ISLAMABAD: Dr. Mahrang Baloch, central organiser of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), has challenged the rejection of her bail before the Supreme Court of Pakistan, following her arrest on charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997.
The petition was filed through her legal counsel, advocate Jibran Nasir, after the Balochistan High Court rejected her bail application on 23 February. The case stems from a First Information Report (FIR) registered at the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police station in Quetta on 6 January of last year, on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Asghar Ali.
According to the FIR, Dr. Mahrang Baloch was placed on the Fourth Schedule under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, with allegations that she repeatedly failed to appear at designated reporting appointments and continued to participate in public gatherings and sit-in protests. The FIR further says that she provided support to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a banned organisation. These allegations have not been independently verified.
The case has been registered under Sections 11-EE and 11-F(1)(2) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, which pertain to membership of or assistance to proscribed organisations.
Dr. Mahrang Baloch was first arrested on 22 March 2025 and detained for 30 days under the Balochistan Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Act. Her detention was subsequently extended twice, each time by an additional 30 days. She was then formally arrested in a separate case on 21 August 2025, despite already being in continuous state custody at the time.
Earlier, on 12 June last year, Dr. Mahrang Baloch had also challenged her MPO detention before the Balochistan High Court, which upheld the detention in its ruling dated 22 May. No official response from the federal or provincial government regarding the Supreme Court petition was available at the time of publication.
