QUETTA, BALOCHISTAN: The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has expressed serious concern over repeated and unjustified delays in the Balochistan High Court’s handling of bail applications and other constitutional petitions filed by its leadership.
In a statement, the group said its leaders approached the High Court in February after their bail was cancelled by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Quetta. Since then, according to BYC, the bail applications have been listed for hearing on approximately five separate occasions, but each time the case was adjourned without proceeding, after the relevant bench’s cause list including that of the Chief Justice’s bench, Court No. 1 was discharged.
The group said that the discharge of entire cause lists, including the Chief Justice’s bench, has caused significant delays not only for BYC’s leadership but for ordinary litigants as well.
A BYC spokesperson said that under the law, bail is directly tied to an individual’s personal liberty and a prompt, timely decision on such matters is a legal right. Citing the principle that justice delayed is justice denied, the spokesperson said keeping the accused in continued, unjustified detention amounts to a clear violation of fundamental rights.
The spokesperson added that transparent and expeditious judicial proceedings are a basic right of every citizen under Pakistan’s Constitution and that repeated delays are eroding public confidence in the judicial system.
The statement said BYC remains committed to pursuing all legal and peaceful avenues and called on the Balochistan High Court to promptly schedule and decide the pending bail applications and constitutional petitions filed by its leaders, in accordance with the Constitution, the law and principles of fair justice, to safeguard citizens’ personal liberty and rights.
