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 Oct 11, 2024, in a terrorism case accusing her of inciting people by levelling “allegations against security institutions”.
According to the court order, Mahrang joined the proceedings through a video link from Quetta Prison, where she has been held since her arrest in March. Although she has been cleared 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 BYC leader’s acquittal plea in the case. The court observed that the case record contained no material that could lead to her conviction. It noted that apart from the complainant, all four prosecution witnesses were police officials who failed to provide any meaningful account of the alleged incident.
“I am of the view that there is no probability of the accused being convicted of any offence. I hereby allow this application and acquit the accused, Mst. Mahrang Baloch, d/o Abdul Ghaffar,” the court order read.
The BYC leader was cleared of charges under section 265-K (power of court to acquit accused at any stage) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
The judgment pointed out that the investigating officer submitted the challan ten months after the FIR was lodged, and that no private witnesses or video evidence had been produced.
Under settled law, benefit of doubt must go to the accused, the court said, adding that it cannot support the prosecution in the absence of substantive evidence.
The defence argued that police had admitted no rally or protest took place on the day of the alleged offence, and that multiple similar cases had been registered against Mahrang without proof.
