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// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Mahrang Baloch a good singer? It's a fowl question, does it have a hoot to share?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mahrang Baloch
مهرنگ بلۏچ
Baloch in 2024
Born (1993-01-01) 1 January 1993 (age 33)[1]
Mangocher, Balochistan, Pakistan[1]
EducationMBBS[1]
Alma materBolan Medical College
Occupations
  • Doctor
  • Human rights activist
Years active2009–present
OrganizationBaloch Yakjehti Committee[2]
Known forActivism for the human rights of the Baloch people
Criminal penalty
Life imprisonment (for murder)
Criminal status
Convicted

Mahrang Baloch[a] (born 1 January 1993) is a Baloch political activist who is the founder and leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC). She is known for her campaigns against alleged enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and other human rights abuses in Balochistan, Pakistan.

Early life and education

[edit]

Mahrang Baloch was born in 1993 in Mangocher into a Baloch family belonging to the Langove tribe. Her father, Abdul Ghaffar Langove, was a political activist who spoke out against human rights violations in Balochistan.[3] She has a brother, Nasir Baloch, and several sisters, including Iqra Baloch.[4][5][6]

Baloch is a physician, having earned her MBBS degree from Bolan Medical College in Quetta, Balochistan.[7]

Activism

[edit]

On 11 December 2009, her father was detained by Pakistani security forces while travelling to hospital in Karachi, but was subsequently released.[8][3][9] At the age of 16, she began protesting against his detention and became a prominent figure in the student activist movement.[8][9][10] In July 2011, her father was reportedly detained again and was later found dead, with his body showing signs of torture.[8][9]

In December 2017, her brother was also detained and subsequently released.[9][10][11] Since then, she has become a leading figure in Baloch civil society, campaigning against alleged enforced disappearances and what she describes as the inequitable extraction of natural resources from Balochistan.[10][12] In 2020, she led a student protest against the proposed removal of the quota system at Bolan Medical College, which reserves places for students from remote areas of the province. The proposed change was subsequently cancelled following sustained protests and hunger strikes by the group.[8]

Baloch leads the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC).[13][14] On 28 July 2024, she participated in the Baloch Raji Muchi (Baloch National Gathering) in Gwadar, an event described as aimed at uniting the Baloch community in opposition to alleged abuses.[15][7]

Her activism has drawn expressions of solidarity from prominent international figures. Climate activist Greta Thunberg posted a statement on social media in support of Baloch and other protesters who, she said, had been detained and harassed by Islamabad Police for speaking out against human rights violations in Balochistan.[16] Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai also expressed support, stating her backing for Baloch women demanding accountability for enforced disappearances and affirming their right to peaceful protest.[17][18][19]

Later developments

[edit]

2023 Baloch Long March

[edit]

The Baloch Long March was a protest movement led by Baloch and other activists, predominantly women, affiliated with the Baloch Yakjehti Committee. Participants travelled from Turbat to Islamabad to protest human rights violations and enforced disappearances in Balochistan.[20][2] According to the BYC, a number of protesters were detained by the Islamabad Police.[21] Bail was subsequently approved for some participants, although media reports and lawyers indicated that a number of others remained unaccounted for.[22][23][24]

2024 Time magazine recognition and travel ban

[edit]

In October 2024, Time magazine named Baloch among its TIME100 Next list of emerging influential figures, citing her advocacy against enforced disappearances and human rights violations in Balochistan.[25][26] Shortly afterwards, she was prevented from travelling to New York City to attend a Time-related event. At Jinnah International Airport, she and Sammi Baloch reportedly encountered FIA officials who confiscated her passport and mobile phone. Her lawyer stated that the Government of Pakistan had placed her on the Pakistan National Identity List (PNIL), a registry for individuals suspected of involvement in offences such as terrorism, money laundering, and fraud, shortly after her inclusion in the Time list.[27][28] The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan called for freedom of movement for Baloch, while Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, expressed concern about reported harassment and mistreatment.[29]

Terrorism allegations

[edit]

On 11 October 2024, an anti-terrorism case was filed against Baloch at Malir's Qaidabad police station by a local businessman, who alleged she had incited violence in the area. The station house officer was reportedly unable to confirm any such activities by Baloch or her associates.[30][31] Baloch denied the charges, describing them as politically motivated.[30]

2025 arrest

[edit]

On 22 March 2025, Baloch was arrested during a police raid on a sit-in protest in Quetta. The Balochistan government accused her and other BYC leaders of orchestrating an attack on Quetta Civil Hospital and inciting violence, following a protest in which demonstrators demanded the return of the bodies of those killed during the military operation connected to the 2025 Jaffar Express hijacking. According to a police report, protesters entered the hospital and forcibly removed the bodies of militants.[32][33][34][35][36]

Baloch and her supporters have disputed the government's account, asserting that the demonstrations were peaceful and that the charges are politically motivated.[37][38] Human rights organisations have also contested the allegations.[39]

In July 2025, she was brought before an Anti-Terrorism Court in Quetta, which granted police a ten-day physical remand.[40] On 18 July, the remand was extended for a further fifteen days; she has since remained under remand on multiple occasions.[41]

