Balochistan lawyers rally outside courts in Quetta over ‘faceless trials’ of BYC leaders

Quetta, June 17 (IANS) Several lawyers in Balochistan staged protests outside the Session Court, the High Court, and the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Quetta, demonstrating against “faceless and opaque” trials of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders and activists.

According to the BYC, the protesting lawyers on Tuesday said that the proceedings against the leaders of the organisation are a “blatant violation of the fundamental principles of justice, the constitution, and fair trials.”

“During the protest, the lawyers expressed their strong reservations directly to the judges, completely rejecting faceless trials. Their stance was that depriving political activists and human rights defenders of their legal rights is tantamount to weakening the justice system and undermining the rule of law,” the BYC stated.

“The lawyers demanded that all notifications for the ongoing faceless trials against the leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee be immediately withdrawn and that judicial proceedings be conducted in a transparent, public, and constitutionally compliant manner,” it added.

The BYC emphasised that this is not merely a matter of cases involving a few political prisoners but a question of the entire judicial system, civil liberties, and the supremacy of law in Pakistan.

“If silence is adopted today on the trampling of the basic principles of justice, every citizen will be in the crosshairs of this lawlessness tomorrow,” it warned.

Meanwhile, Nadia Baloch, sister of BYC chief organiser Mahrang Baloch, criticised the proceedings, saying that faceless trials are unconstitutional, lack transparency, and erode public confidence in the judiciary.

“Today, I, with my fellow lawyers, organized a protest at Sessions Court Quetta, Quetta Kacheri, and Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Quetta against the faceless trials being held against the members of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, including my sister Dr. Mahrang Baloch. I am a lawyer, and I can’t be silent when the fundamental rule of justice is being violated,” Nadia posted on X.

She noted that lawyers in Quetta spoke not only for the detained BYC leaders but also for the integrity of Pakistan’s justice system.

“We reject the faceless and non-transparent trials, and we demand that open, fair, and constitutional trials be restored immediately. I urge the legal profession, human rights activists, civil society, and every voice in Pakistan to unite in condemning this perilous trend. If the right to a fair trial can be threatened now, no citizen will be secure from injustice in the future,” Nadia added.

–IANS

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