HRCP, Balochistan Bar Council, civil society condemn ATC life sentence for Mahrang Baloch

ISLAMABAD: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), the Balochistan Bar Council and civil society condemned the conviction of Baloch Yakjehti Committee Committee (BYC) activists Dr Mahrang Baloch and co-accused Sibghatullah by the Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) Quetta, calling for an immediate review of the verdict.

On June 22, ATC in Quetta sentenced prominent Baloch rights activist Dr Mahrang and co-accused Sibghatullah to two concurrent life imprisonment terms over their alleged role in the killing of a Frontier Corps (FC) personnel during a 2024 protest in Gwadar.

The 2024 Baloch Raji Muchi protest was held against alleged enforced disappearances and economic exclusion from region’s natural resources. Judge Muhammad Ali Mubeen of ATC-I found both individuals guilty of terrorism charges and murder, ruling that FC official Shabbir Ahmed was killed during the same protest. The prosecution maintained that the officer died after being struck by a stone during the demonstration.

The HRCP urged authorities to initiate a political dialogue in Balochistan, adding that the state is treating advocacy for fundamental rights as militancy, resulting in “lopsided and prejudiced” executive and judicial outcomes.

The Balochistan Bar Council also voiced concerns against the sentencing of Dr Mahrang and Sibghatullah. The Council declared the verdict a violation of constitutional guarantees and fair trial principles, adding that both individuals were ‘unlawfully stripped of their right to legal representation’.

The statement said that Dr Mahrang was ‘forced to accept a state-appointed lawyer against her wishes’, and her formal objections were rejected by the court. It also said that subsequent constitutional petitions for an immediate hearing were also ‘denied by the province’s highest court’, leading to a pre-emptive sentence before outstanding legal points were resolved.

Arguing that these actions severely damage public trust in the judiciary, the Bar Council demanded an immediate, transparent judicial and constitutional review. The statement concluded by reaffirming Council’s unwavering commitment to the rule of law, constitutional supremacy, and the independence of the judiciary.

The verdict

Both Dr Mahrang and Sibgatullah had been detained since March 2025 and appeared via video link from Quetta District Jail. Defence lawyers said they intend to appeal, arguing the leadership is being judicially targeted for organising peaceful assemblies.

The broader legal proceedings against Dr Mahrang stem from a March 11, 2025 insurgent attack on the Jaffar Express train that killed 26 people. Investigators allege a crowd led by her subsequently stormed Civil Hospital Quetta and forcibly removed at least five bodies of slain militants from the mortuary. She was detained under the MPO Ordinance on March 22, 2025, with formal charges filed under Sections 11-EE and 11-F of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.

Dr Mahrang, a medical graduate of Bolan Medical College, rose to prominence as a leading voice in rights-based activism in Balochistan, while co-convict Sibghatullah is a senior BYC organiser from Kech district with a political family background. Dr Mahrang was also named in the BBC 100 Women 2024 list as well as the TIME100 Next 2024 list.

Civil society condemns verdict

Civil society representatives also condemned the ATC’s decision to sentence Dr Mahrang to life imprisonment calling for ‘peaceful political solution’: