Pakistan: Prominent Baloch activist Mahrang denied in-person family visit, claims her sister

Sharing her experience on X, Nadia said she and her mother were denied an in-person meeting with Mahrang when they visited her in prison recently.

She said they were made to wait for hours and only allowed to interact with her sister over the telephone.

"My mother and I visited the jail to see my sister, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, today. We were forced to wait for eight hours and were then only allowed to speak with her over the telephone, separated by a thick glass wall," she wrote on X.

"The jail staff is undergoing a complete overhaul, with new personnel being brought in. The jail superintendent has already been transferred, and other officials are reportedly next in line. According to the jail staff, the prison is under strict control of intelligence agencies, with surveillance cameras installed throughout. A separate room is being prepared for meetings, equipped with cameras, microphones, and other monitoring devices," she said.

She alleged that her sister's rights as a prisoner have been denied.

"Despite the High Court’s directive allowing us to meet Mahrang, we are still being denied in-person visits. Her rights as a prisoner are being blatantly violated," she said.

"Mahrang has fallen severely ill due to food poisoning and has been sick for the past three days. Her condition worsened last night. We have repeatedly requested that jail authorities allow a doctor to examine her, but no medical specialist has been permitted to visit. Yesterday, a junior doctor conducted a brief check-up, which was entirely inadequate. Beebow informed me that Mahrang was unwell throughout the night," Nadia said.

She demanded to be allowed an independent medical board of experienced doctors to examine her.

Nadia said, "She appears extremely weak and fragile, and we strongly believe something is seriously wrong with her health."

Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Mahrang Baloch and 17 others were detained on March 22.

Mahrang, prominent activist, has been held in preventive detention under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO), with additional terrorism charges filed against Mahrang Baloch