QUETTA: An anti-terrorism court in Quetta on Monday sentenced prominent Baloch rights activist Dr Mahrang Baloch and her co-accused, Sibghatullah, to two concurrent life imprisonment terms each after convicting them in the killing of a Frontier Corps (FC) official during a protest in 2024.
Judge Muhammad Ali Mubeen of the Anti-Terrorism Court-I found both accused guilty of terrorism and the murder of FC official Shabbir Ahmed, who was killed during the “Baloch Raji Muchi” (Baloch National Gathering) demonstration organised by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) in Gwadar in July 2024.
According to the prosecution, Ahmed died after being struck by a stone during the protest. The state maintained that Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah, also known as Shah Jee, were legally responsible for the official’s death.
In its written judgment, the court ruled that both accused had actively participated in the unlawful assembly and shared a common intention in the killing. They were convicted under Sections 302-B, 147 and 148 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The court also directed each convict to pay Rs200,000 in compensation to the legal heirs of the deceased official. Failure to pay the compensation will result in an additional six months’ imprisonment.
Both Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah have remained in custody since March 2025 in separate cases. They attended the trial through a video link from Quetta District Jail.
Defence lawyers said they would challenge the verdict before the high court, maintaining that the BYC leadership was being prosecuted for organising peaceful public demonstrations.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee has led campaigns and long marches against alleged enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan, with its protests frequently drawing large crowds and prompting security crackdowns.
Separate anti-terrorism cases
According to investigators, broader legal proceedings against Mahrang Baloch and other BYC members began after the March 11, 2025, attack on the Jaffar Express train, in which 26 people were killed.
Authorities alleged that following a security operation against the attackers, a crowd led by Mahrang entered the mortuary at Civil Hospital Quetta and removed the bodies of at least five suspected militants. Cases were subsequently registered against her and several associates.
Mahrang was detained under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance on March 22, 2025, while another BYC leader, Gulzadi Baloch, was arrested on April 11 in connection with the same incident.
The charges against Mahrang under the Anti-Terrorism Act include Sections 11-EE and 11-F, which relate to individuals placed on the Fourth Schedule and those accused of supporting proscribed organisations.
Profile of the convicts
Dr Mahrang Baloch is a medical doctor who graduated from Bolan Medical College. Originally belonging to the Lango tribe of Kalat district, her family has long resided in Quetta. She gained national prominence through campaigns highlighting alleged enforced disappearances and other human rights issues in Balochistan.
Sibghatullah, widely known as Shah Jee, is a senior organiser of the BYC from Turbat in Kech district. He is the son of the late Maulana Abdul Haq Baloch, a former member of the National Assembly and a well-known religious and political figure.
