DrMahrang Baloch, a renowned Baloch nationalist and human rights activist, was stopped from boarding an international flight at Karachi Airport.According to the sources, Mahrang Baloch was trying to fly to the United States via a foreign airline when airport authorities prevented her from leaving the country due to her name being on the immigration stop list.According to airport sources, Mahrang’s travel plans were thwarted as her name appeared on a government no-fly list. The reason for her inclusion on this list has not yet been clarified by officials. Time magazine last week included Baloch in its prestigious ‘Time100 Next’ list which spotlights 100 personalities that shape the future of business, entertainment, sports, politics, science, health and more. Baloch, 31, was featured in the list for “advocating peacefully for Baloch rights.”
As the leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), Mahrang has been a vocal opponent of extrajudicial killings, disappearances, and the exploitation of Balochistan’s natural resources. Mahrang’s activism dates back to her father’s abduction in 2009, and she has since emerged as a significant figure in Balochistan’s human rights movement. Over the years, she has led numerous protests, including the 2023 Baloch Long March from Turbat to Islamabad, demanding an end to enforced disappearances. Meanwhile, Mahrang Baloch has accused the government of preventing her from attending a Time magazine event by illegally offloading her from a New York-bound flight, claiming the action reflected the state’s “growing fear and insecurity” toward Baloch voices.
In a post on social media platform X, Baloch said she was offloaded from her flight to New York by a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) official “without any valid or legal justification,” adding that her passport was also confiscated by the official when the flight took off. “I was unjustly stopped at Karachi International Airport with no legal or valid given reason, which is a clear violation of my fundamental right to freedom of movement,” Baloch claimed.
