Mahrang approaches SC against BHC’s dismissal of constitutional pleas for release

Fri, June 13, 2025

Rights activist Mahrang Baloch on Thursday moved the Supreme Court against the Balochistan High Court’s (BHC) May 22 order that dismissed constitutional petitions challenging her detention and that of two other Baloch leaders, more than two months after they were held under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO).

Mahrang, the chief of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), along with other activists of the group was arrested on March 22 for allegedly “attacking” Quetta Civil Hospital and “inciting people to violence”, a day after their members faced a police crackdown in Quetta while protesting against alleged enforced disappearances. The BYC is a Baloch advocacy group working against enforced disappearances since 2018.

Mahrang’s sister had challenged the detention in the BHC but the court had asked the petitioner to approach the home department for her release. The sister had subsequently filed constitutional petitions in the high court challenging the detentions but those were dismissed.

Mahrang’s petition, filed in the Supreme Court (SC) through senior counsel Faisal Siddiqi and lawyer Jibran Nasir, pleaded for the right to appeal against the May 22 order and requested the apex court to set aside the BHC judgment and allow the constitutional petitions.

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