Latest news with #Mahrang
The Wire
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Wire
Activists In Balochistan Maintain Resolve As Mahrang Baloch Approaches 4 Months In Jail
South Asia As Mahrang and other leaders of the BYC remain in jail, activists say they will continue to challenge the 'bogus' FIRs against them. She demanded accountability from the authorities, asking, 'Who has killed and abducted [the] Baloch?' She stressed that false allegations and spurious charges cannot absolve the state of responsibility. 'It is enough now – we have endured grave injustices and immense hardship,' she said, her voice thick with emotion as she spoke to The Wire. 'Despite everything, we still believe in the constitution and the rule of law. But we don't know whether justice will be served – or if injustice will be our only fate.' Mahrang, a prominent leader from Balochistan and head of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), was arrested on March 22 for holding a protest over the authorities' refusal to hand over several bodies. Officials claimed the deceased were involved in the Jaffar Express attack that same month. However, BYC leaders demanded that DNA tests be conducted and due process followed, rather than allowing the state to quietly bury the bodies. They further alleged that the government had produced the bodies of missing persons, falsely labeling them as terrorists. On July 8, the Anti-Terrorism Court in Quetta – the capital of Balochistan province – ruled that Mahrang and her BYC colleagues Beebow Baloch, Gulzadi Baloch, Bebarg Baloch Sibagatullah Shah and Ghaffar Baloch were to be removed from Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), which allows law enforcement to detain and arrest people accused of posing a threat to public order. However, they were simultaneously re-arrested under new, allegedly fabricated FIRs, and the court granted police a ten-day remand. Nadia said that since March 22, they had insisted the government unlawfully jailed BYC leaders under Section 3 of the MPO or in fabricated FIRs. 'It took 107 days for the court to recognise that the BYC leaders could not be detained simultaneously under both the MPO and FIRs,' she said. The court eventually ordered the removal of the MPO charges while allowing the FIRs to proceed. Speaking to The Wire, Nadia said the authorities were likely to bring forth multiple FIRs in an attempt to keep the BYC leaders behind bars. Still, she added, they would continue to challenge what she described as 'bogus FIRs'. Mahrang's legal notice to DG ISPR On June 18, Mahrang served a legal notice to Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of the Pakistan armed forces' Inter-Services Public Relations division (DG ISPR), stating that he had made defamatory remarks against her and the BYC during a press conference on May 23 and a speech on June 2. In the notice, she claimed that he had described them as a 'deformed evil face', which she said damaged her reputation. She maintained that the BYC was a peaceful civil rights group and noted that she had recently been nominated for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. Akhtar Mengal, president of the Balochistan National Party and former chief minister of Balochistan, told The Wire that allegations like those made against Mahrang had long been used against those who questioned Islamabad's policies in the province. 'These accusations have been used against everyone who has challenged the state's injustices,' he said, citing the example of Nawab Akbar Bugti, who was killed in August 2006 during General Pervez Musharraf's military rule. 'Bugti believed in democracy – but he was assassinated for demanding justice.' Mengal warned that if the state continued to ignore the voices of the Baloch, they would be forced to seek other paths. 'It is the state that is pushing the Baloch against the wall,' he said. 'Peaceful voices in Balochistan are being punished. It's not just Mahrang – every Baloch who asks for justice is treated the same way.' Sabiha Baloch, a key organiser of the BYC, told The Wire that the Baloch people had long been victims of state violence and were left helpless. She said that the only recourse available to them was the constitution, through which they demanded justice. 'Those who raise their voices are often labeled either terrorists or anti-state,' she said, adding that BYC has faced such accusations repeatedly. Speaking about Mahrang's legal notice, Sabiha called it a courageous move. 'Mahrang's stance is a bold step. I don't think anyone has ever dared to challenge such a powerful man in such a powerful position,' she said. 'This practice of branding people as anti-state must end.' Sammi Deen Baloch, a recipient of the International Human Rights Award and another key organiser of the BYC, told The Wire that the state's treatment of the Baloch was riddled with contradictions. 'When a Baloch wins an international human rights award, the mainstream media calls us Pakistani,' she said, referring to her own experience when the headlines read like the following: 'Pakistan's Sammi Deen Baloch receives international award for human rights activism.' 'But when the Baloch demand justice, ask for their rights or seek the whereabouts of their loved ones, they are labeled anti-state.' Nadia said her family had endured ongoing violations and injustice, adding that her concerns extended beyond her sister's case. 