Dr Mahrang Baloch, a prominent Baloch human rights defender, was arrested by Pakistani police on 22 March 2025 during a peaceful sit-in protest in Quetta.
It is reported that for nearly 12 hours, her whereabouts remained unknown, and now Dr Blaoch along with her younger sister Mehran-e-Sareng, and two others are being held at Hudda District Prison in Quetta.
UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor, expressed deep concern over Dr Baloch’s arrest, highlighting the crackdown on Baloch Yakjehti Committee protesters in Quetta. She also urged immediate attention to the detention of Baloch human rights defenders in Balochistan.
Thousands of Baloch people have been forcibly disappeared, tortured, and executed by the state, yet their suffering is conveniently ignored. The hijacking of the Jaffar Express in Balochistan this week has once again drawn attention to the region’s long-running insurgency, highlighting the desperation of a people who have been denied justice for generations.
The Baloch people’s struggle for self-determination is not new. Since Balochistan’s forced annexation by Pakistan in 1948, the state has exploited its vast natural resources while keeping the province in crushing poverty. The region remains one of the most heavily militarized in Pakistan, with security forces routinely carrying out raids, abductions, and extrajudicial killings. Yet, despite this glaring evidence of systematic repression, the world remains silent.
Before being arrested, Dr Baloch’s call to the international community exposes the stark hypocrisy in global human rights advocacy. While Western governments, media, and activists are quick to denounce certain countries, they remain eerily silent on the decades-long atrocities committed by the Pakistan in Balochistan.
Selective activism has played a major role in this neglect. In Australia, certain politicians and advocacy groups are quick to condemn India for alleged human rights abuses, often parroting narratives pushed by Islamist and Khalistani elements with their own political agendas. These same groups, however, remain conspicuously silent on Pakistan’s crimes in Balochistan. Their outrage is not rooted in genuine human rights concerns but in geopolitical calculations. When human rights advocacy becomes selective, it loses credibility and exposes itself as little more than political propaganda.
The hijacking of the Jaffar Express by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), as Mehrzaad Baluch argues, was not an isolated act of militancy but a symptom of Pakistan’s failed policies in Balochistan. Decades of political marginalization, economic exploitation, and brutal repression have pushed some Baloch groups to take up arms. The Pakistani state’s refusal to address Baloch grievances through dialogue has only fuelled further unrest.
Following the Jaffar Express hijacking, Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Neil Hawkins swiftly condemned the incident, stating, “The Australian Government condemns the attack and hijacking of the #JaffarExpress Train in Balochistan province in Pakistan. We offer our deepest sympathies to all those affected. Australia stands with Pakistan at this difficult time.”
This statement was later echoed by Gemma Huggins, the newly appointed Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism. While terrorism should never be justified, it is crucial to ask: why do Australian officials find their voices only when Pakistan is under attack, yet remain silent when Pakistan commits egregious human rights violations in Balochistan?
Australia has provided aid to Balochistan through the Pakistani government, focusing on humanitarian relief, governance, gender equality, and development. Key initiatives include supporting Afghan refugees, improving education, and addressing malnutrition. Australia contributed $56.3 million (2010–2022) to a World Bank-administered fund for crisis recovery in border regions, including Balochistan. Aid programs have targeted maternal and child nutrition, infrastructure, and education. Despite bilateral aid ceasing in 2019-20, funding continues through global programs. Australia has committed AUD 39 million to fight malnutrition, addressing Balochistan’s severe stunting rates. Development aid has aimed to alleviate poverty, enhance economic opportunities, and improve health and education access. However, despite these efforts, Australia has never openly criticised Pakistan for its human rights violations in Balochistan or supported the region’s struggle against state oppression.
In fact, Pakistan has effectively shielded itself from Australian scrutiny by leveraging its alliances, particularly with China, and framing its military operations in Balochistan under the guise of counterterrorism.
No wonder that Western governments, eager to maintain strategic ties with Pakistan, have chosen to overlook its repression of the Baloch people. This silence stands in stark contrast to the vocal support these same governments offer to other beleaguered ethnic groups. The double standards are glaring!
But ignoring Balochistan will not make the conflict disappear. Pakistan’s brutal military tactics have only deepened the crisis, creating a cycle of violence that will not end without meaningful intervention. Human rights organizations, international media, and policymakers must break their silence. Selective activism only serves to perpetuate oppression, and until Pakistan government and army are held accountable, the Baloch people’s suffering will continue unabated.
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