BYC Leaders’ Remand Extended by 20 Days, Raising Alarming Concerns Over Judicial Independence
SHAAL (QUETTA): The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Quetta has extended the police remand of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders by an additional 20 days, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from human rights activists and raised serious concerns about judicial independence in Pakistan.
In a statement issued on Friday, the BYC condemned the court’s decision, calling it a blatant violation of fundamental legal principles and an alarming indicator of the judiciary’s submission to state and military pressure. The committee asserted that instead of safeguarding human rights defenders, the judiciary is actively strengthening the hand of oppressive state forces.
“The judiciary’s conduct in Balochistan has been extremely disappointing,” the BYC said. “Since day one, we approached the Balochistan High Court against the illegal arrests of our leadership under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law, but the courts have repeatedly succumbed to state influence. Cases were arbitrarily transferred to the Home Department, dismissed without merit, and now, without any legal justification, our leaders are being sent on remand again and again.”
The BYC highlighted that the ATC’s repeated extensions of remand were granted despite the police failing to present any concrete progress or evidence. The organisation’s legal team pointed out that under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), physical remand beyond 14 days is only permissible if supported by substantial evidence. However, this limit has been disregarded, with remands first being extended by 10 days, then 15, and now an additional 20 days.
“The courts in Balochistan are not delivering justice; they are implementing the will of military conspiracies,” the statement said. “The judiciary’s constitutional duty is to protect citizens’ rights and uphold the law, but in Balochistan, it is behaving in a colonial-era fashion, becoming complicit in the state’s oppressive practices.”
The BYC further criticized the state’s actions against its leaders, including Dr. Mahrang Baloch, stating that their only “crime” is peacefully and democratically advocating for basic human rights and justice. The organisation condemned the imposition of terrorism-related charges as baseless and politically motivated, calling it a flagrant violation of international human rights norms.
The BYC urged the United Nations, international human rights organisations, and the global community to take immediate notice of what they described as escalating state repression and judicial injustice in Balochistan.
This development adds to the growing concerns over the human rights situation in Balochistan, where enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and suppression of dissent remain persistent issues.