'Even when I go to the hospital, Vigo vehicles [a pickup truck often used by authorities engaged in covert work] follow me,' she said. According to her, the decision to send the legal notice to the DG ISPR was not an easy one. 'Mahrang took days to reflect before proceeding, especially as the state continued to portray her as anti-state,' she said, calling the DG's speech and press conference 'baseless'. 'Mahrang is in jail, yet she has sent a legal notice to a powerful authority – someone who controls not only the country but Balochistan as well,' Nadia said. 'Her decision sends a message to the state: the Baloch are asking for justice and cannot be silenced by being labeled anti-state.' 'If they have proof, let them present it in court,' she added. 'Mahrang will fight it through legal means. Otherwise, no one has the right to defame her character.' Terrorist groups issue threats as authorities serve notice to silence voices Sabiha further stated that the state was not only labelling Baloch activists as anti-state, but that even terrorist organisations like the Islamic State had issued statements targeting leaders of the BYC, declaring them anti-state and calling for their killing. She said the statement named herself, Mahrang and others, including a local journalist. 'No one in the state has taken notice of these threats,' she said. 'How is it possible that a terrorist group is openly threatening political activists and ordinary citizens, and yet the state remains silent?' Sabiha alleged that the silence from authorities amounted to complicity. 'Now those who seek justice for the Baloch are being targeted by terrorist organisations – and the state's silence is evidence that it is happening with their approval,' she said. Mengal had led a protest rally in March against the arrest of Mahrang and other members of BYC. During the rally in Mastung's Luk Pass, a suicide bomber attempted to attack the protesters. Demonstrators identified the attacker and thwarted the attempt. But the violence was not the only response Mengal faced. After he publicly demanded the release of Mahrang and other BYC members, he received a notice from the Cyber Crime Reporting Unit. Authorities accused him of using his X account to spread false information and glorify a proscribed individual, i.e. Mahrang. Speaking to The Wire, Mengal said that terrorist organisations like the Islamic State were, in his view, linked to the state. 'The Baloch who demand justice are either threatened directly by the state or by state-sponsored militants,' he said. Referring to the suicide attack attempt during his rally, he noted that the government had neither reached out to them about the incident nor launched an investigation. 'Those who believe in democracy are being threatened in multiple ways to silence them,' he said. 'But those who follow the establishment's script – like the Form 45 crowd – face no such threats.' Form 45 refers to the official election result count. 'These threats will not silence the Baloch, and not even Mahrang,' Mengal said. 'We will continue to raise our voices for justice.' Nadia recalled Mahrang's words, saying that when the latter returned from Islamabad, people across Balochistan had welcomed her warmly. 'That was our reality then – and this, too, is our reality now,' she had told Nadia. 'We are in jail merely for demanding justice.' The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Business Recorder
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
ATC sends Mahrang, BYC activists on 10-day physical remand
QUETTA: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Quetta on Tuesday handed Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) Chief Dr Mahrang Baloch and other organisers of the group into police custody for 10 days, extending their three-month detention. In March, Mahrang and other BYC members were arrested for 'attacking' the Quetta Civil Hospital and 'inciting people to violence'; a day after the group faced a police crackdown for protesting against alleged enforced disappearances. The BYC is a Baloch advocacy group working against enforced disappearances since 2018. Mahrang is currently held at the Hudda District Prison in Quetta under a March 22 Maintenance of Public Order (MPO); a law that empowers authorities to arrest and detain individuals suspected of posing a threat to public order. Aside from Mahrang, other BYC organisers who were sent on a 10-day remand today include Sibghatullah Shah, Beberg Baloch, Ghaffar Baloch, Gulzadi and Beebow Baloch. Mahrang's sister, Nadia Baloch, appealed in June against the rejection of a petition pleading against her detention under the MPO. The appeal before the Supreme Court contended that the high court order was contrary to the Constitution, law and facts. The petition alleged that her repeated unlawful detention and labelling her as a sympathiser of militants was a planned effort by the respondents to stop her from raising her voice for missing persons. The same month, the Kech chapter of the BYC launched a three-day hunger strike in front of the Turbat Press Club in protest of the arrests of the leadership. Constitutional petitions seeking the release of the activists were rejected by the Balochistan High Court in May.
