Negotiations between Pakistani authorities and detained Baloch activist Dr Mahrang Baloch have failed after she rejected a conditional offer for her release, her family said on Friday.
A delegation led by the Deputy Commissioner of Quetta visited Dr Baloch at Hudda District Jail earlier in the day. According to her sister, Nadia Baloch, the officials proposed that her release would be granted if she agreed to restrict her political activities.
The conditions reportedly included a written assurance that neither Dr Baloch nor her organization, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), would block roads or organise sit-ins in major cities.
“Dr Mahrang Baloch refused to accept these conditions. The DC informed her that her release would be granted under these terms, while the release of other detained BYC members would be considered only after her release,” Nadia Baloch said on X.
“She made it clear that she will not leave prison until every detained leader and activist is released,” she added.
Following her refusal, the government delegation ended the discussions without further engagement.
Dr Baloch, a prominent human rights activist and organiser of the BYC, was arrested on 22 March during a peaceful sit-in protest in Quetta. She remains imprisoned at Hudda District Jail.
Meanwhile, protest rallies and sit-ins have continued across Balochistan and major cities, including Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, demanding the release of Dr Baloch and other detained activists.
A sit-in led by Balochistan National Party (BNP) leader Sardar Akhtar Mengal is ongoing at Lakpass, near Quetta. Mengal has announced a long march to Quetta on 6 April to press for the release of BYC leaders and an end to the ongoing crackdown.