KARACHI — Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) Central Leader Dr. Sabiha Baloch has strongly condemned the arrest of Fozia Baloch and her family members on sedition charges after they were prevented from addressing the media at the Karachi Press Club, warning that the same pattern of suppression has now extended to organisers and volunteers of Aurat March outside the same venue.
In a statement by Dr. Sabiha Baloch on social media platform X, she said that peaceful press engagement is a lawful civic activity and questioned the legal basis on which peaceful press conferences are being treated as acts against the state.
Fozia Baloch Arrested on Sedition Charges
According to Dr Baloch, Fozia Baloch along with her family members was prevented from holding a press conference at the Karachi Press Club before being arrested on sedition charges. She was subsequently released. Dr. Sabiha Baloch said the incident reflects a growing pattern of state intolerance toward peaceful dissent and civic engagement.
The BYC leader said the extension of this pattern to Aurat March organisers and volunteers outside the same venue raises serious and urgent concerns about the shrinking of civic space in the country.
Constitutional Rights Under Threat
Dr. Sabiha Baloch said the actions of state authorities directly undermine constitutionally protected freedoms, including the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, both of which are guaranteed under the Constitution of Pakistan.
“Restricting access to public platforms, particularly spaces designated for press interaction, reflects a growing intolerance toward dissent,” Dr. Sabiha Baloch said in her statement.
She warned that the continued contraction of civic space presents a serious concern for democratic accountability and the rule of law in Pakistan.
Dr. Sabiha Baloch said the measures taken against Fozia Baloch and Aurat March organisers warrant clear and consistent condemnation from all quarters. She called on state authorities to uphold legal protections rather than curtail them.
She further urged civil society and the public to raise their voices and defend fundamental rights, warning that silence in such moments only enables further erosion of freedoms.
No official statement has been issued by Karachi police or relevant state authorities in response to the BYC’s allegations.
