Baloch Student Council slams ‘politically motivated’ charges against human rights lawyers in Pak
In Islamabad, the Baloch Students Council (BSC) slammed the trial of lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari‑Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha, saying the accusations filed under Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) were “politically motivated.”
Human‑rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, reportedly faced charges in October over a case linked to supposed controversial social‑media posts.
The student group warned that the government’s broad and vague laws are being weaponised to stifle dissent in a country whose political space is already contracting. They argued that this trend shows how quickly civic and democratic arenas are being closed off.
The BSC released a statement that read:
> “The manner in which the trial of Iman and Hadi Ali Chatta has been conducted highlights the desperation of those in positions of power to silence voices of resistance. Both individuals have been unwavering advocates for the Baloch people and for Baloch students in Islamabad. Their principled stance against enforced disappearances and state repression appears to be the reason they are being targeted. Any attempt to silence them directly contributes to the further weakening of civil society that stands with the Baloch.”
They added:
> “Iman Mazari’s only crime has been standing with the families of the forcibly disappeared, amplifying their voices at international forums, and fighting legal battles on behalf of Baloch students in Islamabad. The ongoing trial of such prominent lawyers, conducted without fulfilling basic legal requirements, exposes the urgency with which the judiciary seeks to silence dissenting voices.”
The organization cautioned that if top lawyers can be prosecuted this way, the level of repression facing ordinary people in Balochistan can only be imagined—especially in a region where a total media blackout masks the severity of human‑rights abuses.
They went on:
> “This is not merely an attempt to silence two individuals, it is a broader message intended for all those who have consistently stood with marginalised Nations, particularly the Baloch.”
Finally, the BSC urged human‑rights defenders and international bodies to pressure the Pakistani government to stop using the legal system to target political dissent.
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