Dur Bibi highlights the various strategies Baloch women have taken over the years in order to demand accountability from the state.
Baloch women in resistance: A brief history
Balochistan is known to be a conservative, tribal, and patriarchal region where the activities of women are restricted. However, in the early 2000s, with the rise in enforced disappearances of Baloch men, it is Baloch women who spearheaded the movement and demanded accountability from the state. In 2008, it was Karima Baloch who made the bold decision to step out of her house and actively participate in politics. At the time, very few Baloch women were politically active. Karima Baloch had a rich tradition of Baloch women in resistance to look back at, and carry forward. Contrary to the patriarchal biases about modern Baloch culture, Baloch folklore is rich with tales of heroic women, such as Bibi Banari Shehak. She is celebrated in Baloch history for her bravery during the Battle of Chausa fought against Sher Shah Suri in 1539. Her steadfast spirit lifted the morale of Mir Chakar Rind’s army, and she has been immortalized in Balochi epic poetry:
Jumps Bandai, the daughter of Shellac
Raising her hands adorned with bangles
And she struck them against her thighs
Smashing her nine lined-bangles.7
During Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s 1973 military operation in Balochistan, women such as Bibi Gahnwari Marri not only nursed wounded resistance fighters, but also physically resisted the Pakistani forces by blocking their paths. When male family members were imprisoned, Marri women took on the role of protectors and caretakers of their homes and communities. Our elders tell us Bibi Gahnwari used to tend the wounded Marri Baloch, and provide ration to the men who had taken to the mountains, men who were defending their villages, families, and livestock against the Pakistani army’s aggression.
Increasing state repression and Baloch women
In 2005, conflict in Balochistan was triggered11 by the rape of Dr. Shazia Khalid, in the town of Sui. A military officer allegedly committed the rape, but never admitted to the crime. The military establishment’s effort to cover up the incident triggered a series of attacks against the Defense Security Guards and the Frontier Constabulary (FC) by members of the Bugti tribe. At the time, Pakistani authorities presented the conflict as the fabrication of opportunistic sardars.13 From 2008 onwards, thousands of people, including political workers, human rights activists, academics, doctors, and lawyers were abducted, and many have been killed.
Years later, the conflict in the Baloch region continues. Military operations were stopped, but across the province, people have been abducted, killed, and their bodies abandoned. These acts are widely referred to as kill and dump15 operations. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW) as well as the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), most of these disappearances have been perpetrated by Pakistan’s intelligence agencies and the Frontier Corps, often acting in conjunction with the local police.
In 2007, a number of women saw no other option but to organize themselves against escalating state repression. They formed the Baloch Women’s Panel, and held a press conference in Karachi on 29th July 2007. Speaking at the press conference at Karachi Press Club, BWP members Hani Baloch and Shakar Bibi said the government’s oppression against the Baloch people had forced women to come out on the streets. They also announced a hunger strike from 30th July till August 14th for the recovery of missing people.
The “kill-and-dump” policy initiated in 2009 intensified the Baloch struggle, leading to a new wave of women-led protests. Women such as Farzana Majeed, sister of Zakir Majeed, and Sammi Deen, daughter of Dr Deen Muhamad Baloch, took to the streets, spearheading peaceful demonstrations. Following them, other sisters, wives and mothers of missing people joined protests and demonstrated against the enforced disappearances by security forces. After being harassed multiple times by the state, Farzana Majeed moved to the United States, but Zakir’s mother continued to march on the streets.
If you want to see the grief and anger of a Baloch woman, look into Zakir Majeed’s mother’s eyes. Hard as stone, her eyes and voice tell her story. With Zakir’s picture in one hand, you can see her in Quetta, Karachi, or Islamabad alongside the hundreds of mothers, sisters, and daughters who have become a movement in themselves.
Karima: A beacon of resistance
Karima broke social barriers by organising political circles in remote areas like Awaran, Mashkay, and Gresha. Her first experience as an activist was in 2005, in Turbat, where she attended a protest over missing persons. She joined the Baloch Students Organisation (Azad) 21 in 2006, serving in several positions in the following years. The group was officially banned by the government in 2013, but its existence continued, and Karima became BSO’s first female chairperson in 2015.22
Karima was seen as a dangerous political actor and a threat to the nation’s security. Meanwhile, a thousand kilometers southwest, deep inside Balochistan, she was a hero. In an interview with Laura Secorun Palet in 2014, Karima said, “Ten years ago, the situation was completely different. When we [women] first came out into the streets for demonstrations, it looked odd to many, but now every family is proud of their females who are active in the nationalist movement.”24 She emphasised humility, advising female activists to avoid alienating other struggling communities. Despite eventually being forced into exile to Canada, Karima continued to fight for Baloch rights until she went missing in December 2020. Her body was found a few days later.
