The Supreme Court has fixed October 21 for the Mahrang Baloch bail plea, along with the petitions of Beebo Baloch and Beberg Baloch in a terrorism case. A three-member bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar will hear them, with Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Shahid Bilal Hassan also on the bench.
The court has already issued notices on the petitions, setting the stage for arguments on whether the three should be released on bail.
Mahrang Baloch bail plea: background of the case
Dr Mahrang Baloch, a rights activist, has been detained since March 2025 on various charges. Her case has drawn sustained attention from human rights observers over the length of her detention without a bail hearing reaching the apex court until now.
Her lawyer, Imaan Mazari, is herself facing a separate legal battle. Mazari is confronting different charges, including those of terrorism, and is currently detained along with her husband. The development adds a striking dimension to the October 21 hearing: the counsel who would ordinarily argue the bail plea is herself behind bars.
Feature Pakistan earlier reported the UN experts’ demand for the immediate release of Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha, a call that now sits alongside the Supreme Court’s decision to take up the bail petitions. The contrast between the international appeal and the domestic proceedings will be closely watched.
What to expect on October 21
The composition of the bench is significant. A three-judge bench headed by a senior judge signals that the court is treating the petitions as a matter of weight. With notices already issued, the respondents, including the prosecution, will be expected to present their position on why bail should or should not be granted.
Bail hearings in such cases typically turn on the strength of the prosecution’s evidence, the length of detention already undergone, and whether the accused are likely to abscond or influence the proceedings. Dr Mahrang Baloch has now been detained for around seven months.
The hearing comes amid a politically charged week in the courts. The Peshawar High Court is set to take up the challenge to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa emergency on October 20, a day before the Supreme Court hears the bail pleas, while questions of detention and due process continue to feature in the national debate, including Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s warning on governor’s rule as a last option.
For the families of the three detained petitioners, October 21 is the first fixed date before the country’s highest court. Whether the bench grants bail, dismisses the petitions, or seeks further material will shape the next phase of a case that has been running since March 2025.
Original reporting: The Express Tribune.
Frequently asked questions
When will the Supreme Court hear Mahrang Baloch’s bail plea?
On October 21, along with the bail petitions of Beebo Baloch and Beberg Baloch in the same terrorism case.
Who is on the bench?
A three-member bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, with Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Shahid Bilal Hassan.
How long has Dr Mahrang Baloch been detained?
Since March 2025, around seven months, on various charges.
What is the position of her lawyer?
Her lawyer Imaan Mazari is herself detained along with her husband, facing different charges including terrorism-related ones.
