𝗕𝗬𝗖 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗽.
𝘽𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙝 𝙔𝙖𝙠𝙟𝙚𝙝𝙩𝙞 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙚
Yesterday, during the jail trial, once again, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) failed to submit the complete challans in the BYC leadership case. The case is being deliberately prolonged through delaying tactics. Since the very beginning, the CTD has consistently avoided submitting the full challans, while the court has continued to support these delaying maneuvers. Despite failing to submit the complete challans, the court is in a hurry to frame the case based on the incomplete challan. However, the case should only proceed once all challans have been properly submitted. Unfortunately, the court appears to be supporting the CTD’s irregular approach.
From the outset, the CTD has produced a series of fabricated FIRs against BYC leaders, despite the judge previously remarking during hearings for physical remand that all FIRs against the BYC leadership should be presented at once. Following those remarks, the CTD had produced more than twenty-five fake FIRs. But in the ongoing hearings, the CTD is providing challans that include new FIRs against BYC leaders which were not presented before. This not only proves that the state is weaponizing its legal system against Baloch human rights activists but also tarnishes the credibility of the judiciary itself.
Furthermore, in four similar cases, the Khuzdar Anti-Terrorism Court has granted bail to the BYC leadership. Yet, in Quetta, the Anti-Terrorism Court continues to prolong these proceedings. This clearly indicates that, in the BYC leadership case, the judiciary seems to be paralyzed from taking legal action and is indirectly acting on the side of power.
During yesterday’s proceedings, Dr. Mahrang asked the judge whether freedom of speech exists in this country. The judge replied, “Yes, there is, and it is a constitutional right of every citizen.” However, in practice, there is no freedom of speech, as all the cases against the BYC leaders are based on their public speeches. The very judge who acknowledges freedom of speech as a constitutional right is himself denying it by following the orders of intelligence agencies rather than the judicial system.
We appeal to human rights organizations to take immediate notice of the state’s misuse of the law against human rights defenders and to play their role in ensuring the release of the BYC leadership.