KARACHI:
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday acquitted Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Mahrang Baloch in a case related to sedition and public mischief, ruling that the prosecution had failed to present credible evidence.
Mahrang had been booked by the Quaidabad police in Malir on October 11, 2024, in a terrorism case, accusing her of inciting people by leveling “allegations against security institutions”.
According to the court order, Mahrang joined the proceedings via video link from Quetta prison, where she has been detained since her arrest in March. Although she has been acquitted in the Karachi case, she will remain in custody due to several other cases still pending.
ATC Judge Ayaz Mustafa Jokhio announced the verdict on the BYC leader’s acquittal plea in the case. The court noted that the case file did not contain any element that could lead to his conviction. It noted that, apart from the author, the four prosecution witnesses were police officers who did not provide any meaningful account of the alleged incident.
“I am of the opinion that there is no likelihood of the accused being convicted of any offence. I hereby allow this application and acquit the accused, Ms. Mahrang Baloch, d/o Abdul Ghaffar,” the court order said.
The BYC leader was acquitted of the charges under section 265-K (power of court to acquit accused at any stage) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
The judgment noted that the investigating officer filed the challan ten months after the FIR was lodged and that no private witnesses or video evidence had been produced.
As per settled law, the benefit of doubt must go to the accused, the court said, adding that it cannot support the allegation in the absence of substantial evidence.
The defense argued that the police had admitted that no demonstration or protest took place on the day of the alleged crime, and that multiple similar cases had been registered against Mahrang without evidence.
