An anti-terrorism court in Quetta has extended the physical remand of Mahrang Baloch and several other Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) activists for another 15 days. The court order came on Friday during a hearing led by Judge Muhammad Ali Mubeen.
Dr. Mahrang Baloch and five other activists, Gulzadi, Bebow Baloch, Sibghatullah Shahji, Ghaffar Baloch, and Beberg Baloch, were already in custody under previous remand orders. Their detention was linked to alleged involvement in an attack on Quetta Civil Hospital and inciting violence during protests held in March. The protests were against enforced disappearances in Balochistan.
The BYC, active since 2018, advocates for the rights of missing persons in the region. Although not banned by the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta), Mahrang Baloch has been added to its list of proscribed individuals.
Dr. Mahrang was first detained on March 22 under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), which permits arrest without trial for up to 30 days. Her detention has since been extended multiple times, totaling over three months. The current extension follows a 10-day remand granted on July 8.
Mahrang’s legal team opposed the latest extension. Her lawyer, Advocate Shoaib Baloch, argued that police failed to show any progress from the previous remand period. Despite this, the court approved the 15-day extension.
Tight security measures were in place during the court proceedings. The case has drawn national and international attention, particularly from human rights groups.
Amnesty International recently urged Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti to drop all charges and release the detained activists. The group said the arrests targeted individuals for exercising their constitutional rights.
In May, the Balochistan High Court dismissed petitions for Mahrang’s release. Her sister, Nadia Baloch, later filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, claiming the repeated detentions were intended to silence her activism.
Protests in Balochistan have continued, with BYC supporters staging hunger strikes to demand the release of their leaders.
For details on the arrest of five suicide bombers at the Pak-Afghan border, click here.
