Pakistani Rights Activist Shines on ‘Time100 Next’ 2024 List
ISLAMABAD: Dr. Mahrang Baloch, a dedicated doctor and ethnic Baloch rights activist, has been honored by Time magazine in its annual Time100 Next list, recognizing her commitment to advocating peacefully for Baloch rights.
Since its inception in 2019, the Time100 Next list highlights 100 emerging leaders who are shaping the future across various sectors, including politics, science, and social justice.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s southwestern province, has faced a severe state crackdown on a separatist insurgency, leading to numerous allegations of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, with families and activists holding security forces responsible—claims that the authorities deny.
Dr. Baloch, now 31, became an activist at just 16, following the 2009 disappearance of her father, Abdul Gaffar Langove, an activist himself. Her protests against his abduction quickly garnered attention, making her a prominent figure in the student resistance movement in Balochistan. Tragically, her father’s body was discovered in 2011, showing signs of torture.
Today, she leads the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, a civil rights movement advocating for the Baloch people. Last December, she spearheaded a significant long march to Islamabad with hundreds of women, demanding justice for their “disappeared” loved ones. Earlier this year, she organized the Baloch Raji Muchi gathering in Gwadar, aimed at uniting the Baloch community against ongoing rights abuses.
In its announcement, Time noted, “With many of the community’s men missing or dead, women like Mahrang are now at the helm advocating peacefully for Baloch rights.” The magazine praised her efforts for bringing “unprecedented attention to the Baloch struggle,” and Dr. Baloch remains hopeful that the momentum she has generated will continue to grow.
