Pakistan: Protest held over disputed police encounter in Karachi

Balochistan [Pakistan], February 19 (ANI): Families of Baloch missing persons gathered outside the Karachi Press Club, accusing law enforcement authorities of killing a young man in what they described as a staged police encounter.
The protest drew dozens of women and children demanding justice and the immediate release of the deceased's body to his relatives, as reported by The Balochistan Post.
According to The Balochistan Post, the victim, 24-year-old student Hamdan Baloch, son of Muhammad Ali and a resident of Golimar, had allegedly been forcibly disappeared weeks before his reported death.
His father told media representatives that personnel of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) detained his son on December 29 near the Dhobi Ghat Bridge without presenting a warrant.
The family claimed they received no official information about his whereabouts during the subsequent period.
CTD officials later held a press conference on January 6, asserting that Hamdan had been arrested from Raees Goth over suspected links to an armed organisation.
The family rejected this version, insisting he was already in state custody and that the allegations were unfounded.
Relatives said they pursued legal channels and attended court hearings, expecting Hamdan's transfer to jail custody after his scheduled appearance.
However, in a later statement, CTD claimed he was killed during an armed exchange, alleging he died from gunfire by his own associates.
The father questioned the credibility of this explanation, calling it consistent with previous controversial encounter narratives.
The family further alleged that after identifying Hamdan's body, they were denied custody.
They claimed Edhi officials informed them that release required CTD authorisation and accused authorities of pressuring them to sign a document labelling him a terrorist as a condition for handover.
The family refused the demand, as highlighted by The Balochistan Post.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee condemned the incident, describing it as part of a broader pattern of enforced disappearances followed by encounter killings.
The group demanded registration of a criminal case against the officers involved, an independent autopsy, and a transparent judicial inquiry.
Protesters warned that if accountability is not ensured, demonstrations will intensify in the coming days, as reported by The Balochistan Post. (ANI)