‘The Pakistani government’s growing fear of Dr Mahrang’s rising popularity is evident.’
‘Her defiance is inspiring.’
IMAGE: Dr Mahrang Baloch, Baloch activist. Photograph: Kind courtesy Mahrang Baloch/X
Dr Mahrang Baloch, 32, a medical doctor is the brave symbol of resistance against the suppression, enforced disappearances and extra judicial killings conducted by Pakistani security forces against the people of Balochistan.
A tireless human right activist, she has peacefully campaigned against the atrocities of the Pakistani State after personally experiencing its brutality.
Her father, a Baloch nationalist leader, was abducted, tortured and killed. A few years later, her brother was arrested for three months by security forces.
Dr Baloch was named among Time magazine’s 100 Next list of emerging leaders last year. Pakistan barred her from flying out of the country to attend the event.
She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Last weekend, Dr Mahrang Baloch was once again arrested and imprisoned by the Pakistan government. She was picked up while protesting the killing of three Balochis gunned down by Pakistani troops at a protest site.
Pakistani forces have detained several Baloch national activists after the hijacking of the Jaffar Express by the Baloch Liberation Army earlier this month.
Dr Baloch has been denied access to family and her lawyers in prison. She has been kept in isolation.
Journalist and Balochistan specialist Malik Siraj Akbar, who lives in asylum in the USA, tells Rediff.com‘s Archana Masih why Dr Mahrang is a thorn in the eye of the Pakistani State.
IMAGE: Women supporters of the Balochistan Yakjehti Committee at a protest in Karachi, March 24, 2025, demanding Dr Mahrang Baloch’s release. Photograph: Akhtar Soomro/Reuters
‘Dr Mahrang’s arrest demonstrates that Pakistan’s conflict is no longer limited to Baloch insurgents — it is waging a broader war against every Baloch who dares to challenge the establishment’s narrative, policies and actions.
If the State claims it cannot negotiate with the BLA because of its armed struggle, then what justification is there for targeting the leader of a peaceful protest rally?
The Pakistani government’s growing fear of Dr Mahrang’s rising popularity is evident.
Her defiance is inspiring more young Baloch to join the resistance movement against enforced disappearances, torture, extrajudicial killings, and systemic oppression.
Yet, the crackdown extends beyond state violence.
Pakistani media and social media activists are engaged in a relentless campaign of character assassination and disinformation against her — one of the most vicious of its kind.’
IMAGE: Police officers detain women at the protest in Karachi demanding Dr Mahrang Baloch’s release. Photograph: Akhtar Soomro/Reuters
‘Dr Mahrang’s arrest also marks a historic turning point for Balochistan.
Pakistan now finds itself forced to fight on two highly proactive fronts: One is the long-standing armed insurgency, and the other is the unprecedented public mobilisation led by Dr Mahrang across the province.
This level of public resistance — unified, determined, and widespread — is something Balochistan has never witnessed before. It signals a new and transformative chapter in the region’s struggle.
Dr Mahrang is planting the seeds of a more rebellious, assertive, and politically conscious Baloch generation — one that refuses to live as third-rate citizens without basic rights.
While the State finds it relatively easier to target and eliminate insurgent commanders, it faces a far greater challenge when dealing with peaceful demonstrators whose resistance is harder to silence.’
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
