Balochistan, Pakistan’s southwestern province, has long been riven by strife. The province is Pakistan’s poorest, yet it is home to many of the country’s national resources – a contradiction not lost on the native Baloch people, who see a tendency by the country’s leaders to exploit their homeland. Unaddressed Baloch grievances have fueled a bloody history of insurrection, and the government has responded with a security crackdown.
Amid these longstanding dynamics, a new force has emerged: the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC). Beginning in 2020, the movement – largely led by Baloch women – has focused on peaceful protests demanding the basic rights of Baloch people, especially an end to enforced disappearances. In this exclusive interest, BYC leader Dr. Mahrang Baloch speaks to journalist Dilshad Baluch about the movement, the state’s response, and the future of Baloch rights in Pakistan.
Could you please provide a brief background on the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC)? When and why was it formed, what were its initial objectives, and how has it evolved over time?
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) traces its origins to the Bramsh Yakjehti Committee, which was formed after Malik Naz was brutally killed by state-backed death squads in Balochistan [in May 2020]. The movement was launched to seek justice for her and to amplify the voice of her daughter, Bramsh.
During this period, Banok Karima Baloch was assassinated in Canada, and Hayat Baloch, a student at Karachi University, was killed by Frontier Corps firing in Balochistan. Witnessing these injustices and the increasing human rights violations by the Pakistani state, the movement evolved. Recognizing the widening gap in Baloch politics due to Pakistan’s escalating crackdown on the Baloch movement, the Bramsh Yakjehti Committee was restructured and renamed as the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC).
In 2023, the BYC led a historic march following the extrajudicial killing of Balach Maula Bakhsh by the Counter-Terrorism Department. This march, protesting enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the genocide of Baloch people, started from Turbat, Balochistan, and reached Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital. Since then, BYC has organized several major protests, including the Baloch National Gathering in Gwadar and the Baloch National Gathering in Dalbandin, continuing its struggle for justice and human rights in Balochistan.
Pakistan’s military and political figures – including Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, former Acting Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai, and Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti – have repeatedly accused the BYC of being a foreign-funded proxy and linked it to insurgent groups. State officials allege that the BYC’s leadership serves as a front for insurgent groups and criminal networks, working to discredit state institutions through foreign-backed narratives. How do you respond to these claims?
The allegations by state officials portraying the BYC as a facilitator or supporter of insurgent groups are merely an excuse to dismiss its genuine movement. This tactic is used to equate the oppressed’s narrative with the state’s narrative, justifying repression. Any voice raised from Balochistan is immediately labeled as an enemy of Pakistan or its Army, and legitimate concerns and demands are systematically ignored.
This pattern is evident in past instances, such as when Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, during discussions on enforced disappearances amid the Baloch Long March, attempted to link the issue to militant organizations. By doing so, he sought to justify state violence through false associations and diversionary tactics.
The state has launched a massive digital assault, with thousands of troll accounts spreading lies about the BYC and its leaders. State officials and the Pakistani media allege that the BYC recruits students and sends them abroad for militant training. What is your response to these accusations? Why is the government so determined to spread disinformation about the BYC?
From the beginning, we have never given importance to state-backed propaganda. We understand that the state has a strong grip on media – whether print, electronic, or social media – and uses various tactics to impose its narrative through baseless allegations. However, what truly matters to us is what our people think. The trust and confidence we have gained among the Baloch masses is our genuine source of support.
In response to this, the state has resorted to fabricating narratives to discredit us. This only reaffirms that we are on the right path. We have never engaged with state propaganda because it is illogical and irrelevant, designed solely to distract us from our struggle.
Pakistani media often pressures you to condemn Baloch armed organizations while ignoring the state’s systemic violence. At the same time, Pakistani journalists and state-backed outlets have repeatedly linked the BYC with militant groups. How do you view the role of Pakistani media in shaping public perception of the Baloch struggle, and has there ever been any credible evidence to support these allegations? What do you think is the motive behind these repeated attempts to associate the BYC’s peaceful movement with militant groups?
To this day, the allegations and accusations made by the Pakistani state against the BYC lack logic and reasoning. The primary cause of insurgency and militancy in Balochistan is the state’s own policies. Its violent approach has pushed Baloch youth toward militant groups – something that the BYC has no role or involvement in. The BYC’s movement is solely against the Baloch genocide carried out by the state. The current allegations, propaganda, and disinformation against the BYC are merely an attempt to justify the state’s failures and its use of violence. By falsely linking the BYC to militancy, the state seeks to deflect attention from the collapse of law and order and its colonial-style rule over Balochistan. These accusations serve only as a distraction from the real issue – state oppression.
The state regularly accuses the BYC of being funded by foreign entities. Journalists like Mubashir Luqman and Ghareeda Farooqi have claimed that your activism is backed by foreign entities, including India, the U.S., and the EU. How do you counter these allegations? And can you clarify how the BYC finances its activities?
We understand that one of the biggest allegations against the BYC is related to its funding. However, since its creation, Pakistan itself has been dependent on foreign funds. The country runs on foreign aid and has historically engaged in proxy wars – this has been its fundamental status.
