IHC orders committee to review Mahrang's ECL removal request within 30 days

Petitioner is currently held in judicial remand, detained under Section 3 of Maintenance of Public Order

The Islamabad High Court has instructed the review committee to decide within 30 days on the request to remove Mahrang Baloch’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL). The court also directed law enforcement officials to ensure compliance with judicial orders.

Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar heard the petition regarding removing Mahrang Baloch’s name from the ECL. Advocate Attaullah Kundi appeared in court on behalf of the petitioner. Previously, Advocate Iman Mazari had represented Mahrang Baloch in the case.

Mahrang was travelling to the US for the Time 100 Gala in 2024, when she was stopped at the airport and told that her name was on the ECL. Since then, Mahrang has repeatedly petitioned the court through her lawyers seeking removal from the ECL.

Advocate Kundi stated that the petitioner had been prevented from travelling to the United States on October 7 of last year. “First, the name was placed on the PCL and then added to the ECL. We have submitted a request to the review committee to remove her name from the travel restriction list. We request that the committee be directed to decide on this application within a set timeframe,” he said.

Read: Imaan Mazari, CJ Dogar exchange heated words in IHC

Chief Justice Dogar agreed and directed the committee to issue a decision within 30 days.

Mahrang's legal battle

Mahrang Baloch, 32, has been held under judicial remand since March 22, 2025. She was detained over allegations of attacking Quetta Civil Hospital and inciting public unrest following a police crackdown during a protest against enforced disappearances.

Mahrang was detained under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order — a law that authorises the arrest and detention of individuals suspected of posing a threat to public order — for an initial period of 30 days.

Her activism began in 2009, after her father, Abdul Ghaffar Langove, was abducted by security forces in Karachi. His tortured body was recovered from Gaddani in 2011. She has since organised multiple marches protesting enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, including the Baloch Long March in 2023 and the Gwadar National Gathering in 2024.

Read more: SC refers Mahrang Baloch detention case to regular bench

Baloch has been held in Hudda District Prison under reportedly harsh conditions. Her sister said she appeared “weak and stressed” and was denied access to legal counsel. Mahrang reportedly rejected a state offer to stay silent and avoid political activity in exchange for freedom.

In 2025, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Her current detention, lasting about 241 days, is her longest period of incarceration.