Rights activist Mahrang Baloch among six sent to 10-day remand in Pakistan terror probe

A court in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s Balochistan province, granted police a 10-day physical remand on Tuesday of rights activist Mahrang Baloch and five others in a case involving charges of terrorism, sedition, and murder.

Baloch, 32, was first taken into custody on March 22 under Pakistan’s Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law. Her detention was extended multiple times by the Balochistan Home Department -- first for 30 days, then again for another 30 days in April, followed by a 15-day extension last month.

Officials say the case is tied to her alleged role in protests demanding answers about Baloch individuals who have gone missing or were reportedly killed without due process -- in a province that has endured decades of unrest and a simmering separatist conflict along its borders with Iran and Afghanistan.

Handcuffed BYC activists are brought before the Quetta court on Tuesday.Credit: SammiBaluch/X

During Tuesday’s hearing, six members of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a rights advocacy group led by Baloch, were presented before an anti-terrorism court. The BYC, established in 2018, has campaigned against alleged state violence, including enforced disappearances, a longstanding grievance of Baloch families.

Police told the court that the accused were named in a case registered at Quetta’s Civil Lines Police Station under various sections of Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act. Investigators sought remand for further questioning, which the court approved, ordering all six to be held for 10 days.

They will be presented before the court again after the remand expires.

The arrests have sparked concern among human rights groups, who view the case as part of a broader state crackdown on dissent in Balochistan -- a province rich in natural resources but marked by high poverty and political unrest.

Last month, Baloch’s family filed a petition in Pakistan’s top court seeking her release, arguing that the charges are politically motivated. The petition remains pending.