A sessions court has sentenced Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Gulzadi Baloch to life imprisonment after convicting her in the murder of Muhammad Azam, according to details of the court proceedings.
The verdict was issued on September 20 by the sessions court judge, who found Gulzadi guilty of the murder charges and awarded her a life sentence.
According to reports, Gulzadi had called Muhammad Azam to her residence on the pretext of resolving a domestic dispute involving her sister, Gunj Bibi, who had been married to Azam before the couple separated. Instead of settling the dispute, Gulzadi, along with her sister and their brother Abdul Wadood Satakzai, allegedly killed Azam.
Police subsequently investigated the killing, arrested Gulzadi and presented evidence linking her to the murder case. The court later convicted her and sentenced her to life imprisonment.
The case has also drawn attention because of Gulzadi’s connection to Abdul Wadood Satakzai, who was publicly portrayed in earlier BYC-related campaigns as a victim of enforced disappearance.
Wadood’s case later took a markedly different turn. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) identified him as a member of its Majeed Brigade and its fidayeen, or suicide bomber, unit. He was killed while participating in the Dara-e-Bolan campaign. The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point has likewise documented Wadood’s membership in the BLA-J Majeed Brigade and his participation in the Dara-e-Bolan campaign.
The development became a significant challenge to the narrative that had presented Wadood solely as a missing person. Gulzadi had previously been among the voices publicly demanding information about her brother and alleging that he had been forcibly disappeared. Later disclosures by the BLA itself established his affiliation with the terrorist organization.
The episode subsequently became part of wider reporting and debate over cases in which individuals presented as missing persons were later identified as members of banned terrorist organizations. An ISSRA publication, citing data from the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, also noted that some individuals registered as missing had later been found involved in terrorist attacks, including Wadood Satakzai.
Gulzadi’s conviction now places the murder case separately within the judicial record, with the court finding her criminally responsible and imposing a life sentence.
The verdict comes amid continued legal proceedings involving several BYC leaders. Recent reporting on Gulzadi’s case has also carried allegations from her lawyers and the BYC concerning the conduct of the proceedings, including claims regarding the absence of defense counsel during parts of the trial. Those claims have been disputed in the broader public debate surrounding the case.
