Balochistan [Pakistan], July 11 (ANI): The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has condemned the unlawful detention of its key leaders and the continued denial of access to family members and legal counsel, calling it a grave human rights violation carried out under the cover of judicial procedure.

The incident has sparked outrage and alarm among rights activists across the region.

According to a statement posted on X, the BYC revealed that on June 8, leaders, including Mahrang Baloch, Shah Jee, Beebagr Baloch, Ghafar Baloch, Gulzadi, and Beebow Baloch, were suddenly transferred from Hudda District Prison in Quetta to the Civil Lines Police Station under a 10-day police remand. Since then, they have been held incommunicado, with all requests for visitation by family members and lawyers categorically denied.

The BYC post further stated that despite the families securing court orders permitting visitation, the police continued to block all access. Only the mothers of Mahrang and Beebow Baloch were granted brief meetings. The denial of access has raised urgent concerns about the well-being of the detainees, particularly in light of widespread reports of torture and custodial abuse in Balochistan.

In protest, the families have initiated a peaceful sit-in outside the Civil Lines Police Station, demanding transparency and access to the detained. The BYC asserted that these actions constitute a clear violation of both domestic constitutional guarantees and international human rights obligations.

The committee argues that the state's refusal to honour court orders and legal norms illustrates an intentional erosion of due process, aimed at criminalising Baloch political voices through coercive and unlawful means.

Calling the detentions a targeted assault on Baloch human rights defenders, the BYC has appealed to both national and international human rights bodies to intervene and hold the responsible authorities accountable.

Balochistan, Pakistan's largest yet least developed province, has long been the epicentre of political unrest, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary detentions. Over the past decade, and particularly in recent years, the scale and systematic nature of detentions have intensified, drawing condemnation from local and international human rights organisations. (ANI)