In October 2025, the BYC reported that proceedings against Baloch and other group leaders were to be conducted inside Quetta District Jail rather than in an open Anti-Terrorism Court, a development the organisation described as an instance of "institutionalised repression".[42] Several lawyers and human rights observers raised concerns about due process.[43]

International condemnation

[edit]

The arrest drew condemnation from international human rights organisations and prominent public figures, including Malala Yousafzai and the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, both of whom called for her immediate release.[44]

On 26 March 2025, a group of independent United Nations human rights experts issued a statement expressing concern over Baloch's detention. They criticised Pakistani authorities for allegedly using arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and excessive force against peaceful protesters, and called for the immediate release of those detained, urging the government not to apply counter-terrorism measures against human rights activists.[45]

Conditions of detention

[edit]

Following her arrest on 22 March 2025, Baloch was held at Hudda District Prison. Her family and legal team reported that she was held in isolation, denied access to legal counsel, and that food brought by relatives was refused by authorities. Her sister, Nadia Baloch, stated that Baloch appeared unwell during a brief family visit. Her lawyer, Imran Baloch, alleged that the state had intensified its actions against her following her inclusion in the TIME100 Next list and her nomination for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.[44]

Conviction and sentencing

[edit]

On 22 June 2026, an anti-terrorism court in Quetta found Mahrang Baloch guilty in the murder case of Frontier Corps (FC) soldier Shabbir Ahmad Baloch, who was beaten to death during violence that erupted at a BYC-led protest in Gwadar that she and another BYC leader reportedly incited in July 2024.[46][47] She was sentenced to life imprisonment by the court along with Sibghatullah Shah, another BYC leader.[48] Mahrang Baloch issued a statement via her lawyer. Her lawyer, Israr Jattak, stated at her behest that the court was "using the law as a weapon" against them. "The court and the judicial system exposed themselves through this judgment", he said. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan urged a review of the ruling, stating that the state had "continued its policy of treating fundamental rights advocacy in the same way it treats extremism, resulting in administrative and judicial decisions that are one-sided and biased."[49]

Awards and recognition

[edit]

In October 2024, Time magazine included Baloch in its TIME100 Next list, which recognises emerging figures across a range of fields.[25][50]

In December 2024, she was included in the BBC's 100 Women list.[51]

