Pak lawyers boycott courts in protest against arrest of Gwadar movement leader

Islamabad [Pakistan], January 16 (ANI): The Pakistani lawyers boycotted courts in Balochistan province on Saturday to protest against the arrest of Gwadar movement leader Maulana Hidayatur Rehman, Business Recorder newspaper reported.

The boycott of lawyers came a day after the ‘Haq Do Tehreek’ (HDT) leader was arrested when he showed up on Friday at the court premises in Gwadar over the charges of killing a policeman, the Pakistani newspaper said. Tensions continued to simmer in the Pakistan port city with protests continuing after clashes with supporters of the HDT. The clashes occurred in the last two months between locals and security forces in Gwadar as protests against illegal fishing turned violent after some people were arrested.

The Balochistan Bar Council condemned Maulana’s arrest, saying that DPO Gwadar detained the HDT leader forcibly. The court urged Balochistan’s chief secretary and inspector-general of police to take immediate notice of the incident.
The Pakistani newspaper said that the HDT leader was in court with his lawyers to seek interim bail. The Bar said the Gwadar police have completely failed to protect the lives and properties of the citizens, Business Recorder reported.

So far, more than 100 people have been arrested in Gwadar as the provincial government struck with an iron fist at protesters and imposed an emergency law that prohibits gathering five or more people.
Last month, a London-based rights group has expressed alarm over reports of mass arrests and the imposition of emergency law in Gwadar following large-scale protests against “illegal fishing through trawlers”.

“Amnesty International is alarmed by reports of mass arrests and the imposition of emergency law following protests in Gwadar. People have the right to express discontent peacefully and the state has an obligation to facilitate this right,” Amnesty International said in a statement posted on its Twitter handle.

The group said putting a “blanket ban on all forms of public gatherings amounts to repression of the right to protest and sends a chilling message that there is no room for dissent.”

“It is imperative that the Government of Pakistan upholds the human rights of everyone, including their rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly in the country,” the statement added.