Gulzar Dost, a well-known social activist and convener of Kech Civil Society, was arrested on Monday in a wider effort by the Pakistani state to silence dissent in Balochistan. According to The Balochistan Post, Dost was taken from his home in Turbat during a late-night raid by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and later charged with what The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) says were “false and politically motivated” allegations. It has demanded his immediate release.Dost was arrested early Monday morning during a CTD raid at his residence in Turbat. He was then brought before a court and charged, though the exact nature of the charges has not been publicly detailed. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee, which advocates for human rights in Balochistan, has said the charges are baseless. In a post on X, BYC described Dost as a peaceful citizen who has always spoken up for families of forcibly disappeared persons and victims of extrajudicial killings. “His only ‘crime’ is standing with the oppressed,” BYC said. “The state cannot tolerate that.” The committee also criticised the CTD, calling it a tool of state repression used to target grassroots activists. It accused authorities of carrying out unlawful raids, filing fake cases, and using forced disappearances to suppress political voices. BYC has demanded Dost’s unconditional release and warned that the continued targeting of activists will only increase resistance in the region. “If the state thinks it can create silence in Balochistan by targeting political activists, it is gravely mistaken,” the group said.The arrest is part of what rights groups say is an increasing pattern of intimidation against Baloch activists. Just two days ago, at least five men were reportedly forcibly disappeared by Pakistani security forces during a series of raids in the Kech and Gwadar districts of Balochistan. A wave of anger has swept across Pakistan’s troubled Balochistan province after the reported abduction and killing of young Baloch activist Zeeshan Ahmed by military personnel. Zeeshan had been actively campaigning for the safe return of his father, Zaheer Ahmed, who was forcibly disappeared by the Frontier Corps back in 2015.
