Dr. Mahrang Baloch and five other leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) were presented on Friday before the Anti-Terrorism Court in Quetta in what many have described as a “sham” and “scripted” hearing. The court, presided over by Judge Mohammad Ali Mubeen, extended the remand of the activists for an additional 15 days on the police’s request.
The court proceedings were marred by serious allegations of legal violations and abuse of power. Dr. Mahrang, while briefly speaking in a video clip, expressed skepticism about the fairness of the process. She remarked, “We know the decision that has already been made; you will just announce it.” She further highlighted the deprivation of the rights of BYC leaders during the remand period, stating that she and her fellow detainees were denied meetings with their families and were prevented from signing legal documents such as power of attorney forms. She also mentioned that she and her fellow detainees carried out a symbolic hunger strike inside the jail in protest against the behaviour they were made to endure.
In a statement issued shortly after the hearing, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee condemned the ongoing legal proceedings, calling them a clear violation of fundamental rights. According to the statement, the activists had been unlawfully detained for over four months, with no clear legal justification. They were first held under the draconian 3 MPO (Maintenance of Public Order) law for three months and then kept incommunicado for another ten days without any notification. The statement further accused the authorities of using outdated and weak cases to justify their detention, and of preventing the detainees from meeting with their lawyers and family members, which directly violates legal procedures.
The Committee also raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the judicial process. It was noted that when the ten-day remand expired on Friday, the activists were secretly brought into court via a backdoor, a procedure typically reserved for judges, in an apparent attempt to prevent their lawyers from attending the hearing. The statement pointed out that, despite the expiry of the remand, no investigative report was presented in court, and the judge granted an additional 15-day remand based solely on the verbal request from the government prosecutor, without considering the legal arguments made by the defense.
“This action not only constitutes a violation of the Constitution and the law, but it also suggests that the judge is yielding to the pressure from intelligence agencies, undermining the credibility of the court as an impartial institution,” the statement concluded.
In a video statement, Dr. Sabeeha Baloch, a key leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), condemned the court proceedings involving BYC leaders Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Sibgatullah Shah Ji, Beebarg Baloch, Gulzadi Baloch, Beebow Baloch and her father, Abdul Ghaffar Qambarani.
Dr. Sabeeha Baloch revealed that the activists were once again presented before the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), where no progress in their cases was discussed, and no questions were raised about the previous ten-day remand. She stated, “Despite the court allowing meetings with family members and lawyers during their ten-day remand, they were denied any access to legal counsel, family, or their supporters.”
She continued, “Once again, without any legitimate review or investigative progress, a further ten-day remand was granted. This is proof that the judiciary and the judicial system have completely failed to provide justice.”
Dr. Sabeeha emphasized that institutions claiming to represent justice are, in fact, destroying the very concept of justice. “The very bodies that were supposed to uphold justice have completely failed, whether due to fear or greed. These judges have lost their integrity and sense of justice.”
She further stated, “Pakistan’s judicial system is entirely crumbling, and in its place, injustice reigns supreme.”
The Baloch leader reiterated that their struggle has always been to ensure justice, demanding that the missing persons be presented in court and that what the state is doing to the Baloch people be brought within the legal framework. However, she stressed that, instead of justice, the legal system is being used as a tool of “oppression.”
“This is not just an injustice against us; it is a tragedy for the entire Pakistani judicial system,” Dr. Sabeeha concluded, urging people to stand with them in the fight against this injustice. “If this oppressive system continues, it will eventually affect everyone.”
In response to secret hearing of the BYC detainees in the ATC on Friday, the National Democratic Party (NDP) also issued a statement condemning what it called “political vendetta” against the detained activists. The NDP expressed deep concern over the continued “illegal” detention of Baloch leaders who have been raising their voices for the recovery of missing persons. According to the party, the legal proceedings have been highly irregular, with the authorities continuously extending the remand without presenting any credible evidence or investigation. The NDP described the repeated remand extensions as a clear attempt at political retaliation against those who seek justice for Baloch missing persons.
The statement further criticized the state for its treatment of the protesting mothers, sisters, and daughters of detained BYC leaders and other Baloch missing persons in Islamabad, where they are being denied the right to protest peacefully. The Party said that these women have been protesting for the return of their loved ones outside the National Press Club in Islamabad for the past three days. The NDP pointed out that even basic requests such as setting up tents for shelter from the rain have been denied by the Islamabad administration.
The party also took issue with the mainstream media’s complete disregard for the plight of the families of the detained BUC leaders and the missing persons. It claimed that the media has largely ignored the protests, instead parroting the government’s narrative, which is contributing to the growing sense of alienation and frustration among the Baloch people.
“The state is sending a clear message that political struggle and raising voices within the constitutional framework are no longer tolerated for the Baloch,” the NDP’s statement concluded.
On Friday, the protest in Islamabad entered its third consecutive day, with families of the detained BUC leaders and other missing persons demanding their loved ones’ safe return. The protest continues to attract attention, despite the government’s attempts to suppress it.