Balochistan activist's life sentence raises fear of unrest

Balochistan activist's life sentence raises fear of unrest June 26, 2026A Pakistanianti-terrorism court this week sentenced two civil rights activists to life imprisonment over the killing of a paramilitary soldier during a July 2024 protest. Mahrang Baloch, 33, is a prominent campaigner against alleged enforced disappearances in Balochistanand leader of the Balochistan Unity Committee (BYC). On June 25, she was convicted of murder and terrorism alongside fellow activist Sibghatullah Shahji. Both activists boycotted the trial and have denied the charges against them. Baloch's lawyer, Israr Jattak, said the activists would appeal the verdict. Jattak recently met with the pair and reported that they were in good mental and physical health. "The court is using the law as a weapon against us. The court and the judicial system exposed themselves through this judgment," Baloch told DW via her lawyer. The verdict drew sharp criticism from rights organizations. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan called for a review of the ruling, saying the state had "continued its policy of treating fundamental rights advocacy in the same way it treats extremism, resulting in administrative and judicial decisions that are one-sided and biased." Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan government, told DW that the prosecution was conducted fairly, insisting the case was backed by "undeniable evidence" and was not politically motivated. Why was Baloch charged? Baloch and Shahji were arrested in March 2025 and are being held at Hudda District Prison in Balochistan's capital, Quetta. According to the prosecution, Baloch did not physically kill the paramilitary soldier herself. Instead, prosecutors alleged that she incited and led a crowd during a July 2024 protest in Gwadar, and that the crowd attacked security personnel. They said a paramilitary soldier, Sepoy Shabbir Ahmed, became separated from his colleagues and was beaten to death by protesters. "These allegations are being used to create an atmosphere where political dissent is branded as a crime and demands for human rights are labelled as enmity against the state," said Baloch in a statement issued form the jail and posted on BYC's official social media accounts earlier this month. From doctor to activist Mahrang Baloch is a medical doctor-turned-human rights activist and a leading figure in the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a human rights movement based in Balochistan. Her activism began after her father, Abdul Ghaffar Langove, was allegedly forcibly disappeared in 2009. His body was later recovered in 2011. Since then, she has become one of the most prominent voices campaigning against alleged enforced disappearances and for human rights in Balochistan. According to her associates, Baloch's activism focused on peaceful protests, sit-ins and marches. As leader of the BYC, she mobilized families of missing persons, organized public demonstrations and called for justice, accountability and dialogue through non-violent means. Unrest in Balochistan Balochistan is the largest and poorest province in Pakistan. The mountainous, mineral-rich region of the South Asian country has a dry desert climate and is sparsely populated. It's a hub for the ethnic Baloch minority, whose members say face discrimination and exploitation by the central government in Islamabad. These tensions have fueled a separatist insurgency seeking greater autonomy, or even independence for Balochistan, and a larger share of its natural resources. They point to their communities being among the poorest in the country despite the province boasting vast natural resources such as gold, diamonds, silver and copper. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) is the strongest armed faction dominated by ethnic Baloch separatist groups. BLA militants routinely target Pakistani security forces and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multibillion-dollar project linked with Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). For decades, efforts towards autonomy or independence have been met with violent suppression by Islamabad. Will the verdict silence non-violent activism? Analysts view Baloch's life sentence as potentially causing more restrictions on political debate in Balochistan. Sammi Deen Baloch, a central BYC activist, said the verdict could have its biggest impact on peaceful political activism, sending a troubling message that even nonviolent, democratic efforts may lead to severe punishment. "For decades, many people in Balochistan have lost faith in state institutions and believe that peaceful struggle is ineffective. Despite this widespread skepticism, many activists have worked to promote the idea that grievances can be addressed through democratic engagement, nonviolent mobilization and peaceful political action," he told DW. He added that when grievances remain unheard and peaceful avenues are blocked, support for armed resistance is more likely to grow. "When nonviolent activism is silenced, some people lose trust in peaceful methods and may turn to armed groups instead," asserted Sammi Deen. Dialogue at a crossroads? Abdul Basit, a senior associate fellow at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, suggested that the move might also worsen the existing political split in Balochistan by further damaging the trust between the state and ethnic Balochs, who already feel marginalized. "This will definitely deepen the crisis, and it's counterproductive for the state. It will push peaceful protesters towards insurgency and quickly shrink the distance between peaceful protest and militancy," Basit told DW. He believes that lasting solutions cannot be achieved just through security actions and will need real political talks and more public confidence. "Dialogue is the ultimate way to resolve the issue politically," said Basit. "For Islamabad, counterinsurgency is the strategy to create space for a political solution, but it will not be an easy task as nationalist political figures have been sidelined." Activist Sammi Dean agrees but says that the government's prosecution of Baloch, a figure many in Balochistan considered a peaceful activist, will complicate future efforts towards dialogue. "If peaceful groups are constantly silenced and their concerns are not dealt with, people may stop believing in political discussions, making it harder to resolve the conflict peacefully," he said. Edited by: Ole Tangen Jr