When authoritarian governments commit injustice and treat citizens unfairly, the judiciary is often seen as the last refuge—where hope persists that justice will prevail. But in the case of Dr. Mahrang Baloch, who was jailed, on April 15, 2025, under a 3MPO charge, the Balochistan High Court extinguished what little hope remained. Rather than ruling on the legality of her detention, the court converted the petition into a representation and transferred the matter to the Balochistan Home Secretary.
In doing so, the court effectively surrendered its authority to the provincial government—an administration that, many in Balochistan believe, is too fragile to approve even basic appointments, let alone decide matters of civil liberties.
Mahrang has emerged as a powerful voice—not just in Balochistan, but across Pakistan and on international platforms. Through the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), she has given voice to the families of those abducted or killed in extrajudicial operations.
The state, it seems, had long intended to silence her. Her arrest marked the beginning of a sweeping and brutal crackdown on the BYC. Key members of its leadership—Sabghatullah Shah, Beebow Baloch, Gulzadi Baloch, and Bebarg Baloch—have all been detained, while others remain under threat. To exert further pressure, the government even detained the fathers of Beebow and Sabiha Baloch.
Recent reports suggest that Mahrang, along with Gulzadi and Beebow, were tortured in custody. Beebow was reportedly transferred to a separate jail cell in an effort to coerce Mahrang into accepting conditions that would curtail both her political activism and the BYC’s activism—conditions she has refused to accept.
Such harsh actions by Islamabad are not new. The Baloch people have endured brutal violence since 1948. These crackdowns do not silence dissent—they deepen the wounds. Mahrang, in interview after interview, called not for rebellion but for justice and an end to state violence. Instead of heeding her appeals, the government jailed her and her Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) colleagues.
Her message has always been simple: do justice, end human rights violations. But in an authoritarian system, even a peaceful voice becomes unbearable. That is why the state has tried to break her.
What the government fails to understand is this: you cannot break someone who seeks to heal. Mahrang Baloch is unassailable—because her strength lies not in force, but in her demand for dignity and justice.
It is the state’s responsibility to protect justice, not crush it. The judiciary, whose primary duty is to uphold justice, instead deferred that duty to the very government that imposed the 3MPO order on Mahrang in the first place. Can a government that unlawfully detains citizens now be expected to deliver justice? Even a child in Balochistan would know the answer.
As stated before, these wounds are not new. And these tactics—built on fear and injustice—will not strengthen the state; they will suffocate it. The question now lies with those in power: will they let justice die under authoritarian rule, or will they let it breathe again?
