Rights activist Dr Mahrang Baloch has been named in Time magazine’s ‘Time100 Next’ list for 2024, and now stands among the world’s top emerging leaders shaping various fields, including politics, health, science, and human rights.
Time launched its annual ‘Time100 Next’ list in 2019 to focus on individuals who have made noteworthy contributions to shape the future across various industries. Dr Baloch has been included in the list in recognition of her efforts to defend human rights amid widespread unrest in Balochistan. The 31-year-old activist has been at the forefront of the fight for the rights of Baloch people.
Her father, Abdul Gaffar Langove was also a renowned activist, who disappeared in 2009 when she was just 16 years old. Her family blamed the security forces for his disappearance, and that set her on the path of resistance. She joined Balochistan’s student movement soon after her father’s body was recovered two years later.
Dr Baloch now leads the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a civil rights group raising awareness about the plight of Baloch families whose loved ones have disappeared.
In December 2023, she organized a long march from Balochistan to Islamabad, which was participated by hundreds of women, demanding justice for their missing family members. She also organized a gathering in Gwadar earlier this year, titled the Baloch Raaji Muchi, which was aimed at uniting the Baloch community and highlighting the ongoing human rights abuses in the province.
Announcing the 2024 ‘Time100 Next’ list, Time said that women like Mahrang Baloch are now spearheading the fight for Baloch rights, while many men in their community are missing or deceased. The magazine praised Dr Baloch for bringing unprecedented attention to the Baloch struggle, stating that her peaceful activism had gained considerable momentum.
“There is a lot of threat. There is a lot of oppression,” Time quoted Dr Baloch as saying. While her advocacy has earned her international recognition, Dr Baloch’s actions have also drawn sharp criticism. In August 2024, Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry, the military spokesperson, accused the Baloch Yakjehti Committee and the Baloch Raaji Muchi, an event Dr Baloch had organized, of being fronts for terrorist proxies and criminal organizations. He said that the gatherings were aimed at undermining development projects, such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which includes the Gwadar deep-sea port.
Despite such accusations, Dr Baloch continues to push forward in her fight for justice and the rights of the Baloch people. Her inclusion in the ‘Time100 Next’ list underscores the international attention her efforts have garnered, and the potential for lasting change in a region long affected by violence and suppression.
