BYC Rejects Life Sentence for Gulzadi Baloch, Alleges Procedural Violations and Judicial Pressure

SHAAL (QUETTA): The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has rejected a life imprisonment sentence handed down to its member Gulzadi Baloch in a murder case, describing the verdict as a predetermined decision and alleging serious violations of her right to a fair trial.

Quetta Additional Sessions Judge-I Syed Qadir Shah Bukhari sentenced Gulzadi Baloch to life imprisonment in Case No. 15/22. Her legal team has raised concerns over the conduct of the proceedings and the procedure followed in announcing the sentence, saying it will pursue legal remedies.

“Gulzadi Baloch was not the principal accused; her statement was not recorded under Section 342 before sentencing,” Advocate Israr Baloch said.

According to Gulzadi Baloch’s lawyers, the FIR in the case was registered at Mach Police Station in October 2022. They said she was not the principal accused and had no role in the murder for which she was convicted.

Israr Baloch said the case had been transferred between different courts on the instructions of the Balochistan High Court. However, he said other judges declined to hear the case, after which proceedings continued before the court of Additional Sessions Judge-I.

The lawyer also raised concerns about the circumstances in which the sentence was announced. He said neither Gulzadi Baloch nor members of her legal team were present in court when the sentence was delivered.

According to Israr Baloch, when the lawyers arrived at the court, the judge was also not present. The court reader subsequently provided the lawyers with the written order and informed them that Gulzadi Baloch had been sentenced to life imprisonment.

The defence lawyers alleged that, before the sentence was handed down, Gulzadi Baloch’s statement was not recorded under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). They also said the defence was not allowed to present final arguments and alleged that the court order had already been prepared.

The legal team has expressed concerns about the judicial proceedings and the manner in which the sentence was announced, saying it would challenge the decision through available legal channels.

The BYC has separately said that the proceedings were conducted in circumstances that compromised Gulzadi Baloch’s right to a fair trial.

In a statement, the organisation said that on Sept. 7, proceedings continued despite a judicial strike and the absence of defence counsel. The BYC said a witness was cross-examined without representation by defence counsel.

The organisation argued that such proceedings did not meet the requirements of fair-trial protections guaranteed under Article 10-A of Pakistan’s Constitution and Article 14(3)(b) and 14(3)(d) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

The BYC also said that, before the conclusion of the case, the judge had on several occasions referred to being under pressure and had mentioned the possibility that Gulzadi Baloch could be sentenced to life imprisonment or death.

According to the organisation, such remarks, if made before the conclusion of the trial, raised concerns about the presumption of innocence and judicial independence. The BYC said the subsequent life sentence had reinforced those concerns.

The organisation has described the verdict as part of a broader pattern of state action against peaceful Baloch political voices.

The BYC said the sentence was the third life imprisonment ruling against members of its leadership in the previous three months. It said Dr Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Shahji had previously been sentenced to life imprisonment in June.

The organisation said that judicial proceedings were being used to target the leadership of the movement rather than determining cases solely on their legal merits.

Rejecting the verdict, the BYC said that a judge who acknowledges being under pressure to impose a sentence cannot be considered impartial. It argued that the responsibility for demonstrating judicial impartiality rests with the judiciary rather than with those facing criminal proceedings.

The organisation has called on appellate courts and constitutional institutions to independently and urgently review Gulzadi Baloch’s life sentence, investigate the conduct of the judge concerned and ensure the restoration of due legal process.

The BYC said that despite the sentence, Gulzadi Baloch and its leadership remained committed to their position and would continue their peaceful struggle for the recovery of missing persons and Baloch rights.

The organisation also said that no institution should be allowed to turn judicial proceedings into an instrument of political punishment.