Geneva [Switzerland], March 22(ANI): Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, has strongly condemned the recent arrest of Baloch rights leader Mahrang Baloch and the violent crackdown on peaceful protesters by Pakistani security forces in Quetta.

https://x.com/MaryLawlorhrds/status/1903403828952617374

In a statement posted on social media platform X, Lawlor expressed deep concern over reports of the arrest of Mahrang Baloch and several other human rights defenders (HRDs) in Balochistan.

'Very concerned by reports that Mahrang Baloch and a number of other HRDs have been arrested in Balochistan following a crackdown on Baloch Yakjehti Committee protesters in Quetta,' Lawlor wrote, calling attention to the ongoing repression in the region.

The unrest unfolded in the early hours of the morning when security forces stormed a peaceful sit-in protest held by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee. Eyewitnesses reported that at approximately 5:30 AM, the authorities launched a violent assault on demonstrators, including women and children. Protesters, who had gathered to demand justice and the return of missing persons, were forcibly dispersed.

The authorities further escalated tensions by seizing the bodies of the deceased, whom the protesters had planned to offer funeral prayers for, deepening the sorrow of the grieving families.

Mahrang Baloch, a prominent figure in the human rights movement and a staunch advocate for the rights of the Baloch people, was violently dragged and arrested. Many others were also detained, marking a troubling escalation in the Pakistani authorities' efforts to silence dissent in the region.

The crackdown has drawn sharp criticism from local and international human rights groups. The Baloch National Movement (BNM) condemned the actions as part of Pakistan's ongoing war crimes in Balochistan.

In a post on X, the BNM called for urgent international intervention, warning that the human rights situation in the region is rapidly deteriorating.

BNM stated,' When people protest, state-sponsored social media and puppet government officials spread propaganda, falsely linking them to armed struggle. They lie--and in response to protests, they abduct and kill even more. We warn of a growing human crisis and appeal for international intervention.' (ANI)