BALOCHISTAN, Pakistan, June 24 (ANI) — The sentencing of prominent Baloch rights activist Dr. Mahrang Baloch and Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Sibghatullah Shahji to life imprisonment has sparked widespread condemnation from politicians, journalists, academics, and human rights advocates, according to The Balochistan Post.
An anti-terrorism court in Quetta convicted the two leaders on charges related to the killing of a Frontier Corps (FC) official during a protest in Gwadar in 2024. Prosecutors alleged that the accused incited demonstrators who later attacked security personnel.
However, both leaders rejected the allegations and boycotted the proceedings, arguing that the case was conducted through a jail-based trial that lacked transparency and denied them a fair opportunity to present their defense.
The verdict has drawn sharp criticism from Balochistan National Party President Sardar Akhtar Mengal, who questioned the legitimacy of a judicial process conducted without the meaningful participation of the accused and their legal representatives.
Mengal argued that the ruling further undermines public confidence in Pakistan’s judicial institutions and pointed to the lack of accountability for decades of alleged enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and other human rights abuses in Balochistan.
Former Senator Afrasiab Khattak, National Democratic Movement Chairman Mohsin Dawar, and several human rights advocates described the ruling as a setback for peaceful political engagement. Critics argued that penalizing activists who advocate constitutional and nonviolent methods could deepen political alienation and encourage support for more radical alternatives.
Journalist Munizae Jahangir said the verdict reflected a failure to uphold due process, while analyst Muhammad Amir Rana argued that such measures would not address the underlying causes of unrest in the province, The Balochistan Post reported.
Journalists including Abbas Nasir, Kiyya Baloch, and Mubashir Zaidi also condemned the sentences, describing them as unjust and politically motivated.
Human rights defenders and civil society representatives expressed concern that the ruling could be used to criminalize dissent and silence voices seeking accountability for alleged rights violations in the region, according to The Balochistan Post. (ANI)
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