Are Mahrang Baloch and Other Leaders Victims of Pakistan’s Illegal Judicial System?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Human rights violations against Baloch leaders raise critical concerns.
- Judicial manipulation is alleged to silence dissent.
- International advocacy is crucial for justice.
- Continuous remands and new FIRs suggest a systematic approach to repression.
- The situation underscores the fragility of human rights in Balochistan.
Quetta, Sep 12 (NationPress) The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a human rights organization, accused the chief organizer Mahrang Baloch and other leaders of enduring an extensive judicial struggle for over five months within Pakistan’s illegitimate judicial framework.
The accusation followed an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Quetta extending the physical remand of Mahrang Baloch, along with Bebagr Baloch, Gulzadi Baloch, Beebow Baloch, and Shahjee Baloch, for an additional 15 days at the police's request.
“Since July, the Balochistan High Court has consistently issued remand orders against the BYC leadership linked to three FIRs. These remands were prolonged until the 22nd of last month. Alarmingly, in the recent proceedings, sixteen new FIRs emerged. Consequently, the judge mandated an extra 15 days of remand. To date, seven FIRs are under judicial action, while this latest decision adds sixteen more,” stated a release from the BYC.
Despite a previous judicial directive barring Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) from filing additional FIRs, the rights organization pointed out that the CTD again contravened that order by introducing three more cases.
As per the hearing, these sixteen FIRs will be the final ones from Quetta’s jurisdiction, while the remaining FIRs registered in other regions of Balochistan and beyond will be addressed after the current remand.
The BYC has persistently argued that such strategies—fresh FIRs, repeated remand extensions, and judicial process manipulation—are being exploited to silence its leadership and suppress the unified voice of the Baloch populace against human rights violations.
The rights organization urged the global community, human rights advocates, and justice defenders to vocalize against these violations. It maintained that Pakistan’s oppressive tactics, including ongoing remands, the 3MPO (Maintenance of Public Order), and fabricated FIRs, aim not only to penalize the BYC leadership but also to quash legitimate dissent in Balochistan.
“This manipulation of the judicial system signifies a direct attack on human rights defenders in Balochistan, and, by extension, on the advocacy for human rights worldwide. If those who dare to uphold fundamental human dignity are silenced through unlawful and retributive actions, then the very essence of universal human rights is threatened,” the BYC stated.