Mahrang Baloch has put her in the driving seat of the struggle that has beset the Baloch people in Balochistan and seeks liberty and fairness for the deprived. She has become active in human rights, particularly for the Balochistan people and women, which has been especially attention-grabbing in the national and international press. This blog offers an account of Mahrang Baloch’s role in the struggle, challenges, and status as the leading Baloch activist. It also endeavors to know more about her background, whether Mahrang Baloch is married, what happened to her, and why she was recently restricted from traveling abroad for an interview.

Who Is Mahrang Baloch?

Mahrang Baloch is a leading activist in human rights today from one of Pakistan’s most neglected provinces- Balochistan. Dr. Mahrang Baloch has not only argued for the political freedom of the Baloch but also for the freedom of women of Balochistan, who have also been ignored in political as well as social crusades.

Despite having substantial reserves of gas and minerals, Balochistan, including its people, continues to be one of the most deprived provinces in Pakistan. These grievances over the years have triggered agitation for either greater self-rule or an outright secession for the Balochistan people. In this respect, Mahrang Baloch has unveiled herself as one of the prominent human rights activists who fight for humans especially women and men of Balochistan.

The Early Life of Mahrang Baloch

There is little information about Mahrang Baloch’s childhood up to the present because it is typical for political activists coming from areas like Balochistan, where the authorities crack down violently on political opponents. But, still, what we understand is that Mahrang Baloch continued her studies up to the college level and has the honor of the qualification of “Doctor”. Dr. Mahrang Baloch successfully combined her college education and her activity in political and human rights organizations starting from an early age.

What Happened to Mahrang Baloch?

Like many activists, Mahrang Baloch has faced threats and obstacles as part of her activism. As it is common in the host country to suppress any sign of voicing an opposition, Mahrang Baloch has not had it easy. Questions such as what happened to Mahrang Baloch is a question that has been asked many by many, especially in the recent past by the time she was arrested and information that she was prevented from traveling out for an interview.

Mahrang Baloch was only recently arrested by Pakistani authorities for her activist-related activities and outspoken condemnation of state policies in Balochistan. The Balochistan people have been, for years, deprived of their rights to free speech, the rule of law, and security, and Mahrang has not been silent about any of these injustices.

Still, the incident of Mahrang Baloch also falls in a spectrum of Balochistan activists who have faced repression. As it is evident, like many other sisters like her, Mahrang Baloch was arrested to neutralize her activism. But this act of the state only served to further the publicity of her plight across Pakistan and the world.

Why Was Mahrang Baloch Barred From Going Abroad?

One of the last events in the life of Mahrang Baloch, who headed a protest group of victims of ‘honor killing’, is that she was prohibited from traveling to another country for an interview. This happened when she was invited to speak at an international forum where she had to talk about the human rights abuses in Balochistan.

Notably, many Balochistan activists have some limitations in their mobility, especially in their desire to travel abroad. This is because the state feels that activists such as Mahrang Baloch will provide information about the prevailing repression and human rights abuses in Balochistan to international forums. That way, the state even deprived Mahrang Baloch of the opportunity to testify to the international committees, thus exerting efforts to mute her on the international level.

The decision to not allow Mahrang Baloch to travel abroad was heavily criticized by all human rights organizations as the former was a blatant violation of her rights to free movement and freedom of speech. Nevertheless, Mahrang Baloch has continued to fight for the Balochistan people and has not stopped sending out her messages even when some of these limitations were imposed on her.

The Baloch People And Their Struggle for Autonomy

Before proceeding, it is important to get a brief background on Mahrang Baloch and the larger question of the Baloch people and their fight for freedom. Baluchistan is the biggest province in Pakistan; however, it is still the backward province in the country. For decades the Balochistan people have had the impression that their gas and minerals are being utilized by the federal government to the extent that there is no trickle-down effect on the people of the province.

This sense of exploitation has led to an increase in nationalist tendencies among the Balochs, and many are now claiming either a higher form of self-rule or secessionism. The Balochistan people have been subjected to genocide for decades, with hundreds of Baloch activists and political leaders being arrested, abducted, or martyred. Nevertheless, the movement is still on, and thanks to people like Mahrang Baloch the cause is sustained.

