Amnesty International has denounced the Pakistan government for including 32 individuals in its terrorist watchlist, mentioning leading Baloch rights defenders in the list. The Balochistan Post reported that the move has been described as a serious violation of due process and basic freedoms.
According to the Balochistan Post, Amnesty’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia Babu Ram Pant said, listing peaceful Baloch activists as terrorists without any legal recourse undermines their fundamental rights to liberty, privacy, and movement. The global rights body said it has repeatedly raised concerns over Pakistan’s sweeping anti-terrorism laws that fail to comply with international human-rights norms. It also expressed alarm over the inclusion of several Baloch women activists, including Sabiha Baloch, Sammi Deen Baloch, Shalee Assa, Naz Gul, and Syed Bibi Sharif, calling it a dangerous escalation in Pakistan’s misuse of counter-terror legislation.