On February 19, 2026, protests erupted outside the Karachi Press Club following the controversial killing of 24-year-old Hamdan Baloch during an alleged police encounter by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD). The protests were organized by families of Baloch missing persons who accused law enforcement of staging the encounter. Demonstrators, including women and children, demanded justice and the immediate return of Hamdan's body, which authorities have refused to release. Hamdan's father stated, "Personnel of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) detained my son on December 29 near the Dhobi Ghat Bridge without presenting a warrant," highlighting the family's claims of enforced disappearance prior to his death. The CTD later claimed that Hamdan was killed in an armed exchange, a narrative the family vehemently disputes, asserting that he was already in custody when the alleged encounter occurred.