QUETTA – Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Quetta reportedly sentenced Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Mahrang Baloch and co-accused Sibghatullah Shah to life imprisonment in connection with the killing of Frontier Corps (FC) soldier Shabbir Baloch during the 2024 Raji Muchi protest in Gwadar.
The verdict, delivered after nearly two years of legal proceedings, is being described as one of the most consequential judicial decisions involving a prominent figure associated with Balochistan’s protest movement. Authorities have hailed the ruling as a significant step in efforts to address militancy and restore law and order in the province, while supporters of Baloch have long maintained that cases against her are politically motivated.
The unrest during the 2024 Gwadar protest escalated into violence, resulting in an attack on FC personnel that claimed the life of soldier Shabbir Baloch. Investigators told the court that evidence gathered during the probe linked the accused to the incident. The court subsequently handed down life sentences, with the detailed written judgment expected to be released separately.
Baloch was held in March 2025 and has remained behind bars for more than a year now. She belongs to a politically active Baloch family. Her father, Abdul Gaffar Langove, was known for speaking out against alleged human rights violations. Trained as a medical doctor after earning an MBBS degree from Bolan Medical College in Quetta, she became one of the most recognizable faces of Baloch rights activism.
Her profile expanded beyond Pakistan in 2024 when she was included in Time magazine’s TIME100 Next list and later named among the BBC’s 100 Women. In March 2025, she announced that she had been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, further elevating her international standing.
In 2024, an anti-terrorism complaint was lodged against her in Karachi’s Qaidabad area, alleging that she had incited violence. Baloch rejected the allegations and described them as politically driven.
The controversy deepened in March 2025 when security forces arrested Baloch during a police operation against a sit-in protest in Quetta. Provincial authorities accused her and other BYC leaders of orchestrating violence linked to demonstrations that followed the military operation connected to the Jaffar Express hijacking.
Officials alleged that protesters stormed Quetta Civil Hospital and removed bodies from the premises. Baloch and her supporters strongly denied the accusations, insisting that the demonstrations were peaceful and accusing authorities of attempting to silence dissent.
Authorities also accused Ahmed of recruiting students into militant networks and maintaining communication with handlers based abroad. The court awarded 14 years of rigorous imprisonment under anti-terrorism laws and an additional seven years under the Balochistan Arms Act for illegal possession and trafficking of weapons.
Pakistani Rights activist Dr. Mahrang Baloch booked on terror charges
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