Crackdown on Protesters in Pakistan: Activists Arrested to Quell Dissent

In an overnight crackdown, Pakistani police employed water cannons, wielded batons, and detained numerous activists to prevent them from entering Islamabad and protesting against forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in the troubled southwest. The group of about 200 protesters, including families with children, initiated their 1,600-kilometer convoy around November 28, originating from the town of Turbat.

Their objective was to draw attention to the death of Balaach Mola Bakhsh, a 24-year-old who died in police custody in Baluchistan province. Authorities claim Bakhsh, arrested in November for alleged possession of explosives, died during a militant ambush while being transported. Activists, however, argue that he was intentionally killed in a staged counterterrorism operation. The crackdown comes amid demands for justice and accountability for such incidents in the region.