Women’s participation in human rights organizations
Baloch women have founded and led several human rights organizations that demand accountability from the Pakistani state on the issue of enforced disappearances. A founding member of the Baloch Human Rights Organization (BHRO), Bibi Gul Baloch is a vocal advocate for the Baloch people. She has collaborated with the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, the organization behind the 2014 Long March to Islamabad. Bibi Gul Baloch emphasises the need for unified action in order to address the human rights crisis in Balochistan.
As a consequence of her political activism, Bibi’s house in Balochistan has been raided several times. Bibi Gul’s sister-in-law, Mahal Baloch, is also a prominent Baloch activist who was arbitrarily detained by Pakistani security forces in 2021. Mahal’s case drew international attention, with Amnesty International and other human rights organisations calling for her release.
Founded in 2009, Voice for Balochistan Missing Persons records data on enforced disappearances, organizes protests, rallies, and hunger strike camps, and does the crucial work of facilitating the submission of first information reports (FIRs) to police stations and courts. The General Secretary of VBMP is Sammi Deen Baloch, 48 another key figure in the contemporary Baloch resistance movement.
Although the Baloch Women’s Forum (BWF) was founded in 2008, it was in 2022 that Zeen Gul, a school teacher from Punjgur, steered the expansion of its focus. Today, the BWF has implemented a range of programs that seek to benefit the lives of Baloch women. They organize literacy programs, conduct free medical camps, and offer free legal aid to women in need. The BWF strongly opposes military operations in Balochistan, which disproportionately impact women and children.
First Baloch Long March
Taking their cue from Chairman Mao and his comrades who marched six thousand miles, the Baloch resistance movement marched to the capital in 2014 to protest state repression. They began their journey on foot, first from Quetta to Karachi, and then from Karachi to Islamabad, spanning over 2,150 kilometres.18
This long march was initiated by Voice of Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), and included female activists Sammi Deen and Farzana Majeed who marched alongside nearly twenty families of missing people, mainly women and children. The rest of the country was forced to witness the blistered feet and other harsh conditions faced by these marchers.
The federal government turned a blind eye to them. As the caravan passed through various Baloch areas, many men, women, and children welcomed them, providing food and other essential items. This long march thereafter became a form of political training for emerging female activists from Balochistan.
The women behind the camps
In 2014, after the enforced disappearance of BSO-Azad Chairman Zahid Baloch, the BSO Azad announced a Hunger Strike camp, in front of Karachi Press Club. The BSO Azad’s central committee member Latif Johar observed a hunger strike till death. He was accompanied by both young and elderly women. Karima Baloch led the campaign for the missing chairman. Older women, such as Karima’s mother, as well as female college students also played central roles in sustaining the camp, showing the indomitable spirit of Baloch women. These protest camps have become hubs of political discourse, educating Pakistanis from various backgrounds.
After the enforced disappearance of her brother in 2016, Seema Baloch transitioned from a timid young woman to a fierce advocate for justice. Over the years, she has led protests, marched into high-security zones, and become a prominent face in the struggle for the missing.
Seema’s brother Shabir was an activist, spokesperson and Central Information Secretary of the Baloch Students Organization (Azad). He was 22-years-old when Pakistan’s security forces abducted him in Balochistan, on 4th October 2016. He is still missing.
Seema was pregnant when she first joined the rallies to campaign for her brother’s release. Her five-year-old son Meeras, and three-year-old daughter, Shari, have grown up in protest camps. They hold the photos of their uncle and chant, “missing persons ko baziab karo!” (Return all missing persons!)
“It was the first sentence Shari learned. Even at home, she starts chanting slogans. This breaks my heart, as I never wanted her to grow up like this,” says Seema.
Baloch women in the contemporary movement
In a region where women are confined to their homes, being politically active is a rebellion against patriarchal norms. Having grown up in a tribal society, Dr. Sabiha Baloch joined student politics before becoming involved in the BYC.
Sabiha’s fierce struggle as a Baloch woman began during her school days. By 2018, she became Vice Chairperson of the Baloch Students Action Committee (BSAC), an organization focused on unifying and politicizing Baloch students across Pakistan.
