QUETTA: A leading Baloch ethnic rights group announced on Saturday its top leader was arrested along with several of her colleagues in southwestern Balochistan after police raided their protest camp at dawn in the provincial capital of Quetta.
Dr. Mahrang Baloch has long campaigned for the rights of the ethnic Baloch community, which claims to be subjected to extrajudicial harassment, arrests and killings by security forces in the province.
The Pakistani state, however, denies the allegation, saying its forces are combating separatist militants who target armed forces personnel and foreign nationals in the mineral-rich province that borders Iran and Afghanistan.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) said its leader’s arrest came amid a province-wide wheel-jam strike that followed an alleged police attack on a protest in Quetta that killed three people on Friday evening. BYC said its leader and other supporters began a sit-in with the bodies of the deceased when authorities intervened and detained them.
“At around 5:30 this morning, police and other state agencies attacked the protest sit-in, seized the bodies of the martyrs from the demonstrators, and arrested Baloch Yakjehti Committee’s central leader, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, along with her companions,” Sammi Deen Baloch, another BYC leader, said in a social media post.
“The bodies of the slain youth were also forcibly taken into custody,” she added. “In addition, a crackdown was carried out against women and children as well.”
Balochistan’s provincial authorities accused the BYC of getting into a confrontation with police after some of its members allegedly tried to snatch the bodies of deceased militants involved in the hijacking of a passenger train in the province from a mortuary last week.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group, had targeted the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express in the mountainous Bolan region on March 11, taking hundreds of passengers captive.
The siege, which lasted for two days, ended after a military operation that killed 33 militants. The attack, which also claimed the lives of over 30 civilians and security personnel, was one of the deadliest train assaults in the country’s history.
A senior police official confirmed to Arab News on condition of anonymity that Baloch and seven other BYC activists had been arrested in this morning following the attempt to take militants’ bodies with them.
“Police have lodged an FIR [first information report] against Dr. Mahrang and other protesters who attempted to snatch militants’ bodies from the Civil Hospital on Wednesday to glorify the terrorists,” he said. “They also snatched two bodies yesterday from the families who wanted to bury their loved ones and didn’t want to be part of the police and BYC clash.”
A statement released by the office of the commissioner Quetta division during the day also maintained the BYC initiated a protest seeking the recovery of the bodies of militants who targeted the passenger train.
“The protest quickly turned violent as BYC protesters and their armed accomplices resorted to stone-pelting, indiscriminate firing and attacks on law enforcement personnel,” the statement continued. “During the unrest, three individuals lost their lives due to the firing by armed elements accompanying BYC leadership.”
The statement added civil authorities and police emphasized the deceased individuals’ bodies required examination to ascertain the actual circumstances of their deaths, but the BYC refused to hand them over.
“On the request of the deceased’s families, police successfully recovered the bodies from the unlawful custody of BYC supporters and ensured their respectful handover to the respective families,” the statement informed.
“Legal proceedings have been initiated against BYC leaders and their armed associates for inciting and abetting unlawful activities,” it added. “They have been booked under relevant laws for attacking the Civil Hospital, instigating violent protests and other serious offenses.”
Meanwhile, Sabiha Baloch, a senior BYC member, conducted a news conference in which she presented a list of demands to the government.
“The [Balochistan] chief minister, inspector general of police, commissioner and deputy commissioner of Quetta must be sacked for killing three unarmed protesters,” she said. “All detained members of BYC, including Dr. Mahrang Baloch, must be released immediately.”
The authorities restored the cellphone service in Quetta on Saturday evening after suspending it for 16 hours amid the BYC protests. However, the cellphone Internet service continues to remain suspended even after three days.
Baloch rights group says top leader arrested in police raid in southwestern Pakistan
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Baloch rights group says top leader arrested in police raid in southwestern Pakistan
- Baloch Yakjehti Committee says Dr. Mahrang Baloch was arrested amid a province-wide wheel-jam strike
- Provincial authorities blame BYC activists for trying to snatch the bodies of militants who targeted Jaffar Express
Pakistani parties rally in Karachi to protest India’s missile strikes
- Sindh chief minister leads rally featuring participation from PPP, ANP, MQM-P and JI parties
- Political parties’ leaders praise Pakistan’s armed forces for retaliating to Indian missile strikes
KARACHI: In a rare display of unity, major Pakistani political parties rallied in the southern port city of Karachi on Wednesday to vehemently protest India’s missile strikes that killed 31 people and injured 57.
In the sharpest military escalation in more than two decades between the nuclear-armed rivals, the Indian government said it struck nine Pakistani “terrorist infrastructure” sites involved in planning a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22. The assault took place on the tourist hill station of Pahalgam in the part of Kashmir governed by India, with 26 men killed.
