Asad Iqbal Butt, the Chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), was briefly detained by Gulberg Police in Karachi but was released following media coverage of the incident.
The arrest occurred outside Butt’s residence, where he was approached by police officers, including female personnel, around 1:30 PM.
Professor Tauseef Ahmed, an HRCP member, relayed that the officers inquired about Butt’s involvement in issues related to Balochistan and his scheduled participation in an upcoming event in Gwadar on July 28, focusing on enforced disappearances.
The situation quickly gained attention in the media, leading to Butt’s release at approximately 4 PM. Following his release, Butt addressed the media, expressing that he was detained without justification for several hours and questioned about his intended travel to Quetta.
In response to the incident, officials from Gulberg Police clarified that Butt was not formally arrested but was taken into custody briefly for questioning regarding his activities.
