Karachi Workers Protest Illegal Detention of Human Rights Chair Asad Iqbal Butt

Karachi: Workers and human rights activists gathered at the Karachi Press Club to protest the illegal detention of Asad Iqbal Butt, Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), demanding accountability and immediate action against police officers involved.

According to Home-Based Women Workers Federation, the National Trade Union Federation, and other groups organized the demonstration, condemning the actions of the police as undemocratic and unconstitutional. Zehra Khan, General Secretary of HBWWF, highlighted the arrest of Butt by the Gulberg police on July 25, without any legal basis, and his subsequent four-hour detention. This incident, along with the disappearance of Comrade Rehman Baloch the previous day, has sparked outrage and concern among advocates for human rights across Pakistan.

Protestors called for a complete investigation into the detention and the dismissal of the SHO of Gulberg Town. Saeed Baloch from the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum stressed that such violations pose a threat to the stability of the government by increasing public dissent. Participants also urged the Sindh Interior Minister to address these abuses of power urgently.

The demonstration reflected a broader call for the protection of human rights advocates and the recovery of missing individuals like Comrade Rehman Baloch, emphasizing the need for state institutions to respect and uphold constitutional rights.