Renowned author and journalist Mohammed Hanif Saturday announced returning Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan's third-highest civilian award, after Islamabad police resorted to baton-charged Baloch marchers and arrested scores, who were protesting in the federal capital.
In a social media post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Hanif reacted to a video of a Baloch girl imploring the authorities for basic rights and justice and censured the authorities for violent tactics against the marchers.
"In protest, returning my Sitara e Imtiaz, given to me by a state that continues to abduct and torture Baloch citizens [...] Ashamed to witness a new generation being denied basic dignity," his post read.
Hanif — a journalist, novelist, and playwright known for his famous work "A Case of Exploding Mangoes" — was honoured with the third-highest civilian award in Pakistan back in 2018.
His remarks come after marchers — led by women — protesting against enforced disappearances of Baloch men, under the banner of Baloch Yakjehti Council (BYC), reached Islamabad on Wednesday, and were subsequently subjected to baton charges and mass arrests by the Islamabad Police.
The crackdown triggered widespread condemnations from human rights bodies and political parties — notably the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Jamat-e-Islami (JI) — which was followed by the government's clarification that the force was used to avoid a "catastrophe".
Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) also warned the federal capital's police against creating hurdles for the Baloch protesters.
"Let them protest who have come to protest, it's their constitutional right," Chief Justice Aamer Farooq said during the hearing of a petition filed by long march organisers Sami Baloch and Abdul Salam.
On Friday, the court ordered the police to hand over the detainees to organisers of the long march.
Meanwhile, the marchers have announced to hold a "peaceful rally" at the Islamabad Press Club at 10am tomorrow (Sunday).
Speaking to the media after attending the protesters' sit-in outside Islamabad's press club, PPP's Farhtaullah Babar backed the marchers' calls for protection of fundamental human rights.
Terming enforced disappearances as a violation of basic human rights, the PPP senator called for those involved in illegal activities to be presented in the courts.
Meanwhile, JI's Sentaor Mushtaq condemned the Islamabad police's actions and called for all the missing persons to be recovered.
A five-member government committee has also been formed to redress the issues of the protesting Baloch marchers, however, they seem to have made no headway thus far.
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