Express Tribune
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
ATC grants police 10-day physical remand of Dr Mahrang Baloch, other BYC activists
Baloch Yakjehti Committee leader Mahrang Baloch is being escorted by police personnel during her appearance at an anti-terrorism court in Quetta on July 8, 2025. PHOTO: PPI An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Quetta has granted police 10-day physical remand of Dr Mahrang Baloch, the head of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), and five other members of the group. The ATC's decision comes as an extension of their ongoing detention, which has already lasted over three months. During Tuesday's hearing, six BYC members, including Dr Mahrang, were presented before Judge Saadat Bazai. The court approved the prosecutor's request to extend their remand, giving investigators more time for questioning. The other detained activists include Gulzadi, Bebow Baloch, Sibghatullah Shahji, Ghaffar Baloch and Beberg Baloch. The detainees were represented in court by Advocate Israr Baloch and Advocate Shoaib Baloch, who argued against the prolonged detention. However, the judge ruled in favor of the state, citing the need for further inquiry. The BYC, known for its activism against enforced disappearances in Balochistan since 2018, has been under increasing scrutiny by law enforcement agencies. Dr Mahrang and several of her colleagues were initially arrested in March after a protest turned tense near Quetta's Civil Hospital. Authorities have accused them of inciting public disorder and confronting police forces during the demonstration. Dr Mahrang is currently being held at Quetta's Hudda District Jail under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law—a legal provision that allows preventive detention for individuals considered a threat to public peace.
The Diplomat
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Diplomat
Exclusive Interview With Detained Activist Dr Mahrang Baloch
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has been advocating for Baloch rights since it was founded in 2020. Since its early days, when the movement was known as the Bramsh Yakjehti Committee, the BYC has organized peaceful protests against the excessive use of force by the Pakistani state in Balochistan – including forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and other forms of repression. Also since its beginning, the BYC has been led by women – including Dr. Mahrang Baloch. The 32-year-old became an activist after her father was 'disappeared' in 2009. He was released – only to be abducted again in 2011, and this time killed. Ever since, Mahrang had been a central figure in the movement for human rights and justice in Balochistan, including being honored by Time magazine as of the 100 most influential leaders of 2024. Led prominently by women, including Dr. Mahrang Baloch herself, the BYC represents a new generation of progressive political activism in a region long marred by conflict and marginalization. The Pakistani state has responded to this peaceful mobilization with a sweeping crackdown and arrests, disinformation campaigns, and detentions without due process. In March 2025, Mahrang – along with several other BYC leaders – was arrested, and she has been held in detention ever since, where they report 'continuous mistreatment and harassment.' This exclusive interview with Mahrang, conducted via an intermediary who was able to visit her in prison, offers a rare and urgent insight into the thinking of a movement that, in recent months, has mobilized tens of thousands across Balochistan in protests against enforced disappearances and state repression. Mahrang offers her perspective on the current state of the BYC and its leadership while under state custody, as well as the broader challenge of extremism and the future of political activism and human rights advocacy under increased state repression and now threats from the Islamic State's local branch. In recent months, Balochistan has witnessed a troubling surge in religious extremism, most notably with the emergence of Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), a group that appears to operate at both regional and international levels. This group has singled you out, publishing your photo in a booklet and labeling you as 'evil' and a 'Western puppet.' How do you respond to these personal attacks? And more broadly, what does the rise of such groups signal for the future of progressive politics in Balochistan? Balochistan has a peculiar and complex history with religious extremism. However, the roots of this extremism are not embedded in Baloch society itself. Based on clear evidence, we assert that religious extremism was imposed upon Baloch society – it was, in a sense, installed from the outside. The influence of religious radicalism in Balochistan began to emerge prominently during the Afghan War and became more pronounced after 9/11. If we study Baloch society from a historical perspective, it is inherently secular, a society that has traditionally embraced religious, ethnic, and regional tolerance and coexistence. The emergence of Islamic State in Balochistan and the threats made against me or declaring me an apostate are not something new. For the past two decades, we have witnessed how religious extremists have been used as a tool against the progressive Baloch political movement and against progressive educators, writers, intellectuals, and journalists. For example, Professor Saba Dashtiari, a Baloch intellectual and teacher at the University of Balochistan, openly criticized the state for human rights violations in Balochistan. In 2011, he was murdered in broad daylight in front of the university. A religious extremist group claimed responsibility for his assassination through the media. Similarly, Professor Razzaq Zehri in Khuzdar was killed merely for promoting co-education and free education for all deserving students. Likewise, in Gwadar, Sir Zahid