More than 300 lawyers, journalists, academics, and rights activists from across Pakistan have signed a joint statement condemning the life sentences handed down to Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders Dr. Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Baloch, calling the verdict a "travesty of justice" that has eroded the judiciary's constitutional standing.

The statement, dated July 6, 2026, and titled "Justice Cannot Be Silenced," was addressed directly to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court. It was endorsed by 14 organizations, including Aurat March chapters in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan network, the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, and the Mazdoor Kissan Party, and carries individual signatures from over 300 lawyers, journalists, academics, artists, and activists, among them senior anchor Hamid Mir, former senator Farhatullah Babar, HRCP co-chair Munizae Jahangir, Balochistan Bar Council office-bearers, and BYC activists Sammi Deen Baloch and Dr. Sabiha Baloch.

Core allegations

The statement centers on the conviction of Dr. Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Baloch by an Anti-Terrorism Court in Gwadar, which the signatories argue violated fundamental constitutional protections, including Article 10-A (right to a fair trial) and Article 16 (freedom of assembly).

Signatories say Dr. Mahrang Baloch and other BYC leaders have now been held for more than 14 months, first under the Maintenance of Public Order ordinance, and later under what the statement calls a barrage of FIRs filed without credible evidence or judicial scrutiny. It further alleges the detainees have been denied regular family visits and adequate medical care.

On the trial itself, the statement raises several specific objections:

Proceedings went ahead via video-link in the accused's absence, without their consent.

A state-appointed lawyer was imposed on the defendants after they declined to accept that counsel.

The prosecution allegedly withheld a key witness, identified as Major Waleed, without the court drawing any adverse inference.

No transcript reportedly exists of the speech attributed to Dr. Mahrang Baloch, and the medical report does not identify who caused a fatal injury central to the case.

Despite these gaps, the statement says, the court convicted both defendants under Section 302(b) (murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7(a) of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Broader pattern alleged

The signatories argue the verdict reflects a wider strategy of using the Anti-Terrorism Act against peaceful political organizers in Balochistan, which they say deepens tensions between the federation and the province and criminalizes dissent over enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.

The statement also draws a comparison with cases involving PTI leaders, including Imran Khan, Dr. Yasmeen Rashid, Imaan Zainab Mazari, Hadi Ali Chattha, and Ali Wazir, arguing that while those appeals face repeated delays, courts have moved swiftly in cases the signatories view as serving state interests.

The statement notes the trial was conducted by a regular constitutional Anti-Terrorism Court rather than a military tribunal, arguing this leaves the judiciary, not the military establishment alone, directly accountable for the outcome.

Demands

The signatories are calling on Pakistan's superior judiciary to fast-track the appeal hearings in the case and to overturn what they describe as unjust convictions, warning that the courts' credibility as a check on executive and military overreach is at stake.

This report reflects claims and legal arguments made in a civil society statement addressed to Pakistan's superior judiciary. The characterization of trial proceedings, evidentiary gaps, and judicial conduct reflects the signatories' position and has not been independently verified by this outlet. Pakistani state authorities have not been quoted in this report; their response, if issued, will be reflected in follow-up coverage.