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Mahrang Baloch

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Mahrang Baloch
مهرنگ بلۏچ
Mahrang Baloch
Bornc. 1993 (age 30–31)
Alma materBolan Medical College
Occupations
Years active2009–present
OrganizationBaloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC)[1]
Known forActivism for the human rights of the Baloch people.
FatherAbdul Gaffar Langove

Mahrang Baloch (Urdu: ماہ رنگ بلوچ; Balochi: مهرنگ بلۏچ) is a Pakistani human rights activist against alleged enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and other human rights abuses in Balochistan.[2][3][4][5] Mahrang leads the Baloch Yakjehti Committee ("Baloch Unity Committee", BYC), a human rights movement based in Balochistan.[6] On 28 July 2024, she was part of the Baloch Raji Muchi ("Baloch National Gathering") in Gwadar, an event aimed at uniting the Baloch against these abuses.[7][8]

Biography

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Mahrang was born in 1993 into a Baloch family. Her father Abdul Gaffar Langove was an activist who raised voice against humans rights violations in Pakistan.[6]

Activism

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On 12 December 2009, her father was abducted by Pakistan security forces on his way to the hospital in Karachi but later released.[2][3] At the age of 16, she immediately started protesting his abduction and became known in the student resistance movement.[2][3][4] In July 2011, her father was abducted again and found dead with signs of torture.[2][3]

Her brother was later abducted by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in December 2017 and later released after.[3][4][9] Since then, she has been one of the prominent figure in the Baloch resistance movement. [2][3][4][5]

She has protested the government's extraction of natural resources from Balochistan.[2][10] In 2020, she led a group of students protesting the proposed removal of the quota system at Bolan Medical College, which reserves spots for medical students from remote areas of the province.[2] As a result of the group's activism and hunger strikes, the proposed policy change was cancelled.[2]

Mahrang Baloch has gained international support from prominent figures, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, who expressed her solidarity by tweeting, "Climate justice activists worldwide stand with @MahrangBaloch_ and other peaceful protesters who have been detained, tortured, and harassed by Islamabad police for speaking out against human rights violations in Balochistan. #MarchAgainstBalochGenocide."[11] This show of support came during the long march from Turbat to Islamabad, when Baloch women faced intense repression from state forces.

Similarly, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai voiced her backing, tweeting, "I stand with my Baloch sisters who are demanding accountability for enforced disappearances. Peaceful protest is their right, and their voices must be heard."[12][13][14][15]

Recent developments

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2023 Baloch Long March

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Main article: Baloch long march

The Baloch Long March was a protest movement led by Mahrang Baloch and other Baloch women activists from the BYC, journeying from Turbat to Islamabad, to protest human rights violations and enforced disappearances in Balochistan.[16][17][1] According to the BYC, the protestors were abducted by the ISI,[18] and detained by Islamabad Police.[19] Later a bail was approved that resulted in release of some participants,[20][21][22][19] though many were missing as per media reports and lawyers.[23]

2024 Time Magazine Recognition and Travel Ban

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In October 2024, Time (magazine) named Mahrang as one of the 100 emerging influential leaders of the year, recognising her extraordinary courage in opposing state oppression and her relentless advocacy against enforced disappearances and human rights violations in Balochistan.[24][25] However, she was barred from traveling to New York City for a Time event and faced harassment at the airport. While returning home with Sammi Baloch, she was further harassed by FIA officials, and plainclothes officers confiscated her passport and mobile phone, attempting to abduct them. According to her lawyer, it was discovered that the Government of Pakistan had quietly added her to the Pakistan National Identity List (PNIL), a registry for individuals suspected of involvement in criminal activities such as terrorism, money laundering, and fraud - just days after she appeared on Time's influential list on 3 October.[26][27] In response, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan called for "freedom of movement" for Mahrang, while UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defender Mary Lawlor, expressed deep concern on social media about the incident, citing reports of "harassment, intimidation and mistreatment".[28]

