Baloch rights activist barred from flying, detained for three hours at Karachi airport

Baloch rights activist Sammi Deen Baloch was stopped from flying abroad by immigration officials and was detained for over three hours at Karachi airport on Sunday.

Sammi took to social media platform X to protest her detention, going live to share her experience. She alleged that immigration authorities detained her for over three hours and confiscated her passport, without providing any formal explanation for the violation of her rights.

“Today, the immigration officials at Karachi airport stopped me from flying abroad without providing any explanation for violating my fundamental right to liberty and freedom of movement. I was detained at immigration for over three hours, and my passport was confiscated,” Sammi posted.

The activist said that when she protested and went live on social media, authorities returned her passport, but failed to provide any documentation or reason for the travel ban.”

“I was verbally informed that immigration was acting on written orders from the government of Balochistan. I appeal to international human rights bodies to raise their voices against this violation of rights,” Sammi added.

Prominent Baloch rights activist, Mahrang Baloch also condemned the incident, calling it a blatant attempt to silence voices critical of human rights abuses in Balochistan.

“I am deeply irked to learn that Karachi airport authorities barred Sammi Deen from flying out of the country despite her holding a valid visa, ticket, and all necessary travel documents. This is a clear attempt not only to deny basic human rights, including the right to movement but also to restrict information and silence voices that speak about Balochistan,” the activist said.

The incident highlights the ongoing efforts by Pakistani authorities to stifle activists raising awareness about the human rights violations in the conflict-ridden Balochistan region.

Sammi Deen has been an outspoken advocate for the rights of Baloch people and has drawn attention to the forced disappearances and extrajudicial actions that have plagued the region for years.

As of now, there has been no official comment from the Pakistani government or immigration authorities regarding the order preventing her from travelling. The incident has sparked calls from human rights organizations to investigate the growing crackdown on dissenting voices in Pakistan.