PARIS, FRANCE: Dr. Naseem Baloch, Chairman of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), has strongly condemned the sentencing of Dr. Mahrang Baloch and her associates to life imprisonment, describing the ruling as a politically driven attempt to silence peaceful dissent in Balochistan.
Dr. Naseem Baloch shared his remarks in a video message on the social media platform X, where he criticised the verdict handed down by an Anti-Terrorism Court, arguing that it forms part of a broader and ongoing crackdown against Baloch political leaders and human rights defenders.
In the video, the BNM chairman stated that the sentencing represents an effort to intimidate activists and pressure Baloch leaders into abandoning their political stance, rather than a genuine application of justice.
“Rather than addressing legitimate grievances, the state continues to rely on coercive measures and politically motivated prosecutions to suppress peaceful voices,” Dr. Naseem Baloch said in his video message.
The BNM chairman further argued that the prosecution of Dr. Mahrang Baloch and her colleagues reflects a systematic pattern of criminalising political activism in the region — particularly advocacy against enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and other reported human rights violations in Balochistan.
Dr. Mahrang Baloch, a prominent physician-turned-activist, has been a leading voice in campaigns against the disappearance of Baloch individuals at the hands of Pakistani security forces. Her conviction by an Anti-Terrorism Court has drawn widespread criticism from human rights organisations and political groups both within Pakistan and abroad.
