Baloch activist Sammi Deen Baloch condemns the alleged enforced disappearance of poetess Habiba Pir Jan in Karachi by Pakistani security agencies, part of a wider pattern. She calls on human rights groups to secure her recovery.
Baloch activist Sammi Deen Baloch has strongly condemned the alleged enforced disappearance of Baloch poetess Habiba Pir Jan, accusing Pakistani security agencies of targeting Baloch women through arbitrary detentions, intimidation, and harassment of their families.
In a post shared on X, she stated that Habiba Pir Jan was taken into custody by security personnel in Karachi on May 25 and has remained missing since then. According to the activist, this was not the first time the poetess had allegedly been subjected to enforced disappearance. She was previously detained in 2022 and released after approximately one week.
Wider Pattern of Targeting Baloch Women
Sammi Deen Baloch described Habiba's case as part of a broader pattern of alleged enforced disappearances involving Baloch women. She claimed that several women who disappeared under similar circumstances were later presented before the media and pressured into making statements, while others remain unaccounted for. The activist specifically referred to the case of Mah Jabeen, who she said continues to be missing, with her family still awaiting information regarding her whereabouts.
Intimidation and Harassment Campaign Alleged
Sammi further alleged that Habiba Pir Jan's disappearance was initially celebrated by pro-state social media accounts, which portrayed her detention as a significant security achievement. According to her, those same accounts later deleted their posts and began describing the poetess as a fugitive. She also claimed that a bounty had subsequently been announced for Habiba and that she was declared a wanted individual.
The activist accused authorities of subjecting Habiba's family to continuous harassment. She alleged that officials visited their residence, confiscated mobile phones belonging to family members, and launched what she described as a systematic campaign of intimidation and character assassination.
Urgent Appeal to Human Rights Organisations
Describing the situation as a serious violation of fundamental human rights, Sammi Deen Baloch urged national and international human rights organisations to intervene. She called for immediate efforts to secure Habiba Pir Jan's recovery and demanded an end to what she termed the ongoing practice of enforced disappearances. (ANI)
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