The Pakistani military said six locations across its territory — Ahmedpur East, Muridke, Sialkot, Shakargarh in the eastern province of Punjab and Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir — were targeted. Azad Kashmir is the part of the disputed Kashmir valley that is administered by Pakistan. In response, Pakistan military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said five Indian planes and one combat drone that had attacked Pakistan were shot down, naming three Rafales and an MiG-29 and Su-57 each.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah led the rally at the Karachi Press Club, which featured participation from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) parties.
“Within just ten minutes, Pakistan was blamed without any investigation,” Shah told participants of the rally, referring to India’s accusations that Islamabad was involved in the Pahalgam attack.
The chief minister accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he referred to as the “Butcher of Gujarat,” for orchestrating the recent events to divert attention from domestic issues.
“India rejected these gestures for peace and instead launched nighttime attacks on six separate locations, resulting in the deaths of innocent civilians,” he noted.
He lauded Pakistan’s armed forces for giving a befitting response to Indian military strikes.
“The Pakistan Air Force shot down five Indian aircraft and a drone,” Shah said. “We held back only to avoid escalation; otherwise, not a single Indian jet would have survived.”
Monem Zafar, the chief of the JI’s Karachi chapter, agreed with Shah that the rally was a demonstration of political unity amid the crisis.
“The message to India and Modi is that the entire Pakistani nation strongly condemns this attack,” he said. “The nation stands with the Pakistan Army for the protection of the country.”
Zafar called on the nation to observe the coming Friday as a “Day of Resolve” to demonstrate national support for the armed forces.
Erdogan conveys Turkiye’s solidarity to Pakistan PM amid crisis with India
- Erdogan tells Shehbaz Sharif he supports Pakistan’s “calm” policies amid crisis
- Pakistan military says Indian strikes on Wednesday night killed 31, injured 57
ANKARA: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone on Wednesday with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to convey his solidarity after India hit Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir with missiles, the Turkish presidency said.
Pakistan, which has strong ties with Turkiye, said it had shot down five Indian aircraft and vowed to retaliate further, in the worst clash between the nuclear-armed neighbors in more than two decades.
During the call, Erdogan told Sharif that Turkiye supported what he called Pakistan’s “calm and restrained policies” in the crisis, his office said in a statement.
Erdogan also said he found “appropriate” Islamabad’s call for an investigation into a militant attack that triggered the crisis. The militants killed 26 people in Indian Kashmir in the attack on April 22. Pakistan denies Indian accusations that it was linked to the attack.
“Erdogan stated that Turkiye was ready to do what it can to prevent the tensions from escalating, and that his diplomatic contacts in that regard would continue,” it said.
Turkiye has previously condemned India’s attack and called on both sides to act with common sense. Turkiye’s Foreign Ministry said the latest military action by India created the risk of an “all-out war.”
Ankara also maintains cordial ties with India.
Pakistan blocks 16 Indian YouTube channels, 32 websites for spreading ‘propaganda’
- Pakistani telecom authority says action taken to “safeguard” national security
- Development takes place after Indian strikes overnight killed 31 civilians in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said on Wednesday it has blocked 16 Indian YouTube channels and 32 Indian websites for spreading “anti-Pakistan propaganda” and disseminating false information following Indian military strikes inside Pakistani territory that killed 31 people.
The move, part of PTA’s move to combat disinformation, comes after a sharp military escalation between the nuclear-armed rivals. The Indian government said it struck nine Pakistani “terrorist infrastructure” sites on Wednesday night, alleging that they were involved in planning a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22. The assault took place on the tourist hill station of Pahalgam in the part of Kashmir governed by India, with 26 men killed.
“The PTA has blocked 16 Indian YouTube news channels, 31 YouTube video links and 32 websites for disseminating false information and anti-Pakistan propaganda,” the authority said.
“The blocked content was found to be spreading misleading and harmful narratives aimed at manipulating public perception and undermining national unity.”
The PTA said it had taken the action to “safeguard” national security and “protect” Pakistan’s digital ecosystem.
The authority said PTA is committed to maintaining a “safe, secure, and trustworthy” Internet environment for telecom users, adding that online content will continue to be actively monitored for material that threatens Pakistan’s national interests.
The development is a similar response to India blocking access to social media accounts of Pakistani actors and cricketers on May 3.
In April, India banned more than a dozen Pakistani YouTube channels for allegedly spreading “provocative” content following the April 22 attack. The banned platforms included the YouTube channels of Pakistani news outlets Dawn, Samaa TV, ARY News, Bol News, Raftar, Geo News and Suno News.
