QUETTA, March 18, 2025 – A case has been registered against 150 individuals, including key leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), Dr. Mahrang Baloch and Dr. Sabiha Baloch, under terrorism, incitement to rebellion, murder, and other serious charges.
Serious Charges Against BYC Leaders
The FIR, lodged at Saryab Police Station on March 22, includes Sections 7 and 11W of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and 16 sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), covering terrorism, murder, attempted murder, incitement to violence and rebellion, public disorder, racial hatred, and property damage.
Dr. Mahrang and 17 others were arrested on Saturday morning and are now in Quetta District Jail under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.
The case is linked to an incident at Civil Hospital Quetta, where protesters allegedly stormed the morgue and forcibly took bodies. According to the FIR, BYC members were involved in violent clashes, leading to the deaths of three people and injuries to 15 police officers.
Violent Protests and Additional FIRs
- Civil Lines Police Station FIR: Filed against BYC leaders for allegedly storming the hospital morgue, attacking a private ambulance at Hockey Chowk, and forcibly taking away bodies of attackers from the Jaffer Express train bombing.
- Brewery Police Station FIR: Over 100 individuals, including Gulzadi Baloch, Ali Jan, Shoaib, Syed Noor Shah, Waheed, Jahanzeb, and Zohaib Baloch, booked for blocking Quetta’s Western Bypass Road, chanting anti-state slogans, and inciting unrest.
- Police Crackdown: Authorities launched a crackdown on Saturday, leading to the arrest of multiple protesters, including Dr. Mahrang Baloch. Officials claim she is being held under Sections 3 or 16 MPO but have not formally disclosed her detention.
Protests and Strikes Across Balochistan
Following the arrests, a shutter-down strike entered its second day in several cities, including Turbat, Mastung, Kalat, Kharan, Chaghi, Panjgur, and Dalbandin.
- Turbat: Protesters blocked the Turbat-Karachi Highway for two days.
- Hub: Demonstrators blocked the Quetta-Karachi Highway, but police used tear gas and baton charges to disperse them.
- Dhadar: Protesters organized a rally demanding the immediate release of BYC leadership, with slogans in support of missing persons.
While police have reopened major highways, tensions remain high as BYC supporters continue to demand the release of their leaders and action against alleged police violence.
