Mahrang Baloch turns down conditional release, calls for freedom of activists

The Balochistan Post reported that a delegation led by the Deputy Commissioner of Quetta visited Baloch at Hudda District Jail earlier in the day. According to her sister, Nadia Baloch, the officials proposed her release in exchange for her agreement to limit her political activities.

The conditions reportedly required a written commitment that neither Baloch nor her organization, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), would block roads or hold sit-ins in major cities.

https://x.com/NadiaBaloch99/status/1908218741084561916

In a post on X, Nadia Baloch stated, "Mahrang Baloch refused to accept these conditions. The DC informed her that her release would be granted under these terms, while the release of other detained BYC members would be considered only after her release. She made it clear that she will not leave prison until every detained leader and activist is released."

After Baloch's refusal, the government delegation ended the talks without any further discussions.

Baloch, a leading human rights activist and organizer of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), was arrested on March 22 during a peaceful sit-in protest in Quetta. She remains in custody at Hudda District Jail, the Balochistan Post reported.

Protests and sit-ins have persisted across Balochistan and major cities like Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, calling for the release of Baloch and other detained activists. In Lakpass, near Quetta, a sit-in led by Balochistan National Party (BNP) leader Sardar Akhtar Mengal continues.

Mengal has also declared plans for a long march to Quetta on April 6, demanding the release of BYC leaders and an end to the ongoing crackdown. The protests reflect growing public dissatisfaction and the call for political freedoms, particularly in Balochistan, amid the government's detention of activists.