Joint Statement by Legal Bodies Condemns Police Violence in Quetta and Islamabad

Quetta:In a unified statement issued by the Pakistan Bar Council, Balochistan Bar Council, Balochistan High Court Bar Association, and Quetta Bar Association, severe condemnation has been voiced against the aerial firing, tear gas shelling, and baton charges on peaceful rallies organized for the safe recovery of missing Zahid Baloch and the Baloch Unity Committee.

The legal bodies expressed deep dismay over the use of force against women and children during what began as peaceful protests today. They criticized the provincial government for failing to protect the lives and property of citizens, stressing that the issue of law and order in Balochistan has reached an alarming level.

Highlighting the gravity of the issue of missing persons, the statement emphasized the urgent need for their immediate recovery in accordance with clear directives from the Balochistan High Court and Islamabad High Court. It was strongly asserted that arbitrary arrests under the guise of law and order violations are serious offenses beyond constitutional limits.

The Bar associations in Balochistan expressed concern over human rights violations and demanded immediate action for the safe recovery of all missing individuals, including accountability for those involved in violence and charges against officials responsible for baton charges and tear gas shelling.

Additionally, the statement mourned the assassination of revolutionary poet and Pashtun Tahafuz Movement leader, Gulalai Ismail, in Islamabad, condemning the failure to arrest her killers despite the passage of several days since the fatal attack. They demanded swift justice and apprehension of the perpetrators involved in the heinous crime against PTM activists.