Quetta, Jan 6 (NationPress) A Pakistani court has declared Lala Abdul Wahab Baloch, Deputy Organiser of the human rights organization Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), along with 11 other activists, innocent in a case that the BYC has labeled as a long-standing and politically motivated trial.

On Monday, Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate Naim Akhtar of the Karachi City Court mandated the acquittal after the prosecution was unable to prove the allegations. Among those acquitted are Sarfraz Baloch, Zain Baloch, Aftab Baloch, Qazi Amanullah, Murad Baloch, Waheed Baloch, Ahmed Nisar, Ehsan Hameed, Sajid Baloch, Aamir Baloch, and Ahsan Faraz Baloch.

The BYC contended that, despite this acquittal, several other leaders from the organization, including Chief Organiser Mahrang Baloch, remain imprisoned.

“The judiciary seems to wield its power in a way that keeps these leaders behind bars, raising significant worries about fairness, extended detention, and the exploitation of legal systems to stifle political opposition,” the BYC remarked.

According to the BYC, the case, which was filed under the Pakistan Penal Code on January 18, 2025, had been ongoing for nearly a year. The court found the accusations to be unfounded and granted an honorable acquittal to all defendants.

“The detentions arose from protests organized by the BYC on January 25, 2025, recognized as ‘Baloch Genocide Day.’ Demonstrations took place throughout Balochistan and in Karachi, notably in Lyari and Sharafi Goth, Malir,” the BYC noted.

During the crackdown, the BYC reported that its leaders, women, and activists faced violence and were detained under what was termed as spurious cases.

Recently, the BYC asserted that repeated bail rulings from various courts across Balochistan highlight the groundless, contrived, and politically charged nature of the charges against its peaceful leadership by the Pakistani authorities.

The BYC indicated that Mahrang Baloch and other leaders, including Beebarg Baloch, Shahji Baloch, Gulzadi Baloch, and Beebow Baloch, have been unlawfully detained for ten months.

The rights group noted that the BYC leaders were originally detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (3-MPO) for three months, a regulation that permits preventative detention based on the government’s evaluation of potential threats to public order. Their detention was, however, prolonged through what the BYC labeled as politically motivated FIRs.

Although these charges are bailable, the BYC accused the authorities of prolonging their detention through repeated remands, intentional delays in filing investigation reports, and systematic procedural hindrances.