The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has accused Pakistani authorities of unlawfully extending the detention of its central leadership, including Dr. Mahrang Baloch, beyond the constitutionally allowed period under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law.
In a video message released on Tuesday, BYC central leader Dr. Sabiha Baloch said the organization’s leadership remains in “illegal detention” despite the expiration of their 90-day term.
“According to Article 10 of the Constitution of Pakistan, any person detained under Section 3 of the MPO must be presented before a competent review board within 90 days,” she said.
Dr. Baloch added that the board is obligated to grant the detainee a personal hearing and determine whether further detention is justified. “However, our leadership has been denied even this fundamental legal right,” she said.
A separate statement from the BYC spokesperson said that Dr. Mahrang Baloch and activist Beebow Baloch were arrested on 22 March and held in Hudda Jail under Section 3 of the MPO. Their three-month detention period expired on 22 June, but they have not been released.
The statement added that central committee member Bibarg Baloch was detained on 19 March and held incommunicado for six days before being transferred to Hudda Jail on 25 March. His MPO detention period ended on 25 June.
“No formal process has been initiated for their release—no review board has been constituted, no hearing held, and no constitutional or legal justification provided,” the BYC said. “This constitutes a blatant violation of Article 10(4) of Pakistan’s Constitution.”
The group said that prison officials have provided “vague and contradictory” explanations regarding the continued detention. When asked, the jail superintendent reportedly claimed that the detention “may have been extended by 15 days,” but offered no written or legal documentation.
The spokesperson further stated that other BYC activists—Sibghatullah Shah Ji, Gulzadi Baloch, Mama Ghafar Baloch, and Imran Baloch—are also being held without judicial orders or legal basis. “There is growing concern that the state may continue using this illegal tactic even after the expiry of the MPO detention periods,” the statement read.
The group called on Pakistan’s legal fraternity to “break its silence on this constitutional and human rights crisis” and urged international human rights organisations to intervene.
“The international community must pressure Pakistan’s state institutions to end the illegal detention of Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Beebow Baloch, and other BYC leaders and political activists,” the statement said.