Political Harassment

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On 11 October 2024, just days after Mahrang Baloch was barred from traveling abroad, an Anti-Terrorism case was filed against her in the Malir district of Qaidabad by a local businessman. The complainant in the First information report (FIR) accused Mahrang of "inciting violence in his area" despite the Quaidabad Station House Officer (SHO) being unable to confirm any such activities by Mahrang Baloch and her colleagues. [29][30] Baloch dismissed the charges as fabricated, attributing the case to "the state's discomfort with her activism", and stated that such FIRs aim to intimidate those involved in their collective struggle.[29]

References

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  1. ^ a b Zaman, Sarah (20 December 2023). "Baloch Activists March to Pakistani Capital to Demand End to Extrajudicial Killings". voanews.com. Voice of America. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Veengas (28 May 2022). "The Assault by Pakistan on Baloch People's Rights Has Now Reached Women". The Wire India. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d Baloch, Shah Meer (12 November 2021). "Women lead fight against extrajudicial killing in Pakistan". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  5. ^ a b 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.
  6. ^ a b Hussain, Zahid (31 July 2024). "Trouble in Balochistan". dawn.com. Dawn. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ Ebrahim, Zofeen T. (31 August 2024). "'She has won our hearts and minds': can one woman unite the Baloch people in peaceful resistance?". theguardian.com. The Guardian. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  9. ^ "Balochistan: Son of slain Baloch political activist abducted from Quetta". Balochwarna/>. Archived from the original on 31 May 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  10. ^ "Pakistan: Activist Mahrang urges IOPC's 'undivided attention' to sufferings of Baloch people - www.lokmattimes.com". Lokmat English. 24 January 2024. Archived from the original on 24 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  11. ^ https://x.com/gretathunberg/status/1738250916992614690?s=46
  12. ^ "HRCP demands probe into 'state crackdown' on Baloch protesters". dawn.com. Dawn. 23 December 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  13. ^ "How the Baloch Struggle Went Mainstream". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  14. ^ "Pakistan women protesting disappearances tap anti-establishment mood". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  15. ^ "Greta, Malala shower support for Baloch women protesters in Islamabad". www.samaa.tv. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  16. ^ "Women Are Leading an Unprecedented Protest Movement in Balochistan". thediplomat.com. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  17. ^ "As Baloch Women Raise Their Voices, the State Cracks Down". thediplomat.com. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  18. ^ VoicePk (2 January 2024). "12 persons abducted from Balochistan despite long march, while caretaker PM accuses Baloch protestors of being 'funded'". Voicepk.net. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Pakistani police free 290 Baloch activists arrested while protesting extrajudicial killings". AP News. 25 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  20. ^ "22 out of over 50 missing Baloch students recovered, IHC told". The Nation. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  21. ^ Sigamony, Terence J. (30 November 2023). "IHC told: 22 out of over 50 missing Baloch students recovered". Brecorder. Archived from the original on 31 May 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ "22 out of over 50 missing Baloch students recovered, IHC told". The Nation. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  24. ^ Ewe, Koh (2 October 2024). "2024 TIME100 Next: Mahrang Baloch". TIME. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  25. ^ "Dr Mahrang Baloch named one of Time's most influential people of 2024". dawn.com. Dawn. 2 October 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  26. ^ Serhan, Yasmeen (8 October 2024). "Pakistan Bars Activist From Traveling to TIME Event Honoring Her". TIME. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  27. ^ "Woman Human Rights Defender Dr. Mahrang Baloch Prevented from Traveling". Front Line Defenders. 7 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  28. ^ "HRCP demands 'freedom of movement' after Mahrang Baloch allegedly stopped from flying to US". dawn.com. Dawn. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  29. ^ a b Ali, Imtiaz (12 October 2024). "Mahrang Baloch booked in terrorism case days after being 'barred' from flying abroad". dawn.com. Dawn. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  30. ^ "Mahrang Baloch booked in case over 'terrorism facilitation'". www.samaa.tv. 14 October 2024. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
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