Story perspectives

Pakistan Court Gives Activists Life Terms Over Gwadar Protest

6/27/2026

Summary

Court Sentences Activists

Pakistan anti-terrorism court sentenced activist Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Shahji to life imprisonment on June 25 2026 for murder and terrorism tied to a July 2024 Gwadar protest.
Both activists boycotted the trial, denied the charges and, via lawyer Israr Jattak, said they would appeal.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan demanded a review, calling the judgment biased.
Spokesperson Shahid Rind said the case had undeniable evidence and was not politically motivated.

Summary

Sammi Deen Condemns

Sammi Deen says the trial used video-link and faceless procedures, breaching fair-trial standards.
She reports two FIRs for the same killing with different victim death dates.
Activists were detained for fifteen months under Maintenance of Public Order (3 MPO) law before murder charges.
Deen notes thousands of disappearance and extrajudicial killing cases in Balochistan remain unresolved.
She accuses the prosecution of pushing a swift conviction to make the verdict appear predetermined.

Summary

Government Reports

Government says about 80% of over 2,900 disappearances since 2011 are resolved.
Activists claim roughly 7,000 cases in the same period.
Chief minister Sarfraz Bugti warned that self-disappearances exist too, raising doubts about who is responsible for the abductions.
Balochistan, covering about 44% of Pakistan and rich in gas, coal, copper and gold, remains marginalised with poor infrastructure, sporadic electricity and scarce water.

History

Historical Context

In January 1973 Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto dismissed Balochistan’s government and ordered General Tikka Khan’s army to crush a separatist uprising, a campaign that killed about 3,300 soldiers and thousands of Baloch. Today’s anti-terrorism court sentencing of activists Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Shahji echoes the swift Hyderabad tribunals of that era, renewing human-rights concerns.

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Court Sentences Activists

Pakistan anti-terrorism court sentenced activist Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Shahji to life imprisonment on June 25 2026 for murder and terrorism tied to a July 2024 Gwadar protest.
Both activists boycotted the trial, denied the charges and, via lawyer Israr Jattak, said they would appeal.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan demanded a review, calling the judgment biased.
Spokesperson Shahid Rind said the case had undeniable evidence and was not politically motivated.

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