Today, to discredit genuine movements, Pakistan falsely accuses them of being foreign-funded. From the very beginning, we have made it clear that our greatest support comes from the Baloch masses, who stand with us at every level. During every BYC-led movement, the Baloch nation has provided its unwavering support. The state’s claim that the BYC is funded by the U.S. or the EU is contradictory. If these countries were truly funding the BYC, why do their embassies and offices remain operational in Pakistan’s capital? Pakistan also enjoys GSP+ trade status granted by the European Union. If the state does not trust these global powers, then perhaps its entire approach to international relations should change. Ultimately, these baseless accusations serve only as a tool for propaganda against BYC’s genuine movement.
Many human rights groups have spoken about enforced disappearances in Balochistan, but the BYC is still facing suppression. Some Pakistani officials and journalists argue that missing persons have joined militant organizations or have gone abroad. How do you address this narrative?
Enforced disappearances in Pakistan are a harsh reality that cannot be justified. Any official attempting to justify them only undermines their own credibility. This practice is not new, nor is it limited to Balochistan – it exists across Pakistan, though Balochistan remains the most affected region. The accusation that missing persons have joined militant organizations or fled abroad lacks logic and evidence.
Enforced disappearances have effectively been legalized in Pakistan’s Constitution through preventive detention laws. Even mainstream journalists in Pakistan have fallen victim to enforced disappearances, with their cases still under trial in the Supreme Court. Furthermore, Pakistan has not signed the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, making it clear that the state refuses to commit to international accountability. The reason is evident – Pakistan itself is responsible for this crime.
The BYC leads a peaceful struggle for Baloch rights. How do you ensure your message of nonviolent resistance remains clear in the face of aggressive state-backed disinformation and media attacks?
It is a reality that media is a powerful tool in Pakistan, but it is used by the state to spread disinformation and shape public opinion. However, our greatest strength is that the Baloch masses stand with us, and we remain present among them. The BYC has a broad and growing membership, which is not limited to a specific group. It includes supporters and volunteers who ideologically align with our movement and believe in our cause.
On one side, there is state-backed propaganda, and on the other, there is our genuine voice and agenda, which is solely for the Baloch people. There are no vested political interests involved; if there are any political concerns, they belong to the entire Baloch nation. Because of the BYC’s unwavering agenda, the Baloch nation continues to stand with us. No matter how much disinformation or propaganda the state spreads, it will not weaken the BYC. Instead, these false narratives only serve to strengthen our movement and further expose the state’s repression.
You have been personally targeted by numerous troll accounts and bot networks spreading false accusations, from claims of foreign funding to links with insurgent groups and so on. A fabricated audio recording during Baloch National Gathering Gwadar was circulated attempting to show you coordinating funding for protests. What do you think is the purpose behind such tactics? How do these attacks affect you personally, and what would you like to say in response to those who use these tactics to discredit you and BYC?
Today, Pakistan’s state-backed accounts have made the BYC’s leadership their primary target, and I am among those being targeted. My family has also been dragged into this propaganda – my brother, younger sister, and other family members have been subjected to false accusations. This propaganda has had personal consequences for me, affecting my freedom of movement, making it difficult for me to travel safely or work without fear. Additionally, these false narratives have been directed at my family, myself, and especially my father, with deliberate attempts to distort his political identity.
However, I understand that this is not a new tactic – it is an ill-mannered and uncivilized strategy that has been used before. Martyred Banok Karima was also a victim of such character assassination, as were many mainstream politicians in Pakistan. The sole purpose of this propaganda is to morally weaken political activists. This is not just a political attack but also a psychological war, where unethical and unfair means are used. Women, in particular, are prime targets in our society, especially within Pakistan’s corrupt and deeply regressive mindset. Despite these efforts, such tactics will not break our resilience.
Could you please share some other specific examples of the propaganda and disinformation campaigns used against both you and the BYC? How have these attacks impacted your activism and the movement as a whole?
There is a large-scale disinformation campaign against the BYC, with the state frequently linking it to militant organizations. One of the most common false narratives is the association of missing persons in the BYC’s movement with suicide bombers. There have been multiple instances where, after a suicide attack, the state’s propaganda machinery has circulated photoshopped and edited images, falsely claiming that those who were previously declared missing persons by the BYC were actually responsible for the attack. This is a highly dangerous trend aimed at criminalizing victims of enforced disappearances.
Beyond this, personal attacks have been directed at me and my family, including leaking personal photos and spreading false narratives. This has become one of the primary tools of state-backed media. Additionally, digital and television media have played a major role in spreading disinformation. Recently, Geo News aired false news, claiming that the FBR [Federal Board of Revenue] had investigated Dr. Mahrang’s account and found a large sum of money. However, this was completely fabricated and part of the state’s continued propaganda efforts to discredit the BYC’s leadership.
Despite all these challenges, the BYC is growing stronger. What is the long-term goal of the movement, and how does the BYC’s leadership plan to sustain the struggle in the face of increasing repression?
The BYC’s long-term vision is to remain deeply connected with the Baloch masses and build a strong, resilient platform that can support them in the most difficult and challenging situations. The movement aims to unite the Baloch nation against the ongoing genocide, bridge divisions within society, and create a collective resistance. A key objective is to decentralize politics, ensuring that political discourse and activism are not limited to urban centers but also reach remote areas of Balochistan, including villages and huts. The BYC is committed to making political awareness and representation accessible to all segments of Baloch society.