Askani was also murdered for the same reason. And just last year in Turbat, another educator, Sir Rauf Baloch, met a similar fate. Progressive political activists in Balochistan, those who criticize the policies of the Pakistani state and advocate for human rights, face a dual threat. On one hand, they are subjected to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings by the state of Pakistan. On the other hand, they receive death threats from religious extremist armed groups. Last month, Islamic State released my photo, branded me a European agent and an apostate, and warned the public not to attend our events. This rhetoric mirrors the language used against me by ISPR [Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the Pakistani military] in their press conferences. I had long anticipated that a group like Islamic State would eventually be activated and deployed against us, because we have been observing this pattern in Balochistan for the past 20 years, as exemplified by the cases I mentioned above. I believe that threats from Islamic State or their activation against us will not significantly impact progressive politics in Balochistan. The Baloch political society has matured considerably, and the people of Balochistan are well aware of the truth, specifically, who is backing these religious extremists and why. The public fully understands this reality. Our greatest success is that the majority of the Baloch people stand with us. And as long as that remains true, the use of extremist groups like Islamic State against us will not put an end to our struggle. The progressive political circles in Balochistan are deeply rooted. Tactics like these will not silence the progressive political movement in Balochistan, nor will threats from Islamic State silence us. You have now been imprisoned for over three months. During this period, Pakistan's military spokesperson, in multiple ISPR press briefings, has described you as a 'proxy of terror' and used terms like 'evil face' in reference to your activism. How do you respond to these characterizations by the state's military apparatus? For the past three months, I have been detained unlawfully. During this time, according to the information available to me, ISPR has mentioned me in three to four press conferences or media briefings. In each instance, the same baseless accusations were repeated, such as: 'Mahrang is a proxy of terrorists,' or 'Mahrang is a foreign agent,' and so on. Despite being a powerful state with a 600,000-strong army, numerous intelligence agencies, and various civil institutions, ISPR has not presented even one piece of actual evidence against me. Instead, they have relied solely on false accusations and a media trial aimed at character assassination. The military spokesperson has repeatedly misrepresented the press conference I held on March 19 at the Quetta Press Club. That press conference was not about the armed attack on the Jaffar Express or the return of the bodies of armed individuals. In reality, it was held to highlight the harassment faced by our fellow human rights defenders at the hands of Pakistani security forces. We had also submitted related cases to the United Nations Human Rights bodies. The video and written transcript of that press conference are still publicly available in the media. At the end of the press conference, a journalist asked a question regarding the return of bodies lying in the Civil Hospital Quetta to their families. In response, I merely said that the bodies should be identified and handed over to the families, as this is their constitutional right. That is the only comment I made on the matter. The full recording of the press conference exists, and any institution can verify that I made no unlawful or unconstitutional remarks during it. The second allegation that the Pakistani military repeatedly makes against me and my colleagues is that we broke into the gates of the Civil Hospital Quetta to retrieve the bodies of armed individuals. I challenge the Pakistani military to provide evidence to support this claim. If they can, I will declare myself guilty. On that evening, I was at the Quetta Press Club, and afterward, I went straight to my home. Any independent investigative body is welcome to review CCTV footage from the Quetta Press Club and the city of Quetta, or to interview individuals present on that day. My colleagues, our organization, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), and I have consistently spoken out against violence and injustice. Wherever I've had the opportunity to speak or write, whether in Pakistan or internationally, I have clearly and unequivocally opposed violence. This is our well-established policy. I believe the real issue ISPR and the Pakistani military have with us is that we raise our voices against the state's violent policies and human rights violations in Balochistan. We question them, we hold different views, and our position has gained international recognition. Our peaceful struggle has been acknowledged globally, and our voice is being heard. This is what troubles the Pakistani military most. That is why ISPR, in its repeated press conferences, is branding me and our organization, the BYC, as terrorists without providing a shred of evidence. The purpose of these statements is clearly to create a false international narrative that Mahrang and the BYC are proxies of terrorists, in an attempt to silence international discourse on human rights violations in Balochistan and to delegitimize our voice. However, it seems the Pakistani military wrongly assumes that international human rights organizations operate like domestic Pakistani media – that they will believe anything, no matter how baseless. But no credible person or institution accepts accusations without evidence. They demand proof or valid evidence. In response to ISPR's false allegations, I have issued a legal notice demanding that either ISPR prove these allegations in court or issue a formal