Quetta, March 24, 2025: Dr. Mahrang Baloch and 150 others, including key leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), have been charged with terrorism, incitement to rebellion, and murder, The News reported.
An FIR registered at Saryab Police Station on Saturday names several individuals, including Beebow Baloch, Gulzadi Satakzai, Sabiha Baloch, Sabatullah Baloch, Gulzar Dost, Riaz Gashkori, and Dr. Shali Baloch. The accused face violations under Sections 7 and 11W of the Anti-Terrorism Act, along with 16 provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code, covering terrorism, attempted murder, public disorder, racial hatred, and destruction of property.
Mahrang, along with 17 others, has been detained at Quetta District Jail under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance. The charges allege that the BYC leadership assisted rioters in attacking police officers, civilians, and fellow protesters, resulting in three deaths and injuries to 15 police personnel.
Additionally, the group is accused of storming Civil Hospital Quetta and forcibly taking the bodies of attackers from the Jaffer Express train bombing. An FIR filed at Civil Lines Police Station states that 100 to 150 individuals raided the hospital’s morgue, removed the bodies, and later intercepted an ambulance at Hockey Chowk, assaulting the driver before loading the bodies inside.
Another FIR, lodged at Brewery Police Station, accuses BYC leaders—including Gulzadi Baloch, Ali Jan, Shoaib, Syed Noor Shah, Waheed, Jahanzeb, and Zohaib Baloch—of blocking the Western Bypass Road while chanting anti-state slogans, inciting public unrest.
The arrests followed a sit-in led by Mahrang, where bodies were placed on Saryab Road in protest. A police crackdown the next day resulted in multiple detentions. Authorities have not officially disclosed Mahrang’s arrest, confirming only that she is being held at District Jail under MPO provisions.
In response, protests and shutter-down strikes were observed across Balochistan for the second consecutive day. Demonstrators blocked key highways, including the Turbat-Karachi and Quetta-Karachi routes, prompting police intervention with tear gas and baton charges. Business centers remained closed in Mastung, Kalat, Kharan, Chaghi, Panjgur, Turbat, and other cities.
The BYC has called for the immediate release of detained leaders and action against officers involved in the alleged police crackdown. Demonstrations in Dhadar and other cities echoed demands for justice and accountability, with participants also raising concerns about missing persons.
The situation remains tense as protests continue across the province.
