Meet Mahrang Baloch, young activist who is challenging Pakistani Army

Around 200 female protesters were arrested in Pakistan as they entered the capital. The protesters were marching across the country for weeks against alleged enforced disappearances of men in Balochistan province. Among those arrested was the protesters' leader Mahrang Baloch. 

Mahrang Baloch said on social media platform, X, 'under attack by the Islamabad police'. 

Who is Mahrang Baloch?

Mahrang Baloch is a Baloch human rights activist from Balochistan, Pakistan. She has been fighting against the oppression in Balochistan such as unlawfully enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killing by authorities. 

Manrang was born to a Baloch Muslim family and has 5 sisters and 1 brother. Her family belongs to the Kalat, Balochistan. Mahrang is a doctor by profession and her father Abdul Gaffar Baloch was a labourer and a left-wing political activist. 

The activist's father was forcibly abducted in 2009 by Pakistan authorities while he was going to the hospital in Karachi. Mahrang was only 16 years old at the time. She started protesting and became popular in the student resistance movement. 

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Mahrang's father was found dead in 2011 with signs of torture. Mahrang's brother was abducted in 2017 and was detained for over three months.  Since then she has been a prominent figure in the Baloch resistance movement.