumane conditions in detention, revealing that Mahrang Baloch was not being provided with hygienic food or water.
Sheema Kermani, founder of Tehrik-i-Niswan, warned of dire consequences if the state continued to suppress dissent. “When women and children take to the streets, revolutions begin,” she asserted, urging the government to respect fundamental rights.
Mehlab, carrying photographs of her missing father and imprisoned sister, expressed her sorrow, stating that Eid had become a painful reminder of their absence. “I am here alone, asking the authorities to bring back my father and release my sister, who is in prison without a crime,” she lamented.
Nasir further highlighted that such oppression was not limited to Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing the recent arrest of journalist Farhan Mallick. “What kind of justice is this?” he questioned.
The press conference, though sparsely attended due to Eid celebrations, proceeded peacefully under police surveillance. Following the event, Nasir posted on Instagram, calling the detentions a “question mark on the independence of the government and judiciary.”
Civil society continues to demand Sammi’s immediate release, emphasizing that suppressing voices will only fuel greater resistance.
