Police have arrested Baloch Muttahida Mahaz (BMM) President Mir Yousuf Masti Khan on the charges of delivering a “provocative and anti-state” speech at a sit-in staged by the people of Gwadar, reported Dawn.

Locals, including a large number of women, have been protesting for nearly a month demanding basic rights, including access to clean drinking water and an end to "trawler mafia" under the leadership of Jamaat-e-Islami local leader Maulana Hidayatur Rehman.

According to the report, the police arrested Khan from a hotel where he was staying and later produced him before a sessions court. The court remanded him to police custody for one day.

Cases were registered against the BMM president under sections 121, 123-A, 124-A, 153 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code, according to a First Information Report (FIR).

Meanwhile, Rehman was booked under Section 109 of the PPC for inviting Khan in the protest and allowing him speak to the protesters.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan condemned the arrest of Khan in Gwadar, saying "Khan has done nothing more than demand that the state give Gwadar's residents the civil, political and economic rights to which they are entitled."

The commission demanded immediate and unconditional release of the leader owing to his poor health.

Social media users have also called for Masti Khan's release while warning authorities that action against peaceful protest would lead to consequences for those in power.