Balochistan, a region rife with conflict, has become a powder keg as Pakistan confronts a growing insurgency and resistance movement, most recently illustrated with the hijacking of a train by the Balochistan Liberation Army.
The shock attack resulted in around 60 deaths and brought to fore the boiling deep-seated tensions between the Baloch people and the Pakistani state.
Following the attack, senior Pakistan ministers and army leaders held a special meeting to address the country’s worsening security crisis.
The Pakistan ‘establishment’, referring to the army, also turned its eyes towards more legitimate forms of protest.
Pakistan police recently detained Mahrang Baloch, a leading human rights advocate and symbol of Baloch aspirations, igniting further unrest.
Pakistan views the Baloch movement with increasing alarm, fearing the rise of separatist sentiments and challenges to its authority in the region, particularly because of Balochistan’s vast area and crucial borders with hostile countries like Iran and Taliban-led Afghanistan.
The arrest of nearly 150 activists, including Mahrang Baloch — recognised by Time Magazine as one of its 100 Next Emerging Leaders — has sparked international condemnation and raised concerns about human rights abuses and the suppression of Baloch voices in Pakistan.
Pakistani authorities arrested Mahrang on Saturday under charges of terrorism, sedition, and murder after a protest in Balochistan’s capital, Quetta, resulted in the deaths of three protesters.
Who is Mahrang Baloch?
Mahrang Baloch, a medical doctor and leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), has been vocal about enforced disappearances and alleged extrajudicial killings in Balochistan.
Her sister, Iqra Baloch, condemned her arrest, stating on social media that her visit to Hudda Jail was reminiscent of when she saw her father behind bars 18 years ago. “Back then, Mahrang was by our side. Today, she is not,” she wrote.
Mahrang has been a key figure in protests against enforced disappearances. Her father, Abdul Gaffar Langove, a nationalist leader, was forcibly disappeared in 2009, and his body was found three years later in Lasbela district, according to BBC.
Since then, she took the decision to fight against enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. Now, the 32-year-old is continuing activism despite odds thrown at her, which include death threats, travel bans, detention etc.
In December 2023, she helped organise a major march to Islamabad calling for action against enforced disappearances, which was met with police crackdowns.
Mahrang’s family has also alleged that authorities have denied them permission to meet her in jail or deliver food.
Growing Baloch resistance
Support for the Baloch resistance, both violent and non-violent, has been growing, especially among the youth.
Many have been radicalised by ongoing human rights abuses in Balochistan, where an anti-insurgency crackdown — dubbed Pakistan’s “secret dirty war” — has led to thousands of enforced disappearances and killings over two decades.
Voice for Baloch Missing Persons reports that since 2009, around 1,500 missing individuals have been found dead, often brutally tortured, while 6,000 remain missing.
Human rights groups say extrajudicial killings are rising, but the military denies involvement.
Faith in political solutions has also eroded after allegations of military interference in the 2018 and 2024 elections, which sidelined popular Baloch nationalist leaders.
Challenging the narrative
Pakistan has been battling a separatist insurgency in Balochistan for years, with militant groups targeting security forces and foreign nationals.
Authorities have often pointed towards the terror activities of the BLA to justify brutal crackdown, arrests and torture of Baloch residents.
A major part of the Maharang’s movement, however, is based on peaceful advocacy, which observers say presents a challenge to the state’s narrative.
The province, which is also the poorest, accounts for the lion’s share of Pakistan’s total landmass but only 6% of its population, has been a site of insurgency and heavy military presence for decades.
Activists claim that Islamabad suppresses political voices while exploiting the region’s natural resources.
Human rights groups argue that her arrest is part of a broader crackdown on Baloch activists. Protests, often led by women, continue in various parts of Balochistan demanding her release.
The Pakistani government has not yet responded to calls for transparency regarding the charges against her.
The arrest of Mahrang Baloch has scaled-up scrutiny of Pakistan’s policies in Balochistan, with rights groups calling for an independent investigation into the recent protests and the treatment of activists in the region.
