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 to sell excess gas in international markets from Jan.1— petroleum minister
- Pakistan was reportedly exploring ways to reduce $378 million in annual losses from supply glut caused by excess fuel imports
- Move to sell excess LNG in international markets will limit $3.56 billion losses caused since 2018-19, says petroleum minister
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will sell its excess liquefied natural gas (LNG) in international markets from Jan. 1, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said, revealing the move would limit losses caused from a years-long supply gut.
Local and international media outlets had reported in July that Pakistan was exploring ways to sell excess LNG cargoes amid a gas supply glut that government officials said was costing domestic producers $378 million in annual losses. News reports had said Pakistan had at least three LNG cargoes in excess that it imported from Qatar and has no immediate use for.
Speaking to reporters during a press conference on Sunday, Malik said there was an excess of imported gas in Pakistan as the use of this fuel for power generation had reduced in the country during the past few months. He said Islamabad had been forced to sell the gas to local consumers, due to which the circular debt in the gas sector from 2018 till now had ballooned to around Rs1,000 billion [$3.56 billion].
“From Jan. 1 we will sell this excess fuel in international markets to reduce our burden and limit our losses of this Rs1,000 billion [$3.56 billion],” Malik said.
He said this move would also allow Pakistan’s state-owned enterprises in the sector to operate on their full capacity and generate profits and employment.
Malik also spoke of foreign oil companies that were ready to invest millions in the country in the near future.
The minister cited the recent visit of Turkish energy minister to Pakistan which had resulted in the state-owned Turkish Petroleum signing deals to carry out onshore and offshore drilling activities in Pakistan.
“Turkish Petroleum will also open its office in Islamabad, where 10 to 15 Turkish nationals will be working,” Malik said.
He also said that a delegation of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) visit Pakistan this week, adding that it was also expected to collaborate with local companies for oil and gas exploration.
The minister said SOCAR was also opening its office in Pakistan.
“It will also invest millions of dollars in the construction of an oil pipeline from Machike to Thalian in collaboration with the PSO (Pakistan State Oil) and FWO (Frontier Works Organization),” Malik said.