Pakistan launches first Shariah-compliant ‘Green Sukuk’ to attract eco-friendly investment
- Green Sukuk to fund renewable energy, clean transportation and climate-resilient projects, says finance ministry
- Pakistan says will hold auction for inaugural Green Sukuk issue, ranging from $71.4 million to $107.1 million
KARACHI: Pakistan’s finance ministry announced the launch of its first ever “Green Sukuk” financial instrument on Wednesday, saying it was aimed at attracting investments in environmentally sustainable projects.
The Green Sukuk is a Shariah-compliant financial instrument specifically designed to fund environmentally sustainable projects such as renewable energy, clean transportation and climate-resilient infrastructure, the ministry said. By merging Islamic finance principles with environmental objectives, Green Sukuk provides a unique investment avenue that appeals to ethically minded investors, it added.
“The Government of Pakistan is proud to announce a major milestone in the nation’s sustainable finance journey with the launch of its first Green Sukuk,” the ministry said. “The Green Sukuk marks a pivotal step in aligning Pakistan’s financial markets with global best practices in green financing.”
The ministry said an auction would be held for the Green Sukuk’s first issuance, with the total amount of funds to be raised expected to be between $71.4 million (Rs20 billion) and $107.1 million (Rs30 billion). The statement said the Pakistan Stock Exchange would play a role in promoting the instrument to investors.
The Green Sukuk program was prepared with the support of Pakistan’s Meezan Bank Limited, Bank Alfalah Limited, Dubai Islamic Bank Pakistan Limited and Bank Islami Pakistan Limited, it said.
The finance ministry said the initiative was aligned with Pakistan’s Vision 2028 goal of transitioning toward an interest-free economy. The Green Sukuk would attract a “broader investor base, deepen our financial markets and accelerate the country’s transition” to a resilient economy, the statement said.
Pakistan interior minister meets US envoy, conveys ‘serious concerns’ over India strikes
- Meeting takes place amid soaring tensions after India said it struck Pakistani sites that served as militant recruitment centers
- Several countries including US, Turkiye, China, UAE, UK and others have called on both sides to show restraint, avoid escalation
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Acting US Ambassador Natalie Baker on Wednesday to convey his country’s “serious concerns” over India’s military strikes inside Pakistani territory and its implications for regional peace, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said.
Several countries have called for calm between India and Pakistan amid soaring tensions in South Asia, following Indian attacks on six locations inside Pakistan on Wednesday. Islamabad said Indian strikes killed at least 26 civilians and injured 46. In response, Pakistan claimed to have downed five Indian fighter jets and struck Indian military posts along the Line of Control.
Naqvi met Baker in Islamabad to provide her a “comprehensive” briefing in the aftermath of the Indian strikes and evolving security situation in South Asia, APP reported. US Political Counselor Zachary Harkenrider and Pakistan’s Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry were part of the meeting.
“During the meeting, Minister Naqvi gave a comprehensive briefing to the US delegation on the aftermath of the Indian aggression, expressing Pakistan’s serious concerns over the incident and its implications for regional peace,” APP said.
Naqvi accused India of putting South Asia’s peace and stability at stake, APP said. He further stressed “India has torn apart regional harmony and by targeting civilians, it has blatantly violated international laws.”
Naqvi said Pakistan had acted responsibly and showed maximum restraint in the face of Indian provocation.
“We gave a strong and appropriate response in defense of our homeland,” Naqvi was quoted as saying. “Pakistan will never allow any compromise on its national security.”
INTERNATIONAL REACTION
US President Donald Trump had reacted to the incident on Wednesday night, condemning the escalation, expressing hope that the fighting would end quickly.
“It’s a shame,” he said. “Just heard about it. I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past. They’ve been fighting for a long time. They’ve been fighting for many, many decades. I hope it ends very quickly.”
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was monitoring the situation closely and would continue to engage with the leadership of both countries for a “peaceful resolution.”
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said India’s actions were “regrettable,” urging both countries to exercise restraint and refrain from further complicating the situation, Reuters reported.
United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan called on Pakistan and India “to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation that could threaten regional and international peace,” Emirates News Agency-WAM reported.
Turkiye urged India and Pakistan to act with common sense amid the military escalation between them, its foreign ministry said on Wednesday, saying India’s latest military action created the risk of an “all-out war.”
In a statement, the ministry reiterated its support for Pakistan’s call for an investigation into a militant attack that killed 26 in the Indian-administered side of the Himalayan region on April 22.
The UK is ready to support both India and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions, Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said on Wednesday, following the worst violence between the nuclear-armed arch-foes in two decades.
“Our message would be that we are a friend, a partner to both countries. We stand ready to support both countries. Both have a huge interest in regional stability, in dialogue, in de-escalation and anything we can do to support that, we are here and willing to do,” he told BBC radio.