Mahrang Baloch Arrested: The Price of Activism

Signifying the Baloch struggle, Mahrang Baloch was not the only Baloch girl to be arrested and harassed by the Pakistani forces. Mahrang Baloch was arrested as one of the region’s numerous activists and political dissenters. Most of the Baloch activists are targeted by the state, especially those who demand human rights in Balochistan. It should be noted that Mahrang Baloch actively advocated for protest against the miseries of the Baloch people and was arrested.

Her arrest caused anger, and people all over the world, particularly Pakistan, gave it as an attempt to keep her from expressing herself. Mahrang Baloch’s arrest turned into an emblem of the state’s approach towards the general suppression of voices from Balochistan, more specifically, with women who are advancing towards positions of leadership.

The Place and Position Of Balochistan Women In The Fight

One of the most interesting things about Mahrang Baloch is that she is one of the growing numbers of Balochistan women actively involved in political struggle. The society of the Baloch people has always been very conservative; women did not go out to work, and their roles were strictly limited to household jobs. But now, females like Mahrang Baloch have come forward as Baloch leaders and are fighting the state and social system.

Mahrang Baloch has been leading this movement for women of Balochistan to claim their right to get out into the public sphere and to be equally employed as men. Her activism focuses on issues of gender and politics in Balochistan; despite being able to vote, Baloch women come under pressure from the state and society regarding how much they are allowed to participate in politics.

Balochistan And Its Struggles

Balochistan, as inhabited by Balochistan people, has always remained a strategic and economic resource zone. It contains huge deposits of natural resources that constitute a commendable proportion of its contribution to Pakistan’s economy; however, it is one of the most backward provinces. This has created a paradox, which ignites the anger of the Baloch people that their resources are being imported by the central government; little of it is being returned to the Baloch population.

The Balochistan people have also not been privileged to enjoy good enough political representation. The province has for decades now been under military and civil rule and has not done much for the Baloch people. This has resulted in the emergence of nationalist politics, there are those foreigners who are calling for more power or even total independence of the province.

What Happened To Mahrong Baloch?

However, what happened with Mahrang Baloch is the continuation of her struggle against state domination apart from her recent arrest and restraint from traveling abroad. Mahrang Baloch has recently faced harassment and threats because of her activism, but she does not stop her fight. Her story is one of courage and strength in a situation that would likely either kill or incapacitate most people.

The case of Mahrang Baloch is a poster child of Balochistan’s fight. In addition to the above, many activists from the region, including Mahrang Baloch, have suffered losses and livelihoods because of their activism. He said she remains an icon for many in Balochistan, especially the Balochistan women who have followed her involvement in the political struggle for the province.

The Future Of Mahrang Baloch’s Activism

However difficult Mahrang Baloch has been in the fight for the freedom of Balochistan she is the icon for the struggle. They have only enhanced it after she was arrested and later released from custody. Despite the present continued oppression of its people, Mahrang Baloch still fervently stands for the Baluch demands and amplifies the voices of the missing, imprisoned, or killed supporters of the freedom fight.

It also focuses on Balochistan women and their responsibilities and place in politics. Mahrang Baloch not only strives for the rights of Baloch people but also for women’s rights and the rights of women who are suffering against bad traditions of male dominance in their home societies.

 The Legacy of Mahrang Baloch

Mahrang Baloch is an emblem of Baluchistan’s continuing resistance movement for self-governance. Through her activism she has raised awareness of Baloch people’s oppression and introduced Balochistan Women to the fight. From the routine complaining about state policies to joining protest demonstrations, Dr. Mahrang Baloch has proved throughout that she is a serious activist for the rights of her people.

Despite such questions as Mahrang Baloch, Is She Married or “What happened to Mahrang Baloch?” may interest some, but they do not detract from her tremendous contributions to the struggle for Balochistan’s liberation. Many continue to be inspired by her, especially the Balochistan women who now have someone to look up to as they struggle for their rights.

With the events in Balochistan unfolding in the manner they are, Mahrang Baloch will continue to play the role of the Baloch in the struggles for a free Balochistan and the right to exercise control of resources and have self-determination in the future.