ISLAMABAD: Amnesty International, a high-profile global rights organization, criticized police in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on Friday for the “unlawful use of force” to disperse protesters demonstrating against an alleged enforced disappearance last month.
Civil society groups and activists in Balochistan have frequently raised concerns about enforced disappearances, accusing state agencies of unlawfully detaining individuals to suppress dissenting voices, a claim the government has consistently denied.
According to the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, an ethnic rights movement, Zaheer Ahmed Baloch, a Balochistan resident and government employee, was forcibly disappeared on June 27, prompting his family’s demand to know his whereabouts.
The clash occurred on Thursday when demonstrators attempted to force their way into Quetta’s Red Zone, an area housing key government installations, to register their protest.
“Amnesty International condemns the unlawful use of force by the police in Pakistan, including the use of tear gas and batons at a peaceful protest in Quetta on 11 July and the mass arbitrary and unlawful arrests of peaceful protesters,” it said in a social media post.
“The protest was organized by the Baloch community in Quetta calling for the safe return of Zaheer Ahmed Baloch, who was forcibly disappeared on 27 June,” it continued. “Amnesty International has received information of several protesters who were injured and are in need of urgent medical treatment.”
Amnesty International highlighted “the arbitrary detention of peaceful protesters” violated the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Pakistan is a signatory.
The organization urged the government to provide medical treatment to all injured protesters, especially those still in police custody.
Additionally, it called on authorities to immediately and unconditionally disclose the whereabouts of detained protesters and to either release all demonstrators or charge and try them promptly in a civilian court.
“Drop all charges against peaceful protesters,” it added.
Balochistan has witnessed a low-level insurgency by Baloch nationalist groups, who accuse the Pakistani government of exploiting the province’s natural resources while neglecting its development, a claim the state denies.
This province’s volatile situation has led to an increased influence of security and law enforcement agencies, exacerbating tensions between the state and the disaffected segments of Baloch society.
Amnesty International criticizes police in Pakistan’s southwest for ‘unlawful use of force’ against protesters
https://arab.news/vdbct
Amnesty International criticizes police in Pakistan’s southwest for ‘unlawful use of force’ against protesters
- Baloch demonstrators had a clash with police in Quetta while protesting enforced disappearances in the province
- Amnesty urged the Pakistani authorities to ‘drop all charges against peaceful protesters’ in a social media post
Pakistan touts investment potential for US businesses in tech, energy and minerals
- The country’s envoy says both sides was committed to anchoring relations in economic cooperation
- He describes Pakistan’s tech-savvy youth as a competitive asset for businesses needing skilled labor
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States said on Sunday the country offered profitable opportunities for American businesses in information technology, energy and minerals, according to an official statement.
The comments come months after the US and Pakistan reached a trade deal in July, with officials on both sides signaling interest in expanding cooperation into energy, mining, digital infrastructure and other sectors.
Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb at the time said the aim was to move “beyond the immediate trade imperative,” adding that the two countries had “come a long way” in their broader strategic partnership.
“Pakistan presents profitable opportunities for US entrepreneurs, particularly in the fast-growing and lucrative IT, energy and minerals sectors,” Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh said, according to the statement.
Sheikh made the remarks during a meeting at the embassy in Washington with a delegation from the Yale School of Management, which plans to visit Pakistan.
He said the leadership in both countries was committed to anchoring relations in economic cooperation and providing an investor-friendly environment for American firms looking to enter a market of more than 250 million people.
The ambassador noted Pakistan was strategically located at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East, adding that it served as a vital trade corridor offering US businesses connectivity to energy-rich Central Asian states and Gulf markets.
Sheikh highlighted opportunities in tourism, agriculture, manufacturing and information technology, pointing to Pakistan’s large, tech-savvy youth population as a competitive asset for businesses needing skilled labor.
“The success of over 80 US companies already operating profitably in Pakistan bears testimony to the country’s vast economic potential,” he said.
The statement added the delegation thanked the ambassador for the briefing and said it looked forward to the embassy’s support during the visit.
