Quetta, Sep 27 (AHN) Human rights body Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) strongly condemned the arbitrary detention of its chief, Mahrang Baloch, and other leaders and activists following the end of their 15-day physical remand.

The remarks came after an anti-terrorism court in Quetta rejected the request of Pakistan's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) to extend the physical remand of BYC chief Mahrang Baloch and other organisers, local media reported, citing the rights group's lawyer.

The order passed by Judge Muhammad Ali Mubeen turned down the request to extend the physical remand and directed that the accused be sent to judicial custody, Pakistani leading newspaper Dawn reported.

The BYC mentioned that after being subjected to arbitrary and unlawful deprivation of liberty for the past six months and repeated police remand, the head of the BYC, Mahrang Baloch, along with central leaders Bebagar Baloch and Sibgatullah Shah Ji, and activists Beebow Baloch and Gulzadi Baloch, were transferred to Huda Jail in Quetta, on judicial remand.

"For over three months, they were held in Huda Jail, Quetta, under Maintenance of Public Order (3-MPO) without due process or effective judicial review... Based on fabricated and politically motivated charges, they were subsequently re-arrested and repeatedly remanded to police custody for more than two months without any legitimate legal justification. Although their police remand has now ended, they continue to be held on judicial remand in Huda Prison, Quetta," the statement added.

According to the BYC, these human rights defenders have been targeted solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. They have spoken out against enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and other serious human rights violations occurring in Balochistan.

The rights body stressed that the use of arbitrary arrest and prolonged pre-trial detention to silence dissent directly contravenes Pakistan's obligations under international law, including the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.

The BYC urged United Nations Special Procedures, international human rights mechanisms, and civil society actors to take urgent notice of this situation and press for Pakistan's compliance with its international obligations, including the protection of fundamental freedoms and the right to an effective remedy.