Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman, the founder of the Gwadar-based rights movement Haq Do Tehreek, who has been in prison for over three months, has said that Quetta Corps Commander Lieutenant-General Asif Ghafoor is behind his arrest, adding that he would rather die in jail than apologise to generals.
Haq Do Tehreek (HDT) is a protest movement against the government with issues comprising illegal trawling in Gwadar’s water, a high number of security checkpoints, and trade on the Pak-Iran border among others.
Several charges were brought up against Rehman after talks between the HDT’s leaders and the military commanders in Balochistan failed over the protest demonstrations organised by the movement demanding basic rights.
Rehman had had 19 cases related to vandalism and other offences registered against him, but was later granted bail by a sessions court in Gwadar in all cases, except one related to the killing of a policeman, during one of the protest demonstrations organised by the HDT.
Appearing before a sessions court in Gwadar yesterday, he said that he is denied bail because he is not an influential person, but a common Baloch political worker, who is a son of a fisherman.
“I am not imprisoned because of the court and Constitution, but I am a prisoner of General Asif Ghafoor and General Akhtar Mengal,” he added.
آئین اور عدالت کا نہیں، جنرل آصف غفور اور جنرل اخترمینگل کا قیدی ہوں۔ چاہے 12 عیدیں جیل میں گزریں، مزید تین سال قید میں گزاروں، چاہے جیل سے لاش نکلے لیکن کسی جنرل اور کورکمانڈر سے معافی نہیں مانگوں گا۔
مولانا ہدایت الرحمن بلوچ کا عدالت پیشی پر واضح پیغام pic.twitter.com/TklBjBJRCk— Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman Baloch (@MHidayatRehman) April 18, 2023
Rehman said that he could also bring scores of his supporters to the court like Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan but he respects the Constitution and courts.
Former prime minister Imran Khan has appeared before courts in cases registered against him with hundreds of his followers.
Rehman added that he would rather die in prison than apologise to generals.
