A leading human rights organisation asserted that the continued imprisonment of two prominent women figures in Pakistan
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QUETTA — A leading human rights organisation on Monday asserted that the continued imprisonment of two prominent women figures in Pakistan, including Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) chief organiser Mahrang Baloch human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari-Hazir is not merely an attempt to silence two individuals but reflects a broader effort by the Pakistani authorities to suppress the voices of the oppressed communities they represent.
Expressing grave concern, the Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ) said, “It has been nearly a year since the arrest of Mahrang Baloch and other leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, yet their cases are being deliberately prolonged. The High Court judges have reserved their decisions on the bail applications, but no verdict has been announced to date.”
“Such unnecessary delay violates Article 10-A of the Constitution of Pakistan, which guarantees the fundamental right to a fair and expeditious trial. Justice delayed is justice denied," it added.
Last week, the BYC raised alarm over the independence of the legal process and judicial delay by a Pakistani court in reserved bail matters involving its chief organiser, Mahrang Baloch and other leaders.
According to the rights body, Balochistan’s High Court heard the bail applications of Mahrang Baloch and other BYC leaders on December 17, 2025. The defence, it said, completed its arguments, while the prosecution failed to present any concrete evidence or factual material to justify continued detention.
The court reserved its judgement, yet after nearly three months, no decision has been announced. In Pakistan, the BYC said, judgements in reserved bail matters are normally delivered within days or weeks.
“This delay is not a procedural technicality. It affects fundamental rights, personal liberty, and public trust in the judiciary. When peaceful political activists remain in detention without evidence and without timely judicial decisions, it strengthens the perception that legal institutions are being used to suppress dissent," the BYC stated.
Additionally, the BVJ stated the Islamabad High Court has not been fixing the cases of Pakistani human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chatta, for hearing. Highlighting the interference by Pakistani intelligence agencies in judicial proceedings, the BVJ stressed that such an act undermines the independence of the judiciary, the principle of separation of powers and the supremacy of the country's Constitution.
“This is not merely about two individuals, it is a test of the rule of law, judicial independence and fundamental civil liberties in Pakistan,” the BVJ added.
Last month, a Pakistani court reportedly sentenced Imaan and her husband, Hadi, to a combined 17 years in prison and fined each of them 36 million Pakistani rupees on multiple charges in a case linked to social media posts.
The arrest and conviction of Pakistani human rights lawyers by the Pakistani authorities have drawn widespread criticism all over the world.