Who Is Mahrang Baloch Detained By Pakistan Authorities?
Authorities in Pakistan have arrested Mahrang Baloch, a prominent rights activist from the ethnic Baloch group who was protesting the arrests of their members. Mahrang Baloch is a Baloch human rights activist from Pakistan who has been actively advocating against enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and state repression in Balochistan. She is a key figure in the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) and has been demanding justice for missing persons in Pakistan.
Mahrang Baloch has accused Pakistani government of conducting a systematic campaign of oppression in Balochistan. She played a significant role in the Baloch Long March to Islamabad, demanding action against state-led violence. Her protests have gained national and international attention, putting pressure on Pakistani authorities. The Pakistani government has reportedly, often tried to suppress her protests through arrests, intimidation, and force.
Mahrang Baloch remains a leading voice in Baloch activism, continuing her fight for justice despite increasing state pressure.
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Mahrang Baloch has been named in TIME 100 Emerging Leaders in 2024 and also named in BBC 100 Women 2024.
Pakistani Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai has also come in support of Mahrang Baloch and her efforts to fight for the rights of women and children. Malala shared a post on X and showed solidarity with the Baloch leader.
I am disturbed and concerned about the detention of Mahrang Baloch. She represents millions of voiceless people — women and children — who are facing human rights violations in Baluchistan and Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. It is her right to protest and speak out for the most vulnerable… https://t.co/sU9xTAiNtR
— Malala Yousafzai (@Malala) March 24, 2025
Amnesty International South Asia has also shared concern over the detention of the Baloch leader and said, “More than 38 hours since Mahrang Baloch’s unlawful detention, she is still being denied access to her lawyers and family. There are also worrying reports of continued arbitrary arrests and detentions across Balochistan province. Pakistani authorities must immediately release Mahrang Baloch and all others being detained for exercising their right to peaceful protest, and refrain from implicating Baloch activists in frivolous cases to unlawfully prolong their detention”.
