The Balochistan Home Department has extended the detention of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Shah Ji Sibghatullah for another 30 days, marking the third consecutive extension under the Balochistan Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance.
According to an official notification issued on 27 May 2025, Sibghatullah—son of Maulvi Abdul Haq—will remain in custody under Section 3 of the MPO. Authorities claim he poses a threat to public safety in Quetta district, accusing him of inciting unrest and encouraging acts that could lead to violence and damage to government property.
Sibghatullah was first arrested in early April by Pakistani security forces and held at an undisclosed location before being transferred to Hudda Jail under the MPO. Since then, his detention has been repeatedly extended.
Other BYC leaders—including Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Bebagr Zehri, Beebow Baloch, and Gulzadi Baloch—also remain in custody under the same legal provision. Multiple court petitions seeking their release have been dismissed.
According to Sibghatullah’s family, during a jail visit, he said he had been offered conditional release if he agreed to refrain from political activities, sit-ins, and protests—a deal he refused.
In response to continued detentions, the BYC has strongly criticized the judiciary, particularly the Balochistan High Court. The group alleged that the courts have become powerless in the face of executive influence and that the MPO is being misused as a tool of political vengeance.
Last month, a two-member bench of the Balochistan High Court dismissed petitions filed by detained BYC leaders. The BYC said that it is the judiciary’s constitutional duty to remain independent and provide justice to the people of Balochistan—free from interference by intelligence agencies or the military.
“The judiciary must not follow the dictates of the military and intelligence agencies,” the BYC said in a statement. “Unfortunately, both judges on the bench have surrendered the principles of justice to the will of the state and its puppet government in Balochistan.”
The prolonged detentions have raised growing concern among rights groups, who view the repeated use of the MPO against political activists as a serious threat to civil liberties and political expression in Balochistan.