Mahrang Baloch’s Arrest: Pakistan’s War on Baloch Activism

The arrest of Mahrang Baloch, a prominent human rights activist and leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), has sent shockwaves across Pakistan and beyond. Taken into custody on March 23, 2025, she remains detained in Quetta’s Hudda District Prison under harsh, inhumane conditions—denied legal counsel, barred from family visits, and reportedly mistreated. Her crime? Demanding justice for the thousands of Baloch forcibly disappeared by Pakistan’s security forces.

Mahrang’s arrest came after a violent police crackdown on peaceful demonstrators in Quetta. Protestors had gathered to demand accountability for extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, but they were met with extreme force. Security personnel opened fire, killing at least three activists and injuring many others. The following day, as demonstrators displayed the bodies of the slain, Mahrang was forcefully taken in a coordinated state operation to silence Baloch resistance.

This was not an isolated incident. Pakistan has a long and bloody history of suppressing Baloch activists through intimidation, abduction, and assassination. Mahrang’s detention is a direct attack on the Baloch struggle, aiming to crush the momentum of a movement that has gained global attention.

Balochistan: A Province Under Siege

Despite being Pakistan’s most resource-rich province, Balochistan remains its most oppressed and militarized. Rich in minerals, gas, and oil, the region fuels Pakistan’s economy, yet its people live in extreme poverty, denied basic rights, and subject to constant military crackdowns.

For decades, Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies have treated Balochistan as a war zone, justifying human rights abuses under the guise of counterterrorism and national security. The state’s response to Baloch activism has followed a familiar pattern:

Enforced Disappearances – Thousands of Baloch activists, students, journalists, and intellectuals have been abducted by security forces. Many are never seen again.
Extrajudicial Killings – Those taken are often tortured and executed, their mutilated bodies later dumped in remote areas.
Media Censorship – Reporting on Balochistan is heavily restricted; journalists who expose state crimes risk their lives.
Militarization – Entire villages have been raided, burned, and depopulated in counterinsurgency operations.

Mahrang’s arrest is just one example of this broader repression. The Pakistani state has made it clear: Baloch lives do not matter, and their voices will be silenced at all costs.

A Pattern of Assassinations and Disappearances

The arrest of Mahrang Baloch follows a terrifying trend of Pakistan systematically eliminating Baloch leaders. Over the years, the state has deployed a strategy of targeted assassinations against those who challenge its policies in Balochistan.

Karima Baloch, a leading activist, was found dead in Canada under suspicious circumstances. Many believe she was murdered by Pakistani intelligence.
Sajid Hussain, a journalist who reported on human rights abuses, was found drowned in Sweden after fleeing persecution.
Thousands of others—students, intellectuals, community leaders—have been abducted, tortured, and killed.

Mahrang Baloch, a rising global figure, was a growing threat to Pakistan’s carefully maintained silence on Balochistan. Her inclusion in TIME100 Next and her nomination for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize had given the Baloch movement unprecedented international visibility. Her arrest is part of a deliberate strategy to cut off the movement at its source.

But history has shown that repression does not silence movements—it strengthens them.

The Baloch Insurgency: A Response to State Terror

By silencing peaceful voices, Pakistan is only fueling the very insurgency it seeks to crush. Baloch nationalist groups, including the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and the Baloch Republican Army (BRA), have escalated their resistance, launching increasingly daring attacks on Pakistani security forces and Chinese-backed projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The recent train hijacking—where Baloch militants executed hostages in response to military brutality—marks a significant escalation. The military, in turn, has responded with brutal counter-operations, raising fears of mass killings and mass disappearances in the coming months.

Pakistan’s refusal to engage with peaceful Baloch activists has left the people of Balochistan with no avenues for dialogue. With each activist arrested or killed, more young Baloch see armed resistance as their only option. The state is manufacturing insurgents through its own oppression.

Pakistan’s Hypocrisy on Human Rights

Pakistan’s government has been vocal in condemning human rights violations in Kashmir and Palestine, yet it continues to brutally suppress its own people in Balochistan. The hypocrisy is staggering.

While Pakistan’s leaders use international platforms to demand justice for oppressed Muslims elsewhere, they detain, torture, and execute Baloch citizens without due process. This double standard exposes the reality: the state’s concern for human rights is selective, dictated by political convenience rather than principle.

The Role of the International Community

Pakistan’s military-backed government relies heavily on foreign aid and military support from the United States, the European Union, and Gulf countries. These international allies must hold Pakistan accountable for its human rights abuses in Balochistan.

The UN and human rights organizations must demand Mahrang Baloch’s immediate release.
The US and EU must reconsider military and economic aid to Pakistan until it ends its campaign of enforced disappearances.
Western media must break the silence on Balochistan, giving voices like Mahrang Baloch the platform they deserve.

If the world continues to ignore Balochistan, it will be complicit in the ethnic cleansing of the Baloch people.

Mahrang’s Arrest Will Not Stop the Movement

Pakistan intended to break the Baloch resistance by arresting Mahrang. Instead, it has amplified global outrage. From social media campaigns to protests worldwide, her name has become a symbol of defiance against state tyranny.

If history has taught us anything, it is that repression breeds resistance.

Mahrang Baloch is not just one activist—she represents an entire generation of Baloch youth who refuse to be silenced. If Pakistan does not change its course, it will find itself fighting a stronger, more determined resistance than ever before.

The world must choose: Will it continue to ignore Balochistan’s suffering, or will it stand up before it’s too late?