In 2019, it was discovered that security officials at the University of Balochistan were secretly filming female students and using the videos to extort and blackmail them. Female students claimed this was only the tip of the iceberg, speaking up about a culture of sexual harassment on campus perpetuated by administrators, faculty members and male students. After publishing an article titled, “Direct the Protest, Sir” on the University of Balochistan (UoB) scandal, Sabiha Baloch received her first direct threat. In her piece, she claimed that the issue of sexual harassment on campus was not isolated36, but rather a symptom of deeper structural oppression in a colonised society that implicated military personnel.
In 2021, she rose to the position of Chairperson BSAC, thus becoming the second Baloch woman to lead a student political organization, following in the footsteps of Karima Baloch.
In June of 2021, her brother was forcibly disappeared from his hostel room at Balochistan University of Engineering and Technology (BUETK) in Khuzdar. While her brother was detained for five months, Dr. Sabiha faced constant pressure to resign from student politics. But she held firm. “If I gave in and resigned,” she explained, “it would set a trend of blackmail that would haunt the young women following in this struggle against injustice.”
Following these events, Dr. Sabiha worked behind the scenes with BSAC, avoiding media appearances. In 2023, after her tenure with BSAC ended, she actively participated in the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC). “I wanted to do a lot for the people around me, and the solution to all their problems was linked to politics. I did not choose politics; politics chose me so that I could try to address the issues of my people.”
In June 2024, a month before the Baloch Raaji Muchi (Baloch National Gathering), she was beaten and arrested during a protest in Quetta demanding the safe release of another forcibly disappeared person. The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Quetta warned her that she had now come “into their hands,” stating: “We have been searching for you since your protest in Turbat.”
During the Baloch Raaji Muchi, both her father and brother were charged with fake FIRs, and her house in Zawa was raided. She later faced accusations of blasphemy for remarks made during her speech on 12 August 2024, in Quetta, where she emphasised the significant sacrifices made by the Baloch people.
Despite moments of hopelessness, Dr. Sabiha feels driven to act. “Though I feel weak at times, I have no other option. I cannot remain silent. I understand that even by doing nothing, I will have to endure; so, at the very least, I will endure through action.”
Dr. Sabiha also writes poetry and penned a chant during Long March, which she chanted during a BYC jalsa at Shawani Stadium in Quetta: “The resolve of our mothers and sisters,” (Lumma Eed Taa Juhd Pahek). Thousands of Baloch men and women echoed: “Ours will be the glory, the glory will be ours (Soub Nana ea, Soub Nana ea).” Dr. Sabiha’s words have become famous throughout the Baloch region.
Fouzia Baloch Shashani is also a prominent organizer in Baloch politics. Based in Karachi, Fouzia became active in student politics. To try and disparage her activism, her brother was abducted by state forces in 2022. According to Fouzia, she has been told not to raise her voice against this abduction, or face the murder of her brother.
Fouzia chose instead to demonstrate in Karachi, go to the courts and police stations, and take every possible step for the safe release of her brother. Today, Fouzia is an organizer of the Karachi chapter of the BYC.
In June 2009, Sammi Deen’s father, Dr Deen Mohammed Baloch, was forcibly disappeared in Khuzdar, Balochistan. She began persistently campaigning for the release of her father, which lead to a deeper involvement in advocating against enforced disappearances in Balochistan by state forces. While she was still in school, she attended protests with her mother and younger sister Mehlab.50 Now a university student, her question has changed. Initially, it was, “Where is my father?” But now her question is: “Where are all the missing persons, including my father, and where are their graves?”
The state not only burned down her ancestral home in the region of Mashkay but also repeatedly targeted her house in Karachi, attempting to intimidate her. In 2016, Sammi herself was forcibly disappeared by Pakistan’s intelligence agencies and held in captivity for seven days, she said. She had no idea where she was, and could not tell night from day.
“While talking to me they were saying that ‘as you know you are 18 years old, you are young, so you know what can happen to you.’ By saying these things they wanted to make being a woman a weakness,” she said, adding that the threat of sexual violence was implicit.
