As protests intensify across Balochistan and parts of Pakistan, Baloch women have emerged at the forefront of a growing civil resistance—only to be met with harsh crackdowns by state forces. From Karachi to Quetta, female voices demanding justice for missing loved ones are being silenced with arrests, violence, and intimidation.
Over the past year, a disturbing pattern has unfolded: peaceful demonstrations led by Baloch women, many of whom are mothers, sisters, and daughters of the disappeared, are increasingly targeted by Pakistan’s security establishment. These women are not calling for violence, but for answers—seeking accountability for decades of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings allegedly carried out in the name of national security.
In March, eight Baloch women were arrested in Hub for peacefully protesting the recent disappearance of four local youth. Their sit-in was dispersed with force. Witnesses reported tear gas, batons, and verbal abuse. The detained women were taken to undisclosed locations and released only after mounting public pressure.
“These arrests are not just unlawful—they are symbolic of how the state fears the voices of grieving mothers more than any armed insurgency,” said Shaheena Noor, a human rights advocate based in Turbat.
Earlier this year, a protest led by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee in Lyari, Karachi was met with an overwhelming police response. Dozens of protesters were detained, including women who had marched peacefully with photographs of their missing family members. Despite international outcry, no official investigation into the crackdown has been initiated.
In Islamabad, a December 2023 demonstration outside the National Press Club turned violent when security forces arrested more than 50 women. Video footage showed unarmed protesters being dragged into police vans, many clutching placards bearing names of the missing.
“These women are not just victims—they are leaders of a nonviolent movement that threatens to expose uncomfortable truths,” said Dr. Nadia Baloch, a political analyst.
One of the most prominent figures in this movement, Mahrang Baloch, has faced repeated harassment. Despite international recognition—including being named among TIME’s Most Influential Emerging Leaders—she was barred from traveling abroad last year and has faced ongoing surveillance and intimidation.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), have condemned the state’s response as a gross violation of fundamental freedoms. The HRCP recently issued a statement calling for an immediate end to the use of force against peaceful protesters and the unconditional release of all detainees.
But beyond the statements and hashtags, the reality remains grim. Women in Balochistan continue to protest, not knowing whether they will return home—or become the next name on a missing persons list.
The question now is whether the world is willing to look beyond diplomatic interests and listen to the voices echoing from Pakistan’s most silenced province.
