QUETTA BALOCHISTAN: Leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) have been staging a sit-in protest inside prison for the past eight days, demanding an end to what they describe as a “faceless trial” that they say violates basic legal rights and judicial transparency.
Despite the ongoing protest, court proceedings have continued in the absence of the accused, with judges recording witness statements and advancing the case without their participation.
According to BYC, the faceless trial system is being used to prevent the accused and their chosen lawyers from effectively cross-examining prosecutors, state witnesses, and the government’s position to secure predetermined verdicts through one-sided proceedings.
The situation escalated after the Prosecutor General reportedly pressured the court during jail trial proceedings to expedite the cases. BYC alleges this points to coordination between intelligence agencies, the military, the judiciary, and presiding judges to reach a specific outcome, a claim they say undermines judicial independence and the fundamental principles of justice.
Over the past three days, prison administration formally notified the court that BYC leaders have refused to accept both the faceless trial and the court-appointed lawyers. Despite this, the court reportedly assigned state lawyers on their behalf and continued proceedings a move BYC condemned as a direct violation of every citizen’s legal right to choose their own legal representation.
BSC has outlined three core demands for ending the protest:
- Transfer of all cases to an open court
- The right of accused to be defended by lawyers of their own choosing
- Complete abolition of the faceless trial system
The committee has also called on bar councils to take disciplinary action against lawyers who accept representation of defendants who have clearly rejected them, calling such conduct a breach of legal and professional ethics.
In a wider appeal, BYC urged lawyers’ associations, bar councils, human rights organizations, journalists, civil society, and citizens to raise their voices against what it describes as an unjust and non-transparent judicial process.
“As long as justice, transparency, and legal rights are not upheld in these cases, the protest will continue,” the statement read.
