The Balochistan High Court has upheld the continued detention of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) organizer Dr Mahrang Baloch and several other members of the group under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), rejecting constitutional petitions filed against their arrest.
The ruling was issued on Thursday by a two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Ejaz Swati and Justice Amir Rana. The court dismissed the petitions of Dr Mahrang Baloch, Bibarg Baloch, Sibghatullah ShahJi, Beebow Baloch, Gulzadi Baloch, and Mama Ghaffar after reserving judgment for more than ten days.
Legal counsel for the detainees, Advocate Imran Baloch, confirmed the verdict. “On 22 May, the BHC Bench No. 1 ruled against our petition under 3MPO. All pleas were dismissed,” he said.
The decision has drawn sharp criticism from rights groups, legal experts, and civil society activists, who described it as a blow to judicial independence and constitutional freedoms.
Speaking after the judgment, Nadia Baloch, sister of Dr Mahrang Baloch, said: “After multiple hearings over two months and a ten-day reservation of judgment, this dismissal raises serious concerns about the transparency and integrity of the judicial process.”
Human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari called the verdict expected but deeply troubling. “The High Court, which should protect fundamental rights, has instead become complicit in their violation,” she said. “The state is using every means to suppress peaceful dissent.”
Mazari added that the detainees had been “arbitrarily deprived of liberty without just cause” and warned that such rulings contribute to public despair. “When the people are faced with hopelessness, helplessness, and the breakdown of rule of law, the only outcome is anarchy,” she said.
Norway-based Baloch Journalist Kiyya Baloch also condemned the ruling, saying: “The judiciary has ceased to be a sanctuary for the oppressed—it now legitimizes state repression.”
The BYC has vowed to continue its struggle despite the legal setback. In a statement, the group alleged that the court acted under pressure from intelligence agencies and the military.
“The bench dismissed the cases after repeated delays and deliberate postponements, despite the state’s failure to present any credible evidence,” the statement said. “Both judges have mortgaged the judiciary’s principles to the interests of the military and the puppet government of Balochistan.”
The group said it would not remain silent in the face of “judicial injustice” and vowed to continue mobilizing the Baloch public.
“We will organise the Baloch people with greater determination and, through the power of the people, resist and defeat this oppressive system,” the statement said.
Dr Mahrang Baloch and her colleagues were arrested in March while leading a protest campaign in Quetta against enforced disappearances and state violence. They are facing charges including terrorism, sedition, and murder—allegations widely dismissed by human rights organizations as politically motivated.
In March, a group of UN experts urged Pakistan to release the detained Baloch activists and end its crackdown on peaceful dissent. In April, over a dozen UN special rapporteurs issued a joint statement warning that Pakistan was “conflating legitimate human rights advocacy with terrorism” in Balochistan.
Lawyers for the detainees are expected to appeal the High Court’s decision in the Supreme Court