ISLAMABAD-UNS – The interim government announced on Thursday that all women and children detained during the police crackdown on Baloch protesters had been released.
This was announced by Privatisation Minister Fawad Hasan Fawad while addressing a press conference in Islamabad, accompanied by Information Minister Murtaza Solangi and Jamal Shah.
“At the prime minister’s direction, a decision was made to release all women and children without exception. Additionally, all identified men have also been freed,” stated Fawad Hasan Fawad.
The Islamabad police had detained numerous Baloch men and women during a demonstration against enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
Videos circulating on social media depicted security forces using water cannons and tear gas on the protesters, forcibly dragging Baloch individuals into police vans, and using batons against them.
Furthermore, the police dismantled protest camps and loudspeaker setups outside the National Press Club.
Following the outcry, the caretaker government formed a negotiation team led by Solangi, Fawad, and Jamal Shah to engage with the protesters’ families.
During the briefing, Fawad addressed the situation, indicating a clash between police and protesters.
He mentioned that the Islamabad police chief, Akbar Nasir Khan, presented facts before the Islamabad High Court (IHC), stating that the protesters were already present and not the instigators of the chaos.
Fawad also noted the presence of individuals who had covered their faces and seemed prepared for certain actions.
A women-led march from Turbat, initiated on Dec 6 following the alleged extrajudicial killing of a Baloch youth, reached Islamabad. However, the police blocked entrances to the city and major routes leading to the National Press Club.
