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Baloch activist Iqra Baloch has voiced strong concerns over the arrest of her sister, Baloch rights leader Mahrang Baloch, who was taken into custody by Pakistani authorities on Saturday morning.
In a social media post, Iqra described the distressing experience of visiting Hudda Jail, where she was denied permission to meet Mahrang. Recalling a painful childhood memory, she stated, "A visit to Hudda Jail today reminded me of painful memory from childhood when I stood at the same place to see my father behind bars. 18-years ago, it was my father. It is my sister today. Back then, @MahrangBaloch_ was by our side but today, NO! We weren't allowed to meet her." https://x.com/BalochIqra55/status/1903814602158121423 Iqra previously expressed frustration over the lack of information regarding her sister's detention. Posting on X, she stated that both Mahrang and their younger sister had been taken by the police but that the family had not been provided with any details. "10 hours, and still no information! We have not been given a copy of the FIR. Only hearing she is being held in Hudda District Prison, but we have no right to meet her. @EUPakistan," she wrote, seeking intervention from the European Union. International figures have condemned the arrest and the treatment of Baloch activists. Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, criticised the crackdown on protesters in Quetta. She highlighted the detention of Mahrang Baloch and other human rights defenders in Balochistan, stating, "Very concerned by reports that Mahrang Baloch and a number of other HRDs have been arrested in Balochistan following a crackdown on Baloch Yakjehti Committee protesters in Quetta." The arrest has sparked wider concerns regarding the Pakistani authorities' handling of dissent in Balochistan. Mahrang Baloch, a leading voice in the human rights movement, was reportedly dragged and arrested along with several others. (ANI)
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