The family of detained Baloch leader Dr. Mahrang Baloch has accused authorities at Quetta’s Hudda Jail of deliberately obstructing legal procedures and subjecting them to harassment during a routine prison visit on Monday.
According to her sister, Nadia Baloch, she visited the prison early in the morning to have a power of attorney, already signed by Dr. Baloch, officially stamped by jail authorities. Despite being present since 10 a.m., Nadia claims that Superintendent Hameedullah Pechehi repeatedly delayed the process and ultimately refused to place his signature or seal on the document.
“When asked to explain the refusal, the superintendent said no paperwork could proceed without direct instructions from the Inspector General of Prisons,” she said.
Nadia Baloch also alleged that prison officials subjected her to demeaning and threatening behavior. “We were intimidated, surrounded by a large police presence, and officials even tried to confiscate our phones,” she said. “This was not an administrative delay – it was a calculated attempt to suppress our legal rights.”
She further claimed that Dr. Baloch and other Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders were being harassed inside the jail and that families were also being threatened. “The jail superintendent is acting to appease state intelligence agencies. We were told to stay silent or face serious consequences.”
Nadia Baloch further stated that the recent allegations made against Dr. Mahrang Baloch in the DG ISPR’s press conference are baseless and false. She said Dr. Mahrang has made it clear that, if permitted by law, she intends to file a defamation case against the military spokesperson. However, state institutions are not only obstructing this legal right but are also continuing to subject her to mistreatment inside the jail.
The incident comes amid growing criticism over the continued detention of BYC leaders and activists under the colonial-era Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law. On Tuesday, the group announced it had filed a petition in Pakistan’s Supreme Court challenging the legality of these detentions. The petition seeks the release of several key figures, including Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Bebarg Baloch, and Mama Ghaffar Baloch, and calls the detentions “illegal, unconstitutional, and politically motivated.”