Supreme Court of Pakistan Lists Mahrang Baloch Bail Petitions for 21 October 2026 Before Bench II

The Supreme Court of Pakistan will hear the bail petitions of Dr Mahrang Baloch, Beebow Baloch and Beebarg Baloch on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, at 9:00 am before Bench II. The three petitions are items 3, 3(2) and 3(3) on the court's Final Cause List 41 of 2026, which we read on the court's website on 19 October 2026. A fourth petition, by Beebow Baloch and others, is item 1 before the same bench a day earlier, on Tuesday, 20 October.

The petitions are criminal petitions for leave to appeal against the refusal of bail in a terrorism case registered in Balochistan. Dr Mahrang Baloch, a rights activist, has been in custody since March 2025, according to reports. The cause list is the official record of what is fixed and before whom; the background of the case is reported.

Three petitions are fixed for 21 October before a three-judge bench

Bench II for the week of 19 to 23 October 2026 is Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Naeem Akhter Afghan and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan. The list shows the three petitions together under item 3, each marked "R - Notice", which means notice has been issued to the respondent, the State through the Prosecutor General of Balochistan.

The counsel on record for all three are Muhammad Usman, advocate-on-record, and Mohammad Jibran Nasir, advocate of the Supreme Court. The cause list carries the court's standard note that cases are fixed at 9:00 am or as soon after as is convenient to the court, and that no adjournment will be granted on any ground.

Crl.P.L.A. stands for criminal petition for leave to appeal. It is the route under Article 185(3) of the Constitution when there is no appeal as of right, so the court first decides whether to grant leave. If leave is granted, the petition becomes an appeal and is decided on its merits, sometimes on the same day in a bail matter.

The petitions come after bail was refused below

Reports say the Supreme Court has already issued notices on the petitions, which the "R - Notice" marking confirms. The petitions challenge the refusal of bail in a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act in Balochistan. Dr Mahrang Baloch was detained in March 2025, as reported; the specific charges are not set out in the reports we read, and the cause list does not describe them.

The names on the list differ slightly from the names in reports. The list spells "Beebow" and "Beebarg Baloch"; reports write "Beebo" and "Beberg". We have used the court's spelling in the table and the reported spelling where we describe the reports.

Her counsel, Imaan Mazari, is herself in custody in a separate case before an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad, which on 17 October adjourned to 3 November. That is why a different advocate appears on record in the Supreme Court list.

What the court can do on 21 October

A bail hearing in the Supreme Court can end in one of four ways. The court can grant leave and allow bail. It can grant leave and dismiss the appeal. It can dismiss the petition without granting leave. Or it can adjourn, although the cause list says it will not adjourn on any ground, which in practice means adjournment only on the court's own motion.

1. The petitioner's counsel argues why the High Court's refusal of bail was wrong in law.
2. The Prosecutor General of Balochistan, on notice, replies for the State.
3. The bench decides whether to grant leave under Article 185(3).
4. If leave is granted, the bench can decide the bail question at once or fix a date.
5. The order is uploaded to the court's website, usually within days.

The law on when bail is granted, and the difference between bailable and non-bailable offences, is set out in how to get bail in Pakistan. If bail is allowed, a surety will have to be found, and the duties of that person are in how to stand surety for a bail bond.

How to follow the hearing and the order

The Supreme Court does not stream Bench II hearings. The result will be known from the order, which the court uploads to its online case information system, and from the next day's cause list, which will either drop the case or list it again. Both are on the court's website.

Anyone with an interest in the case can check the case status online by entering the case number, Crl.P.L.A. 688/2026, on the court's online case information page. A family member of a prisoner in a different case who wants the same route to the Supreme Court can read how to file a jail petition in the Supreme Court, which is the prisoner's own channel when there is no lawyer.

Common questions

When is the Mahrang Baloch bail hearing?

Wednesday, 21 October 2026, at 9:00 am, before Bench II of the Supreme Court in Islamabad, as item 3 on Final Cause List 41 of 2026.

Which judges will hear it?

Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Naeem Akhter Afghan and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan, the three judges of Bench II for the week.

What is the case number?

Crl.P.L.A. 688/2026 for Dr Mahrang Baloch, 689/2026 for Beebow and 690/2026 for Beebarg Baloch. A fourth, Crl.P.L.A. 769/2026, is listed on 20 October.

What does "R - Notice" mean on the list?

That notice has been issued to the respondent, the State through the Prosecutor General of Balochistan, who is expected to appear and reply.

Can the hearing be adjourned?

The cause list says no adjournment will be granted on any ground. The bench itself can still defer a case if it runs out of time.

Where will the decision be published?

On the Supreme Court's website, through the online case information system and, if a detailed order is written, in the judgments section.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 19 October 2026. The dates, items, case numbers, titles, bench composition, counsel and the "R - Notice" marking are from Final Cause List 41 of 2026, for 19 to 23 October 2026, published on the Supreme Court of Pakistan website, which we read on 19 October 2026. Article 185 is from the Constitution text on the National Assembly website. The nature of the case, the March 2025 detention, the earlier issue of notice and the position of counsel come from national press reports of 17 October 2026 and are reported, not confirmed. We did not read the petitions or the High Court order. This is general information about a pending case, not comment on its merits.