Baloch Yakjehti Committee

Balochistan’s judiciary has completely lost the trust of the people. The institution responsible for delivering justice has instead become a partner of state institutions in tearing justice apart. Chief Justice Kamran Khan Mulakhail is presiding over the bail applications and petitions in the High Court, while the ATC and Sessions Court proceedings are being chaired by Justice Muhammad Ali Mubeen and Justice Qadir Shah Bukhari. The Chief Justice is exerting pressure on the lower courts in BYC cases to ensure convictions and punishments, while at the same time delaying their bail applications before the High Court. When a Chief Justice is seen as influencing the outcome of cases before lower courts, while controlling the petitions and bail applications challenging those proceedings, how can the courts be expected to act independently? A Chief Justice should protect lower courts from pressure, not become the source of it. The case of Gulzadi Baloch is a clear example of these concerns. On multiple occasions, the bench has indicated that it does not want to convict her, but the court was instructed about what sentence should be handed down. If judges are being pressured about what punishment to give, then the issue is no longer simply about one case, it is about the independence of the entire judicial process. A judgment must come from the court, not from pressure outside it. In the BYC leaders’ cases, government appointed lawyers were assigned without the accused’s consent, while they were denied their basic right to choose their own defence. Dr. Mahrang and Sibghatullah Shahji have been sentenced to life imprisonment and have a constitutional and legal right to appeal. But their appeals have faced prolonged delays. When punishment is delivered quickly but the right to appeal is delayed, justice becomes one sided. Since 13 June, BYC leaders have boycotted 20 hearings in protest against faceless trials. A petition was filed in the Balochistan High Court to end these proceedings and seek the change of Justice Mubeen. Yet the hearing of the petition has continuously been delayed. At the same time, bail applications have remained unheard for six months, with cases being delisted. Pressure below, delay above, where is the impartiality? The Chief Justice of Balochistan must act as an impartial arbiter, not a party. The judiciary’s duty is to protect: - Fundamental rights. - The right to defence. - Fair and independent trials. - Timely access to justice. The Chief Justice must ensure that lower courts are free to decide cases without pressure and that every accused person receives a timely and fair hearing. A judiciary cannot deliver justice if judges are pressured on one side and justice is delayed on the other. #ReleaseBYCLeaders