In March 2025, Baloch confirmed via X that she had been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025.[52]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ Balochi: مهرنگ بلۏچ, pronounced [meh.rəŋg bəl.oːt͡ʃ], Urdu: ماہ رنگ بلوچ, pronounced [mɑːh rəŋg bə.loːt͡ʃ]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 Siddiqui, Huma (29 July 2024). "Mahrang Baloch: The Face of Balochistan". Financial Express. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  2. 1 2 Zaman, Sarah (20 December 2023). "Baloch Activists March to Pakistani Capital to Demand End to Extrajudicial Killings". Voice of America. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  3. 1 2 Feroz, Hajra Komal (29 August 2011). "Balochistan: One Province, Two Wars". Newsline. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  4. ↑ "Fears for Mahrang's safety". Dawn. 27 March 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  5. ↑ Baloch, Mahrang (8 February 2024). "A new chapter in the Baloch struggle for justice in Pakistan". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  6. ↑ Zehri, Abdullah (26 April 2025). "Mahrang's sister seeks CJP's 'urgent intervention' against alleged mistreatment of detained BYC leaders". Dawn. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  7. 1 2 Ebrahim, Zofeen T. (31 August 2024). "'She has won our hearts and minds': can one woman unite the Baloch people in peaceful resistance?". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Baloch, Shah Meer (18 February 2021). "Mahrang Baloch and the Struggle Against Enforced Disappearances". South Asian Avant-Garde. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Veengas (28 May 2022). "The Assault by Pakistan on Baloch People's Rights Has Now Reached Women". The Wire India. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 Baloch, Shah Meer (12 November 2021). "Women lead fight against extrajudicial killing in Pakistan". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  11. ↑ "Balochistan: Son of slain Baloch political activist abducted from Quetta". Balochwarna. Archived from the original on 31 May 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  12. ↑ "Pakistan: Activist Mahrang urges IOPC's 'undivided attention' to sufferings of Baloch people". Lokmat Times. 24 January 2024. Archived from the original on 24 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  13. ↑ Bin Javaid, Osama (4 May 2022). "Why are people disappearing in Balochistan?" (Podcast, 20 min 12 sec). The Take by Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  14. ↑ Hussain, Zahid (31 July 2024). "Trouble in Balochistan". Dawn. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  15. ↑ "Why protest by ethnic Baloch has put Pakistan's key port of Gwadar on edge". Al Jazeera. 31 July 2024. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  16. ↑ "Greta, Malala shower support for Baloch women protesters in Islamabad". Samaa TV. 23 December 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
  17. ↑ "HRCP demands probe into 'state crackdown' on Baloch protesters". Dawn. 23 December 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
  18. ↑ Mirza, Jaffer (28 September 2024). "How the Baloch Struggle Went Mainstream". The Diplomat. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
  19. ↑ Aamir, Adnan (3 January 2024). "Pakistan women protesting disappearances tap anti-establishment mood". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
  20. ↑ Baloch, Kiyya (19 December 2023). "Women Are Leading an Unprecedented Protest Movement in Balochistan". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  21. ↑ Ahmed, Munir (25 December 2023). "Pakistani police free 290 Baloch activists arrested while protesting extrajudicial killings". Associated Press. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  22. ↑ Rao, Shahid (30 November 2023). "22 out of over 50 missing Baloch students recovered, IHC told". The Nation (Pakistan). Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  23. ↑ Sigamony, Terence J. (30 November 2023). "IHC told: 22 out of over 50 missing Baloch students recovered". Business Recorder. Archived from the original on 31 May 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  24. ↑ Jannat, Zarghona (24 December 2023). "Baloch Protesters Released: Islamabad's Bail Approval". Markhor Times. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  25. 1 2 Ewe, Koh (2 October 2024). "2024 TIME100 Next: Mahrang Baloch". TIME. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  26. ↑ "Dr Mahrang Baloch named one of Time's most influential people of 2024". Dawn. 2 October 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  27. ↑ Serhan, Yasmeen (8 October 2024). "Pakistan Bars Activist From Traveling to TIME Event Honoring Her". TIME. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  28. ↑ "Woman Human Rights Defender Dr. Mahrang Baloch Prevented from Traveling". Front Line Defenders. 7 July 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  29. ↑ "HRCP demands 'freedom of movement' after Mahrang Baloch allegedly stopped from flying to US". Dawn. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  30. 1 2 Ali, Imtiaz (12 October 2024). "Mahrang Baloch booked in terrorism case days after being 'barred' from flying abroad". Dawn. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  31. ↑ "Mahrang Baloch booked in case over 'terrorism facilitation'". Samaa TV. 14 October 2024. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  32. ↑ "BLA's proxy exploits train attack". The Express Tribune. 22 March 2025. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  33. ↑ Baloch, Mohammad Zafar (24 March 2025). "Dr Mahrang Baloch among 150 booked for terrorism, rebellion, murder". The News International. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  34. ↑ Zehri, Abdullah; Notezai, Muhammad Akbar; Baloch, Behram (22 March 2025). "BYC leadership arrested over Civil Hospital 'violence': Balochistan govt spokesperson Rind". Dawn. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  35. ↑ "Police arrest Baloch activist Mahrang during Quetta protest". Times of Karachi. 22 March 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  36. ↑ Shahid, Saleem (24 March 2025). "Mahrang, other BYC leaders face terror charges". Dawn. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
  37. ↑ "Islamabad says will engage with prominent Baloch rights movement provided no 'ulterior motive'". Arab News. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
  38. ↑ Antonopoulos, Paul (30 October 2024). "Baloch Activist Mahrang Baloch Lambasts Pakistani Govt For Including Her Name In Anti-terror Watchlist". Greek City Times. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
  39. ↑ "Pakistan: Release All Detained Baloch Activists". Amnesty International UK. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  40. ↑ "Mahrang remanded in 10-day custody". The Express Tribune. 8 July 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  41. ↑ Zehri, Abdullah (18 July 2025). "Quetta ATC sends Mahrang Baloch, others on 15-day physical remand again". Dawn. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  42. ↑ Zehri, Abdullah (12 October 2025). "'Display of institutionalised repression': BYC criticises jail hearing of Mahrang Baloch, other group leaders". Dawn. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  43. ↑ "Supreme Court Refers Plea Against Mahrang Baloch's Detention to Practice and Procedure Committee". The Balochistan Post. 30 October 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  44. 1 2 Vick, Karl (25 March 2025). "Pakistan Jails Baloch Human Rights Activist". TIME. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  45. ↑ "UN experts demand release of detained Baloch activists, end to crackdown on protests". Dawn. 26 March 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  46. ↑ Kazim, Muhammad; Chatterjee, Phelan (23 June 2026). "Pakistan activist Mahrang Baloch given life sentence over soldier's killing at rally". www.bbc.com. BBC News. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
  47. ↑ Sattar, Abdul; Ahmed, Munir (22 June 2026). "Human rights activists sentenced to life in prison over soldier's death". ABC News. ABC News (United States). Associated Press. Archived from the original on 26 June 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
  48. ↑ Shahid, Saleem (22 June 2026). "Quetta ATC finds BYC's Mahrang, another leader guilty in 2024 case". Dawn. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  49. ↑ Janjua, Haroon (27 June 2026). "Balochistan activist's life sentence raises fear of unrest". dw.com. Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
  50. ↑ Felsenthal, Edward (13 November 2019). "How We Chose the 2019 TIME 100 Next". TIME. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  51. ↑ "BBC 100 Women 2024: Who is on the list this year?". BBC. 3 December 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  52. ↑ "Woman leader of Baloch rights movement says nominated for Nobel Peace Prize". Arab News. 7 March 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
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