On November 9, 2025, Pakistani police forces forcibly detained student activists from the Jeay Sindh Students’ Federation (JSSF) during a protest advocating for student rights in higher education.

The activists organized a “long march” to advocate for a reduction in educational fees, an end to enforced disappearances and campus harassment, the withdrawal of security forces from educational institutions, and the lifting of the ban on student unions. Demonstrators intended to walk approximately 55 kilometers over several days, traveling from the shrine of Shah Abdul Latif in Bhit Shah to the Sindh University in Jamshoro.

Police halted the march shortly after it began. When demonstrators refused to disperse, reinforcements were deployed to contain the students. On the second day of the march, police reportedly used batons to break up the gathering and detained several JSSF leaders, including prominent organizers. The students were released later that day.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the use of force against students during a student protest and the detention of students for nonviolently exercising their right to freedom of expression – conduct that is protected by international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. While state authorities have the responsibility to maintain order and prevent disruption, they must refrain from the disproportionate use of force and endangerment of civilians and must respect the right to freedom of association and freedom of expression. Such actions, beyond harming the immediate victims, have a chilling effect on academic freedom.

Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
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