Karachi police manhandled 28 protesters for Baloch missing students, major outrage

Karachi police on Monday manhandled and detained 28 protesters, including females, who were demonstrating near the main gate of the Sindh Assembly against the ‘missing’ Baloch students of the University of Karachi (KU).

Doda Baloch and Ghamshad Baloch —two students of KU — were allegedly taken away from their home near Maskan Chowrangi in Gulshan-i-Iqbal on June 7 and their whereabouts are unknown since then.

Earlier in the day, Shayhaq Ellahi and HudaHair Ellahi, siblings of Doda, had tweeted that their brother and his friend had been “safely released”. Shayhaq also posted photographs of the pair, reports Dawn.

My brother Doda along his friend Gamshsd has been safely released. I am really grate-ful to all those who supported us in this difficult time.
I might not be able to mention all of you here who stood with us, but you'll all forever live on our hearts.@VeengasJ pic.twitter.com/TCP1lpJKIY

— Shayhaq Ellahi (@shayhaq_ellahi) June 14, 2022

Protest outside Sindh Assembly

Relatives of the missing Baloch students and members of civil society organisations had set up a camp outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) for the last four days. On Sunday night, they reached the Sindh Assembly’s main gate.

Videos of the police can be seen where the protesters are being dragged and manhandled by the Sindh police.

South-Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Asad Raza while speaking with Dawn said that the police detained 19 men and nine women as they tried to enter the assembly building on Monday. The officer denied that protesters were treated roughly. He added that female police officers had detained female protesters.

The protest organisers accused the police of manhandling women and children. They said the Sindh police had retracted their promise of arranging a meeting of the missing students’ relatives with Counter Terrorism Department officials on Monday. Therefore, they said, they again staged a sit-in near the Sindh Assembly building where the police manhandled and arrested protesters.

Twitterati reacted to the barbarism of the police.

Highly condemnable….Sindh police dragging families of missing Baloch students on the instructions of Sindh govt. Where is @BBhuttoZardari ? @PPP_Org #SaveBalochStudents #BalochLivesMatter #DodaAndGamshad pic.twitter.com/uai9gnUmMM

— Mubashir Zaidi (@Xadeejournalist) June 13, 2022

لاپتہ لواحقین کی بازیابی کے لئے بیٹھے ان نہتے اور پرامن افراد پر تشدد انتہائی قابل مذمت ہے۔ پیپلز پارٹی کو اس رویے پر معافی مانگنا چاہئے ۔ https://t.co/sN1wePlYFb

— Asma Shirazi (@asmashirazi) June 14, 2022

Use of disproportionate force and arrest of women by police in Karachi for protesting against allegedly illegal abductions of their family members is highly disturbing.
Hope the disappeared are recovered safely and the arrested women released without delay

— Farhatullah Babar (@FarhatullahB) June 13, 2022

Pakistan has crossed all the limits of barbarism. Today, what is being done with our honorable daughters and sisters, will never let a single option of forgiveness for Pakistan. The civilized world should recognize the fact and fulfill their role to protect the Baloch nation. pic.twitter.com/7Y2Dhj65rZ

— Khalil Baloch (@ChairmanKhalilB) June 13, 2022