BHC reserves judgment in Mahrang Baloch’s case

April 10, 2025

By Rehan Piracha

LAHORE

The Balochistan High Court (BHC) on Thursday reserved judgment in a petition challenging the arrest of Baloch Yekjehti Committee (BYC) organiser Dr Mahrang Baloch under Section 3, of the MPO (Maintenance of Public Order).

The hearing was conducted by a bench comprising Justice Ijaz Ahmed Swati and Justice Muhammad Aamir Nawaz Rana.

The petitioner’s legal team, including lawyers Kamran Murtaza, Rahib Balidi, Khalid Khabdani, Ali Ahmed Kurd, and others, appeared before the court. The court directed the petitioner’s lawyers to submit an affidavit under Article 5 of the Constitution. After a 30-minute recess, the petitioner submitted the sworn affidavit. Following arguments from both sides, the court reserved its judgment.

The case, which began around 12:30 PM, saw intense arguments before the bench adjourned for a decision, expected within one to two days. The government insisted the affidavit proved Dr Mahrang’s ‘loyalty to the state’, but her lawyers countered.

‘Why demand oaths under Article 5, when the state fails its Article 4 obligation to protect citizens’ rights?’ they questioned.

“In Pakistan, every person is treated guilty unless proven innocent. We demand rule of law, not political vendettas,” lawyer and Senator (JUI-F) Kamran Murtaza added.

Speaking to media after the hearing, Murtaza said he argued that the arrest order was unjustified and illegal.

“The government’s sole aim was to secure a remand, but their grounds for arrest were never communicated to Dr Mahrang—even after 19 days,” he told reporters. The petition was filed by Dr. Mahrang Baloch’s sister. “We expect the court to announce its verdict within a day or two,” Murtaza said. If the detention is quashed, parallel petitions for other detainees will be filed, he added.

Sajid Tareen Advocate, Central Senior Vice President of the Balochistan National Party (BNP), said demanding Article 5 compliance only from Balochistan’s people showed that its residents were treated differently from the rest of Pakistan. “The minerals conference in Islamabad proved these cases are actually a conspiracy to seize Balochistan’s resources,” he said. “Under Sardar Akhtar Mengal’s leadership, BNP’s stance is clear: No one can issue loyalty certificates, nor will we tolerate plunder of Balochistan’s resources,” he added.

BNP protest sit-in continues at Mastung

Meanwhile, BNP’s sit-in continues under the leadership of Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal in Luckpass near Mastung. A large number of Baloch women and girls, dressed in traditional Baloch attire, reiterating their ethnic identity, joined the sit-in to express their support. The party urged women and the general public from Mastung and other areas to ensure their strong presence in the protest.

Earlier, PPP leaders including ministers Mir Sadiq Umrani, Ali Madad Jatak, Bakht Mohammad Kakar, and Asfandyar Kakar, alongside government spokesperson Shahid Rind, launched blistering accusations against BNP chief Akhtar Mengal.

In a fiery press conference in Quetta, the ministers asserted their legitimacy as being ‘true public representatives’, claiming Mengal was ‘holding Balochistan’s politics hostage’. The conference addressed volatile issues including Mengal’s ongoing sit-in protest, Dr Mahrang Baloch’s controversial arrest, and alleged attempts to radicalize Baloch youth. Shahid Rind escalated the rhetoric, declaring Mengal’s narrative as ‘anti-people’ and vowing to expose ‘those fueling unrest’. The PPP’s coordinated broadside signals a sharp escalation in Balochistan’s political tensions, framing Mengal as a destabilizing force while defending state institutions.