Dr. Mahrang Baloch, along with 150 others, including key figures from the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), has been charged with serious offences such as terrorism, incitement to rebellion, and murder.
An FIR registered at Saryab Police Station on Saturday also names Beebow Baloch, Gulzadi Satakzai, Sabiha Baloch, Sabatullah Baloch, Gulzar Dost, Riaz Gashkori, Dr. Shali Baloch, and others. The charges, filed under Sections 7 and 11W of the Anti-Terrorism Act and 16 sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, include terrorism, murder, attempted murder, incitement to violence and rebellion, creating disorder, promoting racial hatred, and property damage.
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Mahrang and 17 others were arrested and are currently detained at Quetta District Jail under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance. The case accuses Mahrang and the BYC leadership of aiding rioters in shooting at police officers, passersby, civilians, and fellow protesters, leading to three fatalities and injuries to 15 police officers.
The group also faces allegations of storming Civil Hospital and seizing the bodies of those involved in the Jaffer Express train bombing. An FIR filed at Civil Lines Police Station in Quetta details that 100 to 150 individuals forcibly took the bodies from the hospital’s morgue under BYC leadership’s direction. It further states that the accused stopped an ambulance at Hockey Chowk, assaulted the driver, and loaded the bodies into the vehicle.
Another FIR was lodged at Brewery Police Station against BYC leaders Gulzadi Baloch, Ali Jan, Shoaib, Syed Noor Shah, Waheed, Jahanzeb, Zohaib Baloch, and over 100 others. The case alleges that they blocked the Western Bypass Road on Saturday while chanting slogans against the state and its institutions, inciting public unrest.
Under Mahrang’s leadership, protesters staged a sit-in by placing bodies on Saryab Road on Friday night. A police crackdown the following day resulted in Mahrang’s arrest, along with several others. According to law enforcement, her detention has not been officially disclosed, and she is currently being held at District Jail, potentially under Sections 3 or 16 MPO.
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Meanwhile, protests and strikes have continued across Balochistan. For the second consecutive day, shutter-down strikes were observed in Turbat, Hub, Dalbandin, and other cities. In Turbat, demonstrators have blocked the Turbat-Karachi highway for two days, while in Hub, protesters obstructed the Quetta-Karachi Highway in response to Mahrang’s arrest. However, police dispersed them using tear gas and baton charges on Sunday morning, reopening the highway for traffic.
Business and trade centers remained closed in several cities, including Mastung, Kalat, Kharan, Chaghi, Panjgur, and Turbat. In Dalbandin, a complete shutter-down strike continued for the second day, following BYC’s call for protests. The committee also organized rallies, demanding the immediate release of detained leaders and action against officials allegedly involved in violence against demonstrators in Quetta.
A protest rally was also held in Dhadar, where participants called for the release of BYC leadership and voiced support for missing persons before dispersing peacefully.