The Balochistan High Court has issued notices to parties on a constitutional petition filed by imprisoned leaders of the Baloch Solidarity Committee (BYC) against faceless trials and court proceedings being conducted in their absence inside the jail. The Baloch Solidarity Committee has welcomed the High Court’s move.
The petition has been filed by Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Bebo Baloch, Gulzadi Baloch, Sibghatullah Shahji and Beberg Baloch, who are currently imprisoned in District Jail Quetta.
The petition seeks to quash the application of Section 21 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, including the government notifications dated November 24, 2025, October 10, 2025 and June 12, 2026, as violative of Articles 4, 9, 10-A, 14, 25 and 175(3) of the Constitution of Pakistan.
The court has been requested to quash all proceedings taken under administrative pressure, in a non-transparent manner and in the absence of the accused and their lawyers inside the jail and to transfer the cases to another competent court.
The petitioners have requested that they be given the right to meet their lawyers in secret and freely without any supervision, while all hearings be transferred to open courts open to the public as before the June 12 notification.
The Baloch Solidarity Committee has clarified in its statement that faceless or closed-door trials are against the fundamental rights of the accused, transparency and the right to a fair trial.
According to the spokesperson, this application is not just a personal legal matter of the imprisoned leadership but also an important question of the independence of the judiciary, the rule of law and basic human rights.
BYC has expressed its determination to continue using all peaceful and legal means to protect the fundamental and legal rights of the imprisoned leaders.
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