In a recent event organized by the Karachi Bar Association, prominent activists Dr. Mahrang Baloch and Sammi Deen Baloch voiced strong criticism against judges in Pakistan, as they have become mere spokespersons for the Pak Army instead of upholding justice for the citizens of the country.
During the program, officials disrupted proceedings by cutting off electricity in the hall, prompting lawyers to chant slogans in support of the two activists. Following the disruption, Mahrang Baloch and Sammi Deen were invited to address the audience, where they highlighted the growing discontent among Baloch mothers who have lost their children to Pak Army violence.
Mahrang Baloch said, “Judges sitting in these courts, who were supposed to provide justice to the citizens, have become spokespersons for the military.” She said that the blatant aggression and brutality of the Pak Army in Pak-occupied-Balochistan, emphasizing that no amount of funding can obscure the bloodshed that has plagued the region.
She lamented the situation of grieving mothers, saying, “Today, the Baloch mothers, whose children have been murdered by Army institutions and discarded as mutilated corpses, do not ask for justice or punishment for their children’s killers. They only seek confirmation on whether the remains belong to their child.”
Mahrang described the current state of the judicial system as a tragedy, asserting that judges should reflect on their diminished credibility, noting that even the mothers of victims are no longer asking them for justice. Instead, she warned that “Baloch mothers will seek their own justice.”
Dr. Mahrang Baloch emphasized that Baloch women are engaged in a struggle in POB that is poised to evolve into a significant movement in the future. She reiterated that for over fifteen years, mothers of Baloch, Sindhi, Pashtun, and other ordinary citizens have been pleading before judges for the return of their missing sons, yet their cries remain unheard.
This critique of the judiciary comes amidst growing concerns over human rights violations and the lack of accountability for violence in Pakistan, particularly in POB, where the military’s influence has been deeply entrenched.