Sammi Baloch has been honored with the Asia Pacific Human Rights Award for 2024, presented by Front Line Defenders. CNN has also recognised Sammi as one of the “Women of South Asia who are playing a key role in protests across the region.5
Hooran Baloch is the research coordinator of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP). Hooran has been politically involved since 2012.57 She said that she joined politics because: “Our brothers are abducted, killed and dumped on daily basis; there are human rights violations, tyranny, brutality everywhere in Balochistan and this is the worst shape of salvation that I couldn’t tolerate and thus, stepped into the dangerous valley of politics.”58
Hooran’s house has been raided several times also. She has been harassed and threatened by security forces, and has faced reprisals for her work.
Bebo Baloch, a prominent figure in Quetta, played a significant role in the Baloch Long March of 2023. Like hundreds of other Baloch women, Bebo is courageous. She has also faced threats by state forces. Her father’s name was included in the fourth schedule list in an attempt to put a stop to her activism. (note: a leader of BYC, Bebo Baloch is one of those who have been imprisoned since April 2025)
Malik Naz and the formation of the BYC
In 2020, when a death squad entered a house in the Dannok area of Turbat with the intention of theft, a woman named Malik Naz stood up in resistance against them. The death squad shot and killed her, and injured her 2 year old child. Her act of defiance became a story that spread throughout Balochistan and Karachi.61
Malik Naz’s story of resistance ignited across all Baloch areas, reaching Karachi, Turbat, Panjgur, Quetta, and Koh Suleiman. The Bramsh Yakjehti Committee, which started in Karachi, gained significant momentum across Balochistan through this incident. Protests were held across Karachi and Balochistan, with thousands of participants, among whom a large number were Baloch women.
Soon after, another tragic event occurred. Hayat Baloch, a student from Karachi University, was visiting his native village, Absar, in Turbat. He was killed on 13 August 2020 by a serviceman of Frontier Corps (FC), a paramilitary force in Pakistan.
The authorities tried to dismiss it as a mistake, but the Baloch people were not deceived. The Bramsh Yakjehti Committee evolved into the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, with Amna Baloch leading in Karachi and Mahrang Baloch taking charge in Balochistan. A leader of BYC and the face of the current non-violent Baloch movement calling an end to enforced disappearances and the ‘kill and dump’ policy, Dr. Mahrang Baloch is in jail since April 2025, and denied bail by the Balochistan High Court. Many warn that her life is in peril.
As Amna had already been active in supporting the rights of the Baloch, she was selected by the community in Karachi to lead BYC. Along with Sammi Deen Muhammad, she formed the BYC collective to start political activities in Karachi. The BYC team in Karachi organised protests, responded to the flooding situation in Balochistan and Sindh,66 and coordinated the movement for cancer patients who had come from Balochistan for treatment. They spent four years managing these efforts. During this time, Amna faced harassment calls and various tactics from the state to intimidate her. However, courage always triumphed over fear, and Amna prioritised bravery over the threats she faced.
Since 2009, Mahrang has publicly questioned the enforced disappearance of her father on the streets of Karachi and Quetta. In 2017, Mahrang’s brother was also abducted by state intelligence agencies.67
The BYC in Balochistan, led by Mahrang, along with Sabiha, Sadia, and several other women, organized political campaigns that aimed to unite the Baloch people in their demand for human rights. From advocating against enforced disappearances, to protesting the lack of access to online university classes and the unavailability of the internet in Balochistan, Mahrang, Sabiha, and other women began to gain some ground with their efforts. However, in 2023, an incident occurred that shook the Baloch people to their core.
March against Baloch genocide
On November 23, 2023, protests erupted against the custodial killing of 24- year-old Balach Mola Bakhsh from Turbat, who had been forcibly disappeared from his home on October 29. The Counter-Terrorism Police had presented Balach in court in his hometown of Turbat on November 21, only to kill him in the night between November 22 and 23.
People feared that if protests were not held now, all the missing persons would be killed one by one, which led the public to take to the streets. People said that instead of providing justice and holding the officers involved accountable, the government was cracking down on the protesters and those supporting the families of the disappeared. The leadership of the Baloch Youth Committee (BYC) decided to organise a march from Turbat, Kech, towards Islamabad.70
The BYC named this long March as the ‘March against Baloch Genocide’ and traveled almost 1,000 miles from Balochistan to Islamabad. On December 22, 2023, when the participants reached the capital, police baton-charged many women and children, used water cannons against the crowd, and arrested 290 protesters. Later, the authorities attempted to send the women back to Balochistan. Then Caretaker Prime Minister, Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, suggested in a press conference that anyone providing moral or financial support to the Baloch protesters in Islamabad should join Baloch militants and that the families of the disappeared should be labeled as supporters of terrorists.
