KECH, BALOCHISTAN; The Central Spokesperson of the Baloch Women Forum (BWF) has condemned the arrest of Baloch Yekjehti Committee (BYC) member Syed Bibi Baloch by Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel in Turbat, describing it as another alarming example of the continuing suppression of peaceful political activism in Balochistan.
The Forum stated that CTD personnel entered Syed Bibi Baloch’s residence in Turbat late on Tuesday evening and took her into custody without presenting a judicial warrant or providing any legal justification for her arrest. The operation was carried out despite her consistent compliance with the conditions imposed upon her under the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, including regular appearances before the CTD.
The Baloch Women Forum stated that her detention came shortly after the announcement of a peaceful protest rally in Turbat against the life imprisonment sentences handed down to BYC leaders, raising serious concerns that preventive arrests and intimidation are being deliberately used to obstruct lawful political expression and discourage public participation in peaceful assembly.
The Forum further stated that the growing reliance on the Fourth Schedule against political activists has transformed what is presented as a counterterrorism measure into a mechanism for restricting civil liberties. Across Balochistan, political workers, students, teachers, and ordinary citizens have faced surveillance, repeated summons, restrictions on movement, and persistent intimidation under this framework.
The Forum confirmed that Syed Bibi Baloch is currently being held at the Women Police Station in Turbat, where authorities have indicated that her detention is linked to the planned protest and that she will be released once the protest concludes.
The Baloch Women Forum described holding an individual in custody to prevent or undermine peaceful political activity as an arbitrary deprivation of liberty and a serious violation of fundamental rights, including the freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.
The Forum called upon international human rights organizations, United Nations human rights mechanisms, and the wider international community to urgently intervene by demanding the immediate release of Syed Bibi Baloch, monitoring the misuse of counterterrorism laws against peaceful political activists, and pressing Pakistani authorities to uphold their obligations under domestic law and international human rights standards.
The Forum concluded by stating that the continued criminalization of peaceful dissent and the systematic erosion of civic freedoms in Balochistan require immediate international attention and accountability.