apology. Now we will see how the Pakistani judiciary fulfills its responsibility and whether it will hold the military spokesperson accountable. Reports have emerged through social media, open letters, and messages from your colleagues that you and other detained members of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee have faced harassment, mistreatment, and denial of basic rights in prison. There are accounts of torture, a hunger strike, and the severe case of Beebow Baloch. Can you describe the conditions of your imprisonment and your other colleagues and the nature of the treatment you and other BYC detained leaders have received? Yes, in prison, we have been subjected to continuous mistreatment, harassment, and denial of our basic rights. On the night of April 24 at 8:00 p.m., personnel from the Quetta Police and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) unlawfully entered the prison and brutally assaulted me and my colleagues, Beebow Baloch and Gulzadi Baloch. During this incident, Beebow Baloch was transferred from Hudda Jail Quetta to Pishin Jail, where she was severely tortured during the transfer. Surveillance cameras were even installed inside her barracks and restroom, violating her privacy. In protest against her transfer and the inhumane treatment she faced, we went on a five-day hunger strike. Ten days later, Beebow Baloch was brought back to Hudda Jail, and she continued her hunger strike for ten consecutive days. Inside the prison, we are continuously harassed and threatened. Our family has been denied access to basic facilities and necessities on multiple occasions, and we have had to suspend visits and meetings with legal counsel. Following the Jaffar Express attack, the Pakistani state – through its media apparatus, official channels, and social media team – directly accused you and the Baloch Yakjehti Committee of supporting terrorism. Yet the BYC is widely known, both locally and internationally, as a peaceful human rights movement. Why do you believe the state is attempting to criminalize your activism? What political calculations or anxieties do you think lie behind this campaign? In March 2025, following an armed attack on the Jaffar Express in Balochistan, the state used the incident as a pretext to target our peaceful political organization, the BYC. A severe crackdown was launched against us, despite the fact that we had no any type of connection to the attack or any act of violence. The entire episode appeared orchestrated, with one clear objective: to silence or dismantle the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, as we have been a strong and consistent voice against human rights violations in Balochistan. We have always raised our voices against all forms of injustice and abuse, and it is this peaceful dissent that the state finds intolerable. Consequently, efforts were made to associate our non-violent struggle with an act of armed violence. However, the BYC is a peaceful political organization. We have never engaged in nor endorsed violent politics. Since our inception, our position and method of struggle have been clear: we resist the state's oppression and brutality in Balochistan through non-violent means. To date, not a single stone has been broken at any of our gatherings or protests – yet we have faced violent crackdowns from the state from day one. After the Jaffer Express attack, the state launched an aggressive media campaign against the BYC, attempting to malign our peaceful political efforts by falsely linking us to the incident. We were repeatedly pressured to issue condemnations that served the state's narrative. But our stance has always been unequivocal: we do not support armed struggle or violence in any form, and this position has been documented in the media multiple times. Nevertheless, our organization has faced an intense crackdown. Following the attack, the Balochistan government suspiciously buried several unidentified bodies in the Kaasi Graveyard in Quetta. Some bodies were stored in the morgue at Civil Hospital Quetta, with no access granted to anyone. This sparked panic and fear among the families of Baloch victims of enforced disappearances, as they feared their missing loved ones might be among the dead. For years, the state has used armed attacks as a cover to execute extrajudicial killings. Victims of enforced disappearances are taken from secret detention centers, killed, and then falsely portrayed as militants killed in combat. Sometimes, the bodies of actual militants are accompanied by those of forcibly disappeared persons to suggest they died together. These incidents are not isolated; as an organization, we have documented evidence of many such cases. The same fear gripped families once again. Every day, relatives of missing persons visited Civil Hospital Quetta, demanding a basic and constitutionally protected right: access to the bodies or disclosure of their identities, so they could determine whether their loved ones were among them. In retaliation for these lawful and peaceful demands, the state brutally targeted these families, subjecting them to violence and further enforced disappearances. