Several human rights organizations and activists have strongly criticized the life imprisonment of four Baloch activists, including Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Mahrang Baloch, by a Pakistani court. The activists were sentenced for their alleged involvement in the killing of a Frontier Corps official. The Baloch National Movement (BNM) labeled Pakistan as a “terrorist state” and accused it of using power to instill fear in Balochistan.
Condemnation of the verdict continued with the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) denouncing it as a “blatant miscarriage of justice” aimed at stifling human rights advocacy. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also criticized the conviction, calling for a review of the decision and emphasizing the need for a political dialogue in Balochistan. The Baloch Women Forum (BWF) central organizer, Shalee Baloch, urged legal communities and human rights activists to speak out against what she termed as “judicial and governmental oppression.”
Shafi Burfat, Chairman of the Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), characterized the ruling as a “psychological tactic” against oppressed political activists in Pakistan. He called on the international community and human rights organizations to address the situation and protect political freedoms and justice in the region.
