Several families of detained leaders from the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) were stopped by Pakistani police from conducting a press conference at the Quetta Press Club. The families claimed that the police surrounded the press club, preventing their entry and restricting access to the area to prevent them from speaking to the media. Nadia Baloch, the sister of BYC Central Organiser Mahrang Baloch, mentioned on social media that they wanted to address the continued detention of BYC leaders and concerns about Mahrang’s deteriorating health at the press club.
The families were allegedly told to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the deputy commissioner before holding the press conference, while other groups were allowed to do so without this requirement. Nadia Baloch highlighted that only families with specific circumstances were permitted to hold press conferences, leading them to conduct the conference outside the press club. She criticized the government in Balochistan for restricting their freedom of speech and preventing them from raising questions.
BYC leader Sabiha Baloch criticized the Pakistani authorities for holding BYC leaders unlawfully, denying them medical care, and blocking them from holding a press conference at a public platform like the Press Club. The BYC expressed serious concerns about the health and detention of their chief organiser, Mahrang Baloch, urging the authorities to provide immediate medical attention and release her.