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee stood with these families, raised their voices, and supported them through this painful ordeal. As a consequence, our leadership and members have faced the harshest state repression. The recent crackdown against our organization began on March 20, when, at 5 a.m., our colleague Bibagar Baloch was arrested at his home. When we launched a peaceful protest against his arrest, the state responded with violent repression and opened direct fire on the protesters. This resulted in the deaths of three people, including a young child, and left dozens injured. We then held a peaceful sit-in alongside the bodies of those killed. It was during this protest that Beebow Baloch and I were arrested, followed by the arrest of several of our other members. The real reason behind the state crackdown on the BYC is our non-violent resistance to Pakistan's human rights violations, violence, and injustice in Balochistan. Instead of acknowledging our peaceful movement or addressing our demands for justice, the Pakistani state continues to delegitimize our struggle by leveling baseless accusations and using force against our activists. I believe that my arrest and the arrest of my colleagues, the crackdown on the BYC, the state-led media campaign to malign us, and ongoing efforts to damage our reputation are all part of a deliberate attempt to psychologically pressure us into abandoning our political principles and programs. The aim is to silence our voice against human rights abuses in Balochistan, so that the Pakistani military can continue its exploitation of the region's resources and oppression of its people without resistance or accountability. With the emergence of ISKP in Balochistan, and given its explicit threats toward you and other BYC members, how does the Baloch Yakjehti Committee plan to respond? What strategies do you envision for navigating this increasingly volatile political and security environment? As I have already mentioned above, both Islamic State and the spokespersons of the Pakistan military are using the same language against us. Their tone is identical. Both are troubled by our struggle, both speak of eliminating us, both label us as foreign agents, and both feel threatened by our progressive stance. They view our political and human rights struggle as a danger, and in response, ISPR's press conferences and Islamic State's threatening audio-visual content and pamphlets have used hateful and violent language against us. I believe their sole aim is to silence me and my colleague, or to coerce us into abandoning our struggle. We are being subjected to relentless psychological pressure through various means. First, I was arrested. Then, ISPR held repeated press conferences against me, launching character assassination campaigns. A false and misleading media narrative was spread to manipulate international public opinion. The families of my colleagues, Dr. Sabiha Baloch and Beebow Baloch, were collectively punished. Over 300 of our members were detained. An undeclared ban was imposed on the political activities of our organization. The law was weaponized against me and my colleagues. Every peaceful protest was met with violence against our members. Despite all this, our colleagues have remained committed to their peaceful political and human rights activism. Even in the face of imprisonment, torture, arrest, media trials, and false accusations, neither I nor my colleagues have chosen silence. We have remained resolute in continuing our peaceful struggle against human rights violations in Balochistan. When our unwavering commitment became evident, Daesh ultimately became active against us, issuing death threats and calling for our elimination. Yet, we are fully determined that we will not remain silent about the human rights abuses in Balochistan. No matter the cost, we will continue our peaceful struggle, because our demands are simple and lawful: an immediate end to all forms of oppression and violence in Balochistan, and the constitutional and legal right of the Baloch people to make their own decisions regarding their future. Crackdowns on political dissent in Pakistan have intensified in recent years, affecting movements across the ideological spectrum, from the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Given this broader climate of repression, how do you see the future of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee? What role do you believe it can continue to play, both within Balochistan and nationally? From day one, the BYC has strived to unite all oppressed and state-affected people within Pakistan, to foster harmony among them, and to lead a collective struggle against human rights violations and for the attainment of public rights. This effort stems from the reality that every community and nation in Pakistan today is suffering under state oppression and injustice. A majority of political leaders have been imprisoned, peaceful political activism has been criminalized, dissenting voices are being silenced, the media is fully controlled, and even the judiciary is being manipulated through controversial measures like the 26th Constitutional Amendment. In essence, a full-fledged authoritarian regime is in place in Pakistan. In the face of this, it is imperative that all oppressed nations and communities come together in a united struggle against this dictatorship.
Express Tribune
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Sister challenges Mahrang's detention in apex court
A sister of Baloch rights activist Dr Mahrang Baloch has approached the Supreme Court against an order of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) in her sister's detention case. A division bench of the BHC on April 15 dismissed Dr Mahrang's petition against her detention under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, 1960, stating that an alternative remedy was available to the activist in the shape of a representation. The bench had also converted the petition into a representation and directed its office to present it before the competent authority constituted for the purpose of deciding representations under the MPO. The petitioner, Nadia Baloch, contended that the BHC erred in holding that a petition could be filed before a court only after exhausting the option of filing a representation. The petition argued that the high court in its writ jurisdiction is competent to intervene and directly grant relief to a petitioner by determining the legality of an MPO order without the need of the detained person making a representation. It said that the BHC did not consider Dr Mahrang's right to file habeas corpus petition. "[This is her] high prerogative right and a constitutional remedy for all matters if illegal confinement," the petition said.
