Desk : Families of leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) held a sit-in protest outside Hudda Jail in Quetta, demanding access to their detained relatives and calling for what they described as an end to opaque judicial proceedings against prominent activist Dr. Mahrang Baloch and other BYC members.
According to reports, the protest coincided with an ongoing hunger strike and sit-in by detained BYC leaders inside the prison, which has now entered its eighth consecutive day. The detainees are reportedly refusing to accept what they allege are non-transparent legal proceedings conducted in their absence and without representation from lawyers of their choice.
Speaking at the protest, Nadia Baloch, sister of Dr. Mahrang Baloch, expressed solidarity with the detained activists and urged authorities to ensure fair legal treatment. She demanded that the so-called “faceless trials” be halted, court hearings be made open, and the presiding judge be replaced, alleging a lack of impartiality in the current process.
Nadia further stated that the detained leaders have been protesting inside the jail for over a week, while their families remain concerned about their well-being and are seeking direct access to them. She said the campaign would continue until what she described as injustice and repression comes to an end.
Tensions reportedly escalated at the protest site following the arrival of a heavy police deployment outside the prison. Demonstrators alleged that security personnel attempted to intimidate both protesters and family members. However, after assurances from officials that meetings with the detainees would be facilitated later in the day, the protesters agreed to shift their sit-in to a roadside location.
Shalee Baloch, chief organiser of the Baloch Women Forum, also condemned the reported handling of the protest, calling the situation alarming. She said the families were only seeking information about their loved ones and transparency in the ongoing legal proceedings.