Amnesty International has issued an urgent report demanding the immediate and unconditional release of incarcerated leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) in Quetta. The individuals, including Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Beebarg Zehri, Beebow Baloch, Shah Jee Sibghat Ullah, Ghaffar Qambarani, and Gulzadi Baloch, are facing “arbitrary detention”, with concerns raised about their safety and well-being during their time in custody.
The report said that the activists were targeted for their peaceful activism, which includes advocating for the rights of the Baloch people and raising concerns about human rights violations. According to Amnesty, the detention of the BYC leaders is a part of a broader crackdown in Balochistan aimed at suppressing peaceful protests and freedom of expression. The activists’ arrests violate both international human rights laws and Pakistan’s domestic regulations, particularly concerning the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, the group said.
The crackdown on the BYC leadership began in March 2025. Beebarg Zehri, a central organizer for the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, was detained by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Quetta on 20 March 2025, along with his brother, Dr. Hammal Zehri. Amnesty raised concerns about the physical health and wellbeing of detained Beebarg Zehri, who suffers from disabilities, having sustained permanent injuries from a grenade explosion in 2010.
The statement said that on 22 March 2025, Dr. Mahrang Baloch and Beebow Baloch were arrested during a peaceful protest in Quetta following the deaths of three protesters at the hands of law enforcement. Both were held under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO), a colonial-era law that has come under severe criticism in the recent months due to its alleged misuse in silencing dissent. Dr. Baloch reportedly suffered food poisoning during her detention and was denied access to a health specialist and even a lawyer despite repeated requests. Beebow Baloch was briefly transferred to a hospital in May but her family claims she was subjected to physical torture.
Amnesty said that other activists, including Shah Jee Sibghat Ullah and Gulzadi Baloch, were also arrested in March and April, with similar accusations of arbitrary detention. In one instance, Ghaffar Qambarani, a senior political activist, was detained after a raid on his daughter’s residence.
Amnesty’s report highlights the continued use of anti-terrorism and public order laws – such as the the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance – to prolong the activists’ detention, violating both international law and Pakistan’s own legal framework. Notably, the detentions have exceeded the 90-day limit prescribed under Pakistan’s own laws, and there has been no legal justification for their continued imprisonment. The activists were recently presented in an anti-terrorism court on 8 July 2025, where they were charged with terrorism-related offences under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, but no formal charges have been brought forward.
The ongoing detention of the activists has sparked widespread concern, particularly as their families and lawyers face consistent obstruction when attempting to access them. Amnesty International has expressed grave concerns about the physical and psychological toll the detention is taking on the activists, particularly as they are being denied adequate healthcare and are at significant risk of torture.
Amnesty’s report argues that the “arbitrary detention” of the BYC leaders is part of a larger pattern of repression against Baloch activists, with a growing number of arrests, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial executions reported. The report cites the 2024 cases of 2,332 enforced disappearances documented by the Defense of Human Rights (DHR), many of which have been linked to activists, journalists, and human rights defenders, especially from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The report says that the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a key organization in Balochistan advocating for the region’s political and human rights, has been a major target of the state’s crackdown. Just in the last few months, several other human rights defenders and activists, including Gulzar Dost and Jalila Haider, have been harassed, abducted, or criminalized for their involvement in the movement.
Amnesty International has urged the global community, human rights organizations, and civil society groups to put pressure on the Pakistani government to release the detained activists and cease the widespread crackdown in Balochistan. The organization is calling for the immediate release of all detained Baloch activists and the dropping of all charges against them.
The report emphasizes that the international community must hold Pakistan accountable for its treatment of political dissidents and its violation of fundamental human rights. Amnesty’s call is also a plea for the Pakistani government to uphold the rights of peaceful assembly and expression, essential pillars of any democratic society.
Amnesty International has issued a formal appeal for action to the Chief Minister of Balochistan, urging him to intervene and ensure the immediate release of the detained activists. The organization has also launched a campaign urging governments, international bodies, and human rights defenders to speak out against the injustice faced by these activists and to demand accountability from the Pakistani authorities.