QUETTA, BALOCHISTAN: Quetta Additional Sessions Judge-I, Syed Qadir Shah Bukhari, has sentenced Gulzadi Baloch, a member of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), to life imprisonment in a murder case, while her legal team has raised concerns over the trial proceedings and the manner in which the sentence was handed down.
According to Gulzadi Baloch’s lawyers, the FIR in the case was registered at Mach police station in October 2022. They said Gulzadi Baloch was not the primary accused in the case and had no role in the murder.
Advocate Asrar Baloch said the case was transferred between different courts on the directive of the Balochistan High Court, but other judges recused themselves from hearing it, after which proceedings continued in the court of Additional Sessions Judge-I.
According to the lawyer, at the time the verdict was announced today, neither Gulzadi Baloch nor her legal team was present in court. When they arrived at the court, the judge was also not present; the reader (court official) provided the lawyers with the court order, informing them that Gulzadi Baloch had been sentenced to life imprisonment.
According to the lawyers, before the sentence was announced, Gulzadi Baloch’s statement was not recorded under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code, nor were the lawyers given the opportunity to present final arguments. According to them, the court order had already been prepared in advance.
The legal team, expressing concerns over the court proceedings and the manner of sentencing, said they would pursue legal recourse in the matter.
It is worth noting that the Baloch Yakjehti Committee and the lawyers had, in recent days, also raised serious concerns over alleged judicial bias, denial of the right to defense, and lengthy delays in bail applications in Gulzadi Baloch’s case.
BYC stated that on September 7, proceedings continued despite the absence of defense counsel, and a witness was cross-examined without defense representation.
According to BYC, the court is hearing the case against BYC leadership under state pressure and influence.
