Farhatullah Babar, former senator and senior PPP leader, has raised concerns over recent remarks by the military spokesperson against Mahrang Baloch, head of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC). He warned against calling Mahrang, her group, or anyone else a terrorist without solid evidence or due legal process.
Speaking on the issue, Farhatullah Babar about Mahrang Baloch expressed that such declarations are not only “extremely problematic” but could also “backfire” and damage the credibility of state institutions.
This was in response to a recent press conference by DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry. He accused the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) of being a “proxy of terrorism” and urged the media to “unmask” the group and its members. He linked the BYC’s human rights activism, especially on Balochistan missing persons, to suspected militants.
During the press briefing, Lt Gen Chaudhry mentioned the Jaffer Express hijacking, where over 400 people held hostage by the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). He questioned the BYC’s role in claiming the attackers’ bodies, saying, “Who is she and who are they to claim terrorists’ bodies? It is clear the BYC is a proxy of terrorism.”
However, Farhatullah Babar countered this narrative through a detailed post on X (formerly Twitter), urging caution. “It is unwise and dangerous to mount a high horse without knowing how to dismount. Curb the impulse to dub rights defenders as terrorists,” he wrote. His stance emphasized the importance of due process, especially when the group in question has not banned by Nacta (National Counter Terrorism Authority).
Although the BYC remains off Nacta’s list of proscribed organisations, Mahrang Baloch herself listed individually under proscribed persons. She has been in custody since March, facing allegations that she attempted to claim the bodies of the Jaffer Express attackers and incited violence — charges her supporters claim are baseless.
On the eve of her arrest, Mahrang and several BYC members were protesting in Quetta against alleged enforced disappearances in Balochistan — a long-standing issue in the region. These protests have often drawn national and international attention due to the sensitive human rights concerns they raise.
In a response shared via her sister Nadia Baloch, Mahrang defended her activism, calling it “peaceful, principled, and grounded in universal human rights values.” She strongly refuted the DG ISPR’s allegations, asking, “Where is the evidence?” and claimed the press conference had distorted her message.
Her statement reiterated that she has always condemned violence — regardless of whether it comes from state actors or non-state actors — and reiterated her commitment to peaceful resistance.
In April, Mahrang and other members of the BYC went on a hunger strike to protest alleged torture in custody and the transfer of fellow activist Beebow Baloch to District Jail Pishin. A letter penned by Nadia Baloch to Chief Justice Yahya Afridi has since requested urgent intervention regarding the alleged mistreatment of BYC members in prison.
Farhatullah Babar about Mahrang Baloch highlighted these human rights violations, urging the state to uphold the rule of law and to resist the tendency to criminalise dissent, particularly when it relates to the complex issue of Balochistan’s missing persons.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee has been actively campaigning against enforced disappearances since 2018, becoming one of the most vocal advocacy groups on the ground. Their movement continues to spotlight alleged human rights abuses in the province, pushing for answers from authorities and accountability for missing individuals.
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