Islamabad, July 18 (IANS) The life imprisonment handed down to Baloch human rights defender Mahrang Baloch last month extends beyond the fate of one activist in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. It has raised a larger question confronting Islamabad: whether a state can effectively defeat violent extremism while simultaneously shrinking the space for peaceful dissent, a report has stated. The answer to that broader question will have implications not only for Balochistan but also for the future …
Latest Anti-Terrorism Court News & Updates
Geneva, July 8 (IANS) The United Nations experts on Wednesday strongly condemned the life sentence handed down to Baloch woman human rights defender and Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Mahrang Baloch by an Anti-Terrorism Court in Pakistan’s Quetta, describing the verdict as “unjustified” and a “travesty of justice”. The criticism came after the anti-terrorism court on June 22 sentenced four activists, including Mahrang, to life imprisonment in connection with a case relating to the …
Quetta, June 28 (IANS) The life sentence handed down to Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch demonstrates a significant deterioration in the Pakistani state’s engagement with Baloch rights activism. The court’s judgement is likely to increase concerns about the human rights situation in Balochistan and increase the mistrust between the people and the authorities, a report has stated. On June 22, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Quetta sentenced Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) founder Mahrang Baloch an…
Islamabad, June 24 (IANS) Several members of Pakistan’s Sindh Bar Council strongly condemned the life sentences handed down to Baloch activists, including Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Mahrang Baloch, stating that the verdict raises serious concerns if it stems from proceedings lacking independence, fairness, due process, and the fundamental principles of justice.The remarks came after a Pakistani Anti-Terrorism Court on Monday sentenced four activists, including Mahrang Baloch, to life…
Islamabad, May 16 (IANS) Pakistan’s most frequently targeted security force is also the cheapest to maintain – a stark and indefensible arithmetic that reflects a system in which the personnel are consistently underpaid, under-resourced, and left exposed. According to a report in online magazine ‘The Diplomat’, among the provinces across Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa records lowest police salaries – underscoring the sharp disparities in pay structure in the volatile region.It mentioned that whi…
Quetta, March 18 (IANS) Human rights organisation Baloch Yakjehti Committee held a seminar in Karachi highlighting the dire human rights situation across Balochistan and the “arbitrary detention” of its chief organiser, Mahrang Baloch, and other leaders.According to the rights body, the event was organised as part of the BYC’s month-long awareness campaign, initiated in response to the “continued targeting of independent voices, the misuse of legal frameworks to suppress democratic activism, and…
Quetta, March 17 (IANS) A leading Pakistani human rights organisation on Tuesday voiced serious concern over the continued detention and ongoing trials of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders, including Mahrang Baloch, who have been kept in custody for nearly a year while facing “multiple fabricated cases” before the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Quetta. The BYC mentioned that detainees have voiced their concerns on record before the court on February 7 and expressed lack of confidence in the…
Islamabad, Feb 18 (IANS) A district and sessions court in Pakistan has directed the prosecution to ensure the appearance of former Prime Minister Imran Khan at the next hearing, either in person or through a video link, while extending his pre-arrest bail in five cases, including one related to the alleged attempted murder of former minister Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha, local media reported on Wednesday.District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka barred the police from arresting the Pakistan T…
Athens, Feb 3 (IANS) Journalists and media organisations across Pakistan have faced mounting pressures in recent years, including legal cases, threats, and constraints on reporting. Critics argue that the frequent use of counterterrorism laws by the Pakistani authorities in cases related to speech and political commentary blurs the line between legitimate national security concerns and the silencing of dissent, a report said on Tuesday. According to a report in Greek City Times, the recent convi…
Islamabad, Feb 3 (IANS) An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi once again on Tuesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan and her two guarantors for the November 2024 protest, local media reported. The court also issued a show-cause notice to the Superintendent of Police (SP) Rawal for not executing the non-bailable arrest warrants against Aleema Khan. The court issued non-bailable warrants for two guarantors – Nadeem Bilal a…