QUETTA: An anti-terrorism court on Friday sent the chief organiser of Baloch Yakjehti Com­mit­tee (BYC) Dr Mahrang Ba­loch and four other members to jail on judicial remand.

After keeping Dr Mahrang and four other BYC members in police custody for 15 days, they were produced before Judge Muhammad Ali Mobeen of the ATC-I of Quetta amid tight security arrangements. The four suspects are namely Babu Baloch, Gulzadi Baloch, Beebarg Baloch and Sabghatullah Shah Jee.

The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) officials, who were present in the courtroom, sought an extension in their physical remand, arguing that all the five suspects were still required for investigation.

However, the defence counsel Israr Jattak and Shoaib Mengal opposed the CTD police’s request.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the judge sent Dr Mahrang Baloch and the other BYC members to jail on judicial remand instead of extending their physical remand.

Dr Mahrang and other BYC leaders were arrested in March 2025 following a protest sit-in on Sariab Road. They were initially detained under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO-3) but were later booked under different sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Pakistan Penal Code in separate cases registered at different police stations.

After three months of detention under MPO-3, all five BYC leaders had been handed over to police on physical remand in these cases.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2025