The Pakistan police have faced backlash from human rights organizations after filing terrorism charges against a 7-year-old child for sharing a video of a speech criticizing the government on YouTube.
According to foreign news outlets including the Associated Press on the 4th, the Pakistan Human Rights Commission (HRCP), a civilian human rights organization in Pakistan, stated in a recent announcement on X that "the police's actions are a serious violation of human rights and a clear abuse of counter-terrorism laws," urging the federal government to immediately rectify the situation.
According to lawyer Zadian Dashti, the boy was charged with terrorism by the police in the southwestern port city of Gwadar on the 31st of last month. However, he is not in custody.
The boy is accused of sharing a video on YouTube from a rally held in Gwadar last month, where local human rights activist Gulzar Dost criticized the federal government and demanded better facilities for education and health in Balochistan.
Dost, known for his harsh criticism of the federal government in his speeches, was arrested by police shortly after his speech for allegedly spreading hate against the federal government but was recently released on bail.
Balochistan, bordering Iran, is a region primarily inhabited by the minority Baloch people, rich in natural gas and oil resources. It is the largest province in terms of area in Pakistan but also the poorest.
Some Baloch people have formed armed groups to fight for independence, which the Pakistani authorities label as terrorism and suppress.
In particular, Pakistan has faced criticism from human rights organizations for frequently applying terrorism charges to minors.
HRCP criticized several incidents in which children have been charged with terrorism a few days ago, demanding a halt to trials under anti-terrorism laws and for the cases to be transferred to juvenile courts.