Amnesty International Urges Pakistan To End ‘Arbitrary Detention’ Of Baloch Woman In CTD’s Custody

Amnesty International has called on Pakistani authorities to end the “arbitrary detention” of a Baloch woman in Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) custody, who was allegedly abducted by the law enforcers last month and later declared a terrorist.

The international non-governmental organisation focused on human rights issued an urgent action, asking the authorities in Pakistan to release Mahal Baloch.

It said Mahal Baloch was detained after the police officials “unlawfully raided her home” in Quetta.

“Her two daughters, aged 8 and 5, were separated from her and detained for one night,” Amnesty International said.

The human rights organisation further said the authorities must immediately release Mahal Baloch or charge her with a recognizable offence, in accordance with international human rights law.

On February 18, the authorities abducted a woman named Mahal Baloch along with her two children from Quetta, Balochistan. The children were later released, however, the CTD detained the woman, declaring her a ‘terrorist’.

On Wednesday, Balochistan CTD DIG Aitzaz Goraya and CM’s spokesman Babar Khan Yousafzai held a press conference and said that Mahal Baloch admitted her association with the outlawed BLF.

They presented a video message of Mahal Baloch in which she confessed her link with the BLF and said her husband was also working for the banned organisation.

“My husband was kil­led along with his brother in 2016 and I shifted to Karachi with my in-laws where people belonging to the banned organisation contacted and brainwashed [me], and after that, I joined the organisation and later shifted to Quetta,” she said.

News Desk