Human rights organisation Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) on Friday, 28 August accused the Balochistan High Court of systematically stalling bail proceedings for its jailed leadership, alleging the delays amount to a 'state-backed tactic' to keep activists in prolonged detention in Pakistan. The group said that on multiple occasions, cases listed before the relevant bench were not taken up and the entire cause list was discharged without any substantive hearing.

Pattern of Non-Effective Hearings

According to the BYC, bail applications involving its leaders have been repeatedly adjourned to subsequent dates without any effective proceedings. The organisation noted that this pattern is not limited to its own leadership — ordinary litigants whose cases are pending before the same court are also suffering considerable prejudice as a result of the repeated non-hearings.

The rights body argued that bail matters, by their very nature, demand expeditious consideration, since they bear directly on an individual's fundamental right to liberty and protection against unnecessary or prolonged incarceration.

What the BYC Said

In a formal statement, the BYC invoked the principle that 'justice delayed is justice denied', stressing its particular weight in cases involving personal liberty. 'Repeated adjournments and non-effective hearings, without substantive proceedings, can substantially prejudice the rights of accused persons and undermine the very purpose of judicial remedies. Where individuals remain in custody, every unnecessary delay has a direct and serious impact on their fundamental right to liberty,' the organisation stated.

The group further argued that when cases are repeatedly listed but cannot proceed, litigants are left without an effective judicial remedy and are forced to endure prolonged uncertainty — a situation it said 'warrants serious judicial attention.'

Call for Urgent Judicial Action

The BYC formally submitted that all pending bail applications and constitutional matters concerning its leadership should be taken up and decided 'at the earliest possible opportunity, in accordance with law, constitutional guarantees, and the principles of fair, transparent, and expeditious justice.'

The organisation also warned that continued delays risk eroding public confidence in the administration of justice in Balochistan. Notably, this is not the first time the BYC has raised concerns about the judicial treatment of its members — the group has been at the centre of a prolonged standoff with Pakistani authorities over the detention of Baloch activists and leaders.

Broader Context

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee has in recent years emerged as one of the more prominent civil society voices in Balochistan, organising protests and demanding accountability for enforced disappearances and the detention of activists. Critics and human rights observers have repeatedly flagged the slow pace of judicial proceedings in cases involving Baloch political figures, arguing that procedural delays function as a form of de facto detention without trial. The Balochistan High Court has not issued a public response to the BYC's allegations.