Dr. Mahrang Baloch, a famous activist who raised her voice for human rights in Balochistan, Pakistan, has been sentenced to life imprisonment. She has been fighting against disappearances and human rights violations in Balochistan for years.
Islamabad: Pakistan’s well-known human rights activist Dr. Mahrang Baloch has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Mahrang is a strong voice against enforced disappearances and human rights violations in Balochistan. An anti-terrorism court in Quetta has given him this punishment in the case of murder of a paramilitary officer during a protest in 2024. Maharang and his lawyers had boycotted the entire court proceedings, calling the case politically motivated.
Mahrang is the leader of ‘Baloch Unity Committee’ (BYC), which fights for human rights in Balochistan. The court has also sentenced another leader of the organization, Sibgatullah, to life imprisonment. Apart from this, both have also been ordered to pay compensation of Pakistani rupees 2 lakh each to the family of the slain officer.
The matter is of July 2024. Prosecution says Mahrang made an inflammatory speech during a BYC demonstration in the port city of Gwadar. After this the mob turned violent and beat up Shabbir Ahmed, an officer of Frontier Corps, to death. At the same time, the organization says that they were protesting peacefully and false evidence was fabricated against them. Mahrang’s sister and lawyer Nadia Baloch said that the trial of the case was conducted secretly inside the jail and the defense was not even given a chance to cross-examine the witnesses.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has called this decision a challenge to the justice system. The Commission said that this decision shows the discriminatory policy of the Pakistani government, which weighs peaceful democratic struggles and terrorism on the same scale. Many international personalities, including Sweden’s famous environmental activist Greta Thunberg, have also condemned this decision.
Mahrang Baloch was included by BBC in the list of 100 most influential women of 2024. He is considered the face of the fight for the rights of Baloch people in Pakistan. Mahrang came into limelight when she started the fight for justice for her father. His father was abducted by security forces in 2009 and his body was later found with marks of torture. In 2023, she along with hundreds of women took out a long march to Islamabad. This march was for those whose family members are missing. This march attracted worldwide attention.