After Islamabad, a grand reception awaited all the women and families in Quetta. Thousands turned out to greet Mahrang and the long march participants in Quetta. In Quetta, the BYC leadership announced a public gathering, a jalsa, which was attended by people from all over Balochistan and Karachi. The number of women at this gathering was remarkable. The jalsa started with the Baloch national anthem, for which thousands of Baloch people from across Balochistan travelled to Shaal, ensuring their presence and support for the Baloch movement, which, they said, will continue until the state ends its genocidal policies in Balochistan.
In May 2024, the BYC declared that they would hold their first national gathering (Raaji Muchi) in Gwadar on July 28th. In the lead up to the Raaji Muchi, the state’s armed forces seemed inexplicably fearful of these women and children. They blocked all their routes, while resorting to firing, tear gas shelling, baton charging, and every possible act of violence, injuring and killing people. By completely suspending telecommunications and internet access by blocking all the roads to Gwadar, the state thought that perhaps the Raaji Muchii could be prevented from taking place. However, Mahrang had made a promise, and the Baloch are known for keeping their word.
On July 28, the Raaji Muchii did take place, with a large number of women, children, and men participating. While the state thought they had blocked every route to Gwadar, the people from Gwadar, Jiwani, Sur, and all the surrounding areas still found ways to participate. The state’s fear-driven tactics had completely failed.
Maham Baloch, 26, who attended the Raaji Muchi, told the Guardian: “I am a Baloch, but it was the first time I saw and heard the family members of the missing persons; it just broke my heart. Mahrang has completely won our minds and hearts, and it is because of her that today I found out how Baloch are treated in their own country.”
Referring to the teargas shelling and baton-charging at the gathering, she added: “They did not even spare the women, the elderly or the small kids accompanying their parents.”
The leadership of the Baloch Youth Committee (BYC), particularly Mahrang, Sabiha, Seema, Saira, and the young Mahzeb, were honoured by the women of Awaran who, despite the military’s objections, walked five kilometers on foot to the road to greet the leadership of BYC passing through their area. Their fearlessness is a testament to how the Baloch movement has mobilised women in great numbers.
State suppression after Raaji Muchi
Sadia Baloch, member of BYC, faced suppression by state forces. Her house was raided and her father was told to stop his daughter or personally face the consequences. On her X account, she tweeted, “Punjab University, Lahore, has issued my suspension orders, alleging that I, as a so-called miscreant student, have used the university platform to corrupt students’ minds against state institutions and that my conduct has severely damaged the reputation and integrity of the educational institution. It is worth noting that this notice refers to a protest held two months ago and is dated June 14. However, I only received this letter on August 12, 2024, when I went to check for it. I had not been issued a charge sheet before this, making it clear that the notice was issued after BYC’s Raaji Muchi’s participation, with backdated timestamps.”
Other Baloch women have also faced state suppression post the Raaji Muchi. Mahrang was barred from international travel. According to her lawyer, it was discovered that the Government of Pakistan had quietly added her to the Pakistan National Identity List (PNIL), a registry for individuals suspected of involvement in criminal activities such as terrorism, money laundering and fraud. Mahrang has been charged with many FIRs. “FIRs aim to intimidate those involved in their collective struggle,” Mahrang said. On September 8, 2024, Sammi was barred from leaving the country while she was about to travel from Pakistan to Oman. She was placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) by authorities. Dozens of political and human rights activists and their families have also been put onto the Fourth Schedule list.
Baloch women have emerged as powerful agents of change within the resistance movement, defying both social and state-imposed constraints. Activists like Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Sammi, Dr. Shali, and Dr. Sabiha Baloch symbolise the resilience and strength of the Baloch people, offering new pathways for advocacy, cultural preservation, and gender equality. Their leadership highlights the inseparability of the fight for autonomy and justice from the fight for gender equality and cultural survival. The Baloch resistance movement is not solely a struggle for political autonomy but also a fight for cultural preservation and social justice. Women, as activists, cultural custodians, and community leaders, play a critical role in this broader struggle, often at great personal risk. Recognising and amplifying the voices of Baloch women is essential to a more comprehensive understanding of the conflict and paving the way for an inclusive and equitable future for Balochistan.
Dur Bibi is a Baloch political activist with a background in Defence and Strategic Studies. She is committed to advocating for Baloch rights and highlighting the ongoing struggle of her people.
