Brutal violence and reprisals against human rights defenders and peaceful protesters attending the Baloch National Gathering in Gwadar
Front Line Defenders strongly condemns the ongoing violence by Pakistan state forces against human rights defenders and peaceful protestors who gathered for the Baloch National Gathering in Gwadar Balochistan on 28 July 2024. There are alarming reports of live bullets being fired at unarmed civilians attending the gathering, causing injuries to many and killing at least two persons.
The Baloch National Gathering is a peaceful event which was organized by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee on 28 July 2024 in Gwadar, Balochistan, to highlight the ongoing human rights violations in Balochistan by the Pakistan state. Human rights defenders and protesters are calling for an end to systemic discrimination, violence and impunity in the province. They are also calling for an end to violence against peaceful protesters, accountability for the violence and use of force, the release of hundreds of protesters detained linked to the gathering, and ending the ongoing blockade of Gwadar city. The choice of Gwadar, a port city in Balochistan, which has seen high levels of militarization and development related displacement is significant as the region has experienced systemic human rights violations linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Human rights defenders have been targeted during the protest and there are concerning reports of woman human rights defenders being injured and attempts on the life of prominent woman human rights defender Dr. Mahrang Baloch. Front Line Defenders is especially concerned by reports on 29 July 2024 that at least three human rights defenders including the Front Line Defenders 2024 award winner Sammi Deen Baloch, Dr. Sabiha Baloch and Sabghatullah Abdul Haq are said to have been detained by uniformed armed personnel and their whereabouts are presently unknown.
Front Line Defenders is also deeply concerned about the fate and whereabouts of human rights defender Hafeez Baloch, as well as woman human rights defenders Seema Baloch and 17 year old Mahzaib Baloch, both family members of the disappeared. All three human rights defenders were last seen in Gwadar city on 29 July 2024. There is presently no information about their whereabouts.
In the weeks leading up to the Baloch National Gathering, members and human rights defenders associated with the the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), which is an organization focused on advocating for the rights and interests of the Baloch people in Pakistan have faced reprisals by state authorities. The attacks include surveillance, raids, arrests and false legal cases.
From 26 to 28 July 2024, major highways in Balochistan were blocked by the military using containers, heavy stones, and large trucks to prevent people from joining the Gwadar gathering. Transporters and passenger bus drivers were threatened and told not to transport attendees. Protesters and human rights defenders traveling to Gwadar from different parts of Pakistan including within Balochistan were blocked from traveling, facing violence, arrests and threats of arrest. There are reports of protesters being injured and also of killings linked to the actions by Pakistan state forces.
Internet, mobile and land line access to Turbat, Gwadar District and most recently Mastung District have reportedly been blocked reducing avenues for information to be shared and humanr rights defenders and protesters to access much needed support. The ongoing blockade of the entry and exit points to Gwadar city have led to a credible fear of shortages of food and other essential supplies.
The violence against human rights defenders and peaceful protesters gathering to campaign and speak out against systemic human rights violations follows a pattern of abuse and reprisals against human rights defenders in Pakistan, and against Baloch human rights defenders in particular. Front Line Defenders has documented the filing of false legal cases against human rights defenders over the past several months, the threats of arrest, and the labeling of defenders as terrorists. Women human rights defenders face gendered abuse online and in physical spaces. In December 2023 and January 2024 the Pakistan state used disproportionate force and false arrests in an attempt to crush the Baloch Long March led by families of the disappeared and women human rights defenders. Those who were part of the march were targeted during and after the protest campaign and labeled as terrorists.
Front Line Defenders calls on the Government of Pakistan to immediately cease the use of force against human rights defenders and peaceful protestors in Gwadar Pakistan. We call on the state to immediately disclose the whereabouts of human rights defenders arrested including Sammi Deen Baloch, Dr. Sabiha and Sabghatullah Abdul Haq, ensuring their safety in detention and their immediate and unconditional release. Front Line Defenders urgently calls for information and to guarantee the safety of missing human rights defenders Hafeez Baloch, Seema Baloch, and Mahzaib Baloch. The human rights defenders must be released, their security in detention guaranteed, access to their lawyers, family members and medical treatment provided as an immediate priortiy.
The Government of Pakistan must comply with its national and international obligations to ensure the right to peaceful assembly and uphold the rights of all persons engaging peacefully on human rights. The blockade on entry and exit into Gwadar city must be stopped, ensuring free movement of persons into the area. Those responsible for the violence that has been unleashed on human rights defenders and peaceful protesters, and for detaining and holding human rights defenders incommunicado must be held accountable.
