By Mehrab Baloch
Dr Mahrang Baloch, the central organizer of BYC, a Baloch human rights activist, and national heroine, is not only a name but the symbol of courage, resistance, and hope. She has been named one of the World’s Hundred Most Influential Leaders, included in BBC’s Hundred Influential Women, and also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2025, which is nothing less than a source of pride for the Baloch nation. Dr Mahrang Baloch is famous worldwide for her human rights activism. She is the voice of the voiceless Baloch nation under the oppression of Pakistan.
Dr Mahrang did not suddenly enter activism; there is a long story, full of pain, behind it. She was a little girl of 10 years old and in 6th class when her father, Ghafar Baloch, was abducted in 2006. She took part in protests to demand the release of her father. Fortunately, her father was released after some months of disappearance, but again in 2009 her father was abducted by Pakistani forces/agencies. She tried to secure the release of her father but could not.
2009 was the time when the state implemented the “kill and dump” policy by martyring three Baloch leaders: Chairman Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Lala Munir, and Sher Mohammad Baloch in Balochistan. After two years of disappearance, Ghafar Baloch, father of Dr Mahrang Baloch, was killed, and his tortured body was recovered from Gaddani in 2011. Dr Mahrang said in an interview, “When we heard that the dead body of my father had been recovered, we all went to prostration that it should be a lie.” When Dr Mahrang received the dead body of her father, she understood that the state of Pakistan is not for the Baloch nation; rather, it is the oppressor.
From then, Dr Mahrang started joining protests to demand the release of the forcefully disappeared persons, but this did not stop there. In 2017, her brother also became a victim of enforced disappearance. She resisted until the release of her brother. These attempts by the state could not silence her voice. She stood firm and highlighted every atrocity taking place in Balochistan and outside Balochistan against the Baloch people.
She not only became a voice for missing persons but also raised her voice to demand justice for students in universities and other educational institutions. She spoke against the installation of CCTV cameras in female washrooms in Balochistan University during the time of Malik Tareen. She exposed every injustice inside campuses and outside.
Dr Mahrang raised her voice when death squad personnel attacked a home in Turbat Dannok and martyred Malik Naz while injuring her little daughter, Bramsh, in 2020. She protested and formed a committee named Bramsh Yakjehti Committee. She made people aware of the atrocities committed by the state and its death squads.
Again in 2020, a young Baloch student, Hayat Baloch, was martyred in front of his parents by FC personnel in Turbat. Dr Mahrang highlighted his martyrdom, protested, and changed the name of Bramsh Yakjehti Committee to Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), which is still active. She stood firm in front of the state and dared to speak against illegal disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
In November 2023, Balach Mola Bakhsh was killed in a fake encounter by the Counter Terrorism Department along with two others in Turbat. BYC, under the leadership of Dr Mahrang Baloch, protested and demanded justice. Later on, she led a long march (Baloch Long March) from Quetta to Islamabad. She, along with the families of missing persons, faced baton charges, tear gas shelling, and arrests in Islamabad, but they did not give up. Mahrang staged a protest camp in front of the National Press Club, Islamabad, to make the world aware of Pakistan’s atrocities.
From then on, the Baloch Nation followed her and recognized her as their leader. She is politically very strong and is the symbol of courage and resistance. The international world has recognized her as a human rights defender and leader. She understands the pains of the Baloch Nation and stands for them. Now she is in jail, but she is not broken. She has shown the world that Pakistan is committing injustices in Balochistan. She is still fighting the war in jail. When she comes outside the bars, she will again raise her voice for the Baloch and other oppressed nations.
Mahrang is our leader.
Mahrang is our sardar.
Mahrang is our hope.
Mahrang is our courage.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Balochistan Post or any of its editors.