Court releases BYC's Sammi Deen Baloch, police rearrest under MPO

Karachi police on Monday detained Sammi, others for violating Section 144 and used force to break up their protest

Amin Anwar

March 25, 2025

Police personnel detain activists from the Baloch Yakjehti Committee and civil society during a protest demanding the release of Mahrang Baloch, one of Pakistan’s prominent human rights advocates, along with missing Baloch persons, in Karachi on March 24. — AFP

As soon as Sammi was freed, police attempted to rearrest her.
Resistance put up by lawyers at court, leading to commotion.
BYC staged protest at KPC against detention of leaders.

Police rearrested Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Sammi Deen Baloch from the court premises on Tuesday, shortly after a judicial magistrate ordered her release along with the other accused.

Karachi police, a day earlier, apprehended Sammi and several others for violating Section 144, using force to disperse their demonstration as the BYC pressed on with its protest against the arrest of its leadership in Balochistan.

However, as soon as she was freed, police attempted to rearrest her, leading to resistance from lawyers present at the court. Shortly after, they detained the Baloch leader from the court premises and shifted her to jail for 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).

According to the Sindh Home Department, the decision was made on the recommendation of Inspector General (IG) Sindh, citing security concerns.

Officials alleged that Sammi, along with Abdul Wahab Baloch, Raza Ali, and others, was inciting road blockades and sit-ins, which could disrupt law and order in the city.

The department further stated that the presence of the detained individuals in public places posed a potential threat to peace and stability.

According to Sammi’s lawyer, Jibran Nasir, police attempted to detain her under the MPO ordinance. “The learned judicial magistrate discharged all five accused in the FIR registered yesterday,” Jibran wrote in a post on X.

“As soon as the accused were discharged and ordered to be released, the police started waving the MPO order. While Sammi surrendered and willfully gave her arrest, the whereabouts of four others, Lala Wahab, Raziq, Sultan, and Shahdad, are unknown,” he added.

It must be noted that the BYC had announced to stage a protest at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) against the “illegal detention” of its top leaders, including Dr Mahrang Baloch.

Mahrang was taken into custody on Saturday, along with 16 other activists from their protest camp in Quetta, a day after they alleged police of beating up three of their protestors to death during an anti-riot action.