AWP-Statement The Awami Workers Party condemns the arrest of Saeed Baloch, General Secretary of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum by paramilitary forces in Karachi and calls for his immediate release. Saeed Baloch is a veteran activist and campaigner for fishermen's rights in Pakistan and has been wrongfully accused of involvement with gangs in Lyari. Even though there has been no evidence produced against him in any court, he can now be detained for up to three months without charge under the wide powers granted to the Rangers in Sindh under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The AWP sees the arrest of Saeed Baloch as another instance of political activists and workers being targeted under the guise of acting against "terrorism'. Mr. Baloch has been an ardent advocate for climate justice, water conservation and environmental protection and an outspoken opponent of coal and nuclear energy. In particular, he has also spoken out recently against the construction of two nuclear power plants on the outskirts of Karachi, a development that scientists say could pose grave and potentially-catastrophic risks to the citizens and environment of the city. The organization Mr. Baloch heads, the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum is one of the very few people's movements in the country that have effectively organised indigenous and local communities against the elitist and unjust policies of the state, as well as the unlawful occupation of 22 fisheries by the Rangers in the Coastal Belt of Sindh. Over time the PFF has developed into a powerful political force for the protection of the socioeconomic and political rights of the indigenous fisherfolk communities in Pakistan which has routinely ruffled the feathers of the government and paramilitary authorities in Sindh. The Awami Workers Party extends its solidarity with the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum and demands the immediate release of Saeed Baloch as well as an end to the targeting of political and social activists and workers under the guise of anti-terror operations. This incident highlights once again the dangers of handing over sweeping powers to military, paramilitary and law enforcement authorities under the draconian Anti-Terrorist and Protection of Pakistan Acts. Instead of actually tackling the material and ideological infrastructure of terrorism in the country, the authorities routinely abuse their powers to target those engaged in resistance to injustice and inequality. The AWP remains committed to its belief that only a concerted alliance of progressives engaged in mass political and ideological struggle against this exploitative and militarized state can end this cycle of state and non-state violence in the country. UPDATE - 30 January 2016 The family and friends of human rights activist Saeed Baloch have not been able to find any links or evidence that would in any way connect him to financing terrorism or aiding gangsters - two of the three accusations made by the Rangers, said Human Rights Commission of Pakistan's Asad Iqbal Butt while addressing a Joint Action Committee (JAC) meeting of civil society at the Karachi Press Club on Friday. "Saeed's[Baloch] life is like an open book," he said. "We need to know how he is doing. He was kept by the Rangers "unlawfully' and not produced in court immediately. His family wasn't even informed about what had happened." "We need to free our friend," he said. Mr Baloch, the general secretary of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum as well as the employees union of the Fishermen Cooperative Society (FCS), went missing on Jan 16. While his family and friends alleged that the Rangers had taken him into custody, the paramilitary force denied knowing his whereabouts till Tuesday[Jan 26] when the Rangers finally produced him along with three others before the administrative judge of antiterrorism courts. The Rangers informed the ATC administrative judge about detaining him for 90 days for questioning. The Rangers claimed that the suspects had been taken into custody in Lyari just a day before they were produced in court about their involvement in extortion and other offences that came within the ambit of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. "On Jan 16, Saeed's[Baloch] phone was switched off after 8pm," said Mr Butt. "He was not presented in court immediately nor did the Rangers inform the family." They were worried about his life, he added. The JAC condemned the "illegal detention" and said this was a violation of constitutional and judicial ban upon depriving any citizen from liberty without due process of the law. "We wrote to them[the Rangers] and said maybe there had been a misunderstanding but have not heard back," said the HRCP representative. They officially declared his arrest almost 10 days after he had been picked up, he said. The paramilitary force produced Mr Baloch in court only after a petition had been filed regarding his enforced disappearance. Besides, he said, there was pressure from local and international non-governmental organisations. According to Mr Butt, the Rangers kept Mr Baloch for questioning about his alleged involvement in funding the banned Peoples Amn Committee leader Uzair Baloch, Lyari gangster Baba Ladla and the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). "They also think he employed nearly 150 alleged gangsters in the FCS and purchased weapons for gangsters and the BLA," he said. Mr Butt said: "He was against gangsters, the gang warfare and corruption. How could he support them?" "We demand that his family and lawyer be allowed to meet him. We also demand that the Rangers and the media not to run a media trial or sensational news, anything that might affect his case." According to JAC convenor Mir Zulfiqar Ali, Mr Baloch was a brave man. "Saeed[Baloch] always stood against corruption and injustice," he said. "We have written to the Rangers asking for a meeting to discuss the situation but have not heard back as yet. If they have time to meet traders, why can't they take some time out to meet civil society members?" Mr Butt said that human rights groups from Hong Kong along with Amnesty International had been in touch with them while several protests had been held for Mr Baloch in Nepal and Sri Lanka.