Balochistan [Pakistan], October 3 : The legal team representing Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders has called for a review of Gulzadi Baloch’s life imprisonment, alleging that key safeguards of a fair trial were not followed during the proceedings. The lawyers made the allegations at a press conference in Quetta, raising questions about procedural compliance, transparency and claims of pressure on the judiciary, as reported by The Balochistan Post.
According to The Balochistan Post, Advocate Shoaib Mengal, who is part of Gulzadi Baloch’s legal team, said the case record indicated that she had not originally been named as an accused in the matter in which she was subsequently convicted.
The lawyers argued that the circumstances surrounding her conviction required detailed judicial scrutiny and an independent examination of the proceedings.
Gulzadi Baloch was sentenced to life imprisonment in September by Additional Sessions Judge-I Syed Qadir Shah Bukhari in connection with a murder case registered at Mach police station in October 2022.
Her defence team has alleged that her statement under Section 342 of Pakistan’s Code of Criminal Procedure was not recorded before the verdict and that the defence was not allowed to present its final arguments.
The BYC had also raised concerns about earlier hearings, alleging that a prosecution witness was cross-examined on September 7 without Gulzadi’s defence lawyer being present.
The organisation further claimed that the judge had repeatedly referred to being under pressure and had spoken about the possibility of imposing life imprisonment or even a death sentence.
These claims remain allegations by the BYC and its legal representatives, as highlighted by The Balochistan Post.
In June, an anti-terrorism court in Quetta sentenced BYC chief organiser Mahrang Baloch and central leader Sibghatullah Shahji to life imprisonment in a separate case.
Their lawyers had boycotted those proceedings, describing them as a “faceless trial”, as reported by The Balochistan Post.