Update:

Shah Ali Bugti, Chairman of the All Pakistan Labour Federation (APLF), and other workers were released on Saturday, 7 February, 2026 after PSI's Regional Secretary for Asia Pacific sent a letter to the Chief Minister of Balochistan urging him to release the arrested leaders and workers. The letter also urged the government to engage in social dialogue with the workers for rightful wages and working conditions.

Following the receipt of the letter, Brother Bugti and others were released without any pending charges. Furthermore, a committee has been constituted, which is expected look into the matters concerning Disparity Reduction Allowance (DRA) and other entitled benefits.

The workers were held across Balochistan in various jails including Machh Jail, Hudda Jail, Loralai Jail, Naseerabad Jail, and other detention facilities under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO-3). They have been released from all the locations.

PSI has written to the Government of Balochistan expressing grave concern over the arrest of trade union leaders and the denial of fundamental workers' rights in Balochistan, Pakistan. 

Shah Ali Bugti, Chairman of the All Pakistan Labour Federation (APLF), along with several other organisers of the Grand Alliance of Balochistan, were arrested following peaceful protests by public service workers demanding implementation of the Disparity Reduction Allowance (DRA) and other legitimate workplace concerns.  

Workers were met with baton charges, internet blockages, and mass arrests. More than 400 government employees have been arrested across Balochistan . Despite federal approval of the DRA, government employees in Balochistan continue to be denied their rightful benefits. 

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has documented alarming conditions for detainees, including denial of food, lack of medical care, exposure to extreme cold, and use of isolation cells. 

Pakistan has ratified ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise and Convention 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining. The country is also a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects the right to peaceful assembly and protest. 

PSI calls on the Government of Balochistan to honour its international commitments and immediately release all detained trade union leaders. Violence and intimidation are not acceptable responses to workers' legitimate demands. The government must engage in genuine social dialogue with unions to address workers' concerns about wages and conditions.