KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Monday dismissed the provincial government’s appeal against the acquittal of Baloch Yakjehti Committee leader Mahrang Baloch in a sedition case. The court declared the appeal not maintainable, closing the latest chapter in a case that began with her arrest in October 2024. The SHC Mahrang appeal dismissed ruling came from a two-judge bench headed by Justice Shamsuddin Abbasi and comprising Justice Miran Muhammad Shah.
Advocate Jibran Nasir appeared for Mahrang and advanced arguments on her behalf. The bench heard the matter and then threw out the state’s challenge.
Why the court rejected the appeal
The judges focused on a basic legal question: who had the right to appeal the acquittal at all. The court observed that the complainant in the first information report was a private individual, not the state. It then questioned how the prosecution could file an appeal against the acquittal instead of the complainant.
The FIR had been registered on the complaint of a resident named Asad Ali Shams. He claimed that Mahrang was inciting violence in his area. The bench asked why the state, rather than Shams, had moved against the acquittal order.
The prosecution argued that the anti-terrorism court had ignored facts while accepting Mahrang’s acquittal application. It said the public prosecutor had informed the ATC that clear evidence existed against her and that the evidence was meant to come up during trial. The prosecution further argued that deciding the acquittal application before the framing of charges was improper.
The court was not persuaded and dismissed the appeal as non-maintainable.
SHC Mahrang appeal dismissed: the case timeline
Mahrang was booked on terrorism and sedition charges by Quaidabad police in Karachi’s Malir district on October 11, 2024. Police alleged that she incited people by levelling what the FIR called “allegations against security institutions”.
More than a year later, a Karachi anti-terrorism court acquitted her. Mahrang had filed an acquittal application under Section 265-K of the Code of Criminal Procedure before ATC-V, and the court allowed it. In December 2025, acting prosecutor general Muntazir Mehdi challenged the acquittal before the SHC on behalf of the state.
The FIR invoked Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 along with several Pakistan Penal Code provisions: 124-A (sedition), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 153-A (promoting enmity between groups), 500 (defamation) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief).
Minute Mirror’s independent account of Monday’s hearing matches Dawn’s reporting on the bench’s reasoning and the prosecution’s arguments, confirming the sequence of events.
What the ruling does not change
The dismissal does not free Mahrang. She remains in Quetta prison in connection with other cases. In June, a Quetta anti-terrorism court handed two life sentences to Mahrang and another BYC leader in a case involving the death of a security personnel during a 2024 protest in Gwadar. Her challenge against that conviction is pending before the Balochistan High Court.
The ruling also leaves the broader legal questions around the case untouched. Courts have repeatedly dealt with appeals against acquittals this year, including the IHC taking up appeals by Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha against the framing of charges. The SHC itself has been active on related fronts, as seen when it set aside censor cuts imposed on ghost school teachers.
For now, the Karachi sedition case stands closed at the appellate level. Whether the prosecution seeks any further remedy was not clear from Monday’s proceedings.
Frequently asked questions
Why did the SHC dismiss the appeal?
The bench ruled the appeal was not maintainable because the original FIR complainant was a private individual, and questioned the prosecution’s standing to appeal the acquittal instead of the complainant.
What was Mahrang accused of?
Quaidabad police booked her on October 11, 2024 on terrorism and sedition charges, alleging she incited people by making allegations against security institutions.
Is Mahrang free after this ruling?
No. She remains in Quetta prison over other cases, including a June conviction carrying two life sentences that is under challenge before the Balochistan High Court.
