20 more days in custody: Pakistan extends detention of Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch amid growing global outcry

Rights groups say this strategy is designed to criminalise activism, leaving no room for peaceful democratic mobilisation in the region.

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Quetta has extended the police custody of prominent Baloch rights activist Mahrang Baloch and several organisers from the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) for another 20 days, according to a report by Dawn News.

The order was passed on Saturday by Judge Muhammad Ali Mubeen, following a request from police seeking a 30-day extension. Lawyers Israr Baloch, Shoaib Baloch, and Awais Zehri appeared on behalf of the detained activists.

Activists held since March under controversial law

Mahrang Baloch, who has been in custody since March, was arrested after participating in a protest against alleged enforced disappearances in Balochistan. She has been repeatedly remanded under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO)—a colonial-era law that allows preventive detention without trial.

According to Dawn, her remand has been extended multiple times in March, April, June, and July, despite the absence of any credible evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

Charges dubbed ‘politically motivated’

Pakistani authorities have accused Mahrang and other BYC leaders of attacking Quetta’s Civil Hospital and inciting violence—charges that human rights organisations and legal experts have labelled baseless and politically motivated.

The BYC, formed in 2018 to campaign against enforced disappearances, is not listed as a banned outfit by the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA). However, Mahrang Baloch has been added to the list of proscribed individuals, raising alarms about arbitrary blacklisting.

Backlash: ‘Legal and moral bankruptcy,’ say activists

The court’s latest decision has sparked sharp condemnation from Baloch activists and legal commentators.

In a strongly worded post on X (formerly Twitter), activist Sammi Deen Baloch slammed the move, calling it part of a larger pattern of state-backed repression in Balochistan.

“The judiciary in Balochistan mirrors colonial-era attitudes,” she wrote. “These repeated detentions reveal a system designed not for justice but for silencing resistance.”

Sammi called the repeated remands a “dangerous precedent” and accused the Balochan judiciary of functioning as an extension of state control rather than as an independent institution.

High Court petitions dismissed

In May 2025, the Balochistan High Court dismissed constitutional petitions that had sought the release of Mahrang and other BYC members. Legal experts argue this reflects a systemic failure to uphold fundamental rights in Pakistan’s most restive province.

Bigger picture: Suppressing dissent in Balochistan?

The prolonged detention of Mahrang Baloch is the latest in what critics call a pattern of systemic repression aimed at quelling peaceful dissent in Balochistan. Despite no links to militancy, activists like Mahrang face surveillance, criminal charges, and now even terrorism-linked proceedings.

Rights groups say this strategy is designed to criminalise activism, leaving no room for peaceful democratic mobilisation in the region.

Disclaimer: This report is based on information published by Dawn News, ANI, and public statements made by rights activists on social media.