The 28-year-old widow, on 18th Feb in the dark of night, was unlawfully separated and forcibly detained before her two minor children from her home in Quetta by Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD).

Amnesty International has strongly condemned this move and demanded of the Pakistani authorities to release Mahal Baloch, in accordance with international human rights law.

In a written communication to Pakistani Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, it has also stated that detention of Mahal without any crime is tantamount to denying her civil and human rights, and her imprisonment since her forcible disappearance was a violation of international human rights.

Mahal was held under physical remand for seven days initially, which is a violation of fair trial protections enshrined in international human rights law.

She has been produced in court four times without being charged and on each occasion, the CTD has sought an extension of her remand.

Such cruel and illegal use of force can only be associated with a nation like Pakistan where anyone who tries to voice oppression is shot down and silenced.

Amnesty International demands that the authorities should immediately release Mahal Baloch.

The cases of forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, torture, detaining, and threats are so common in Balochistan.

The International rights body while taking up the Balochistan cause shows that finally, the voice of the oppressed has reached the higher echelons of international human rights organizations.

Does it not bring shame to a nation to torture a young widow and mother of two children, and have her juggle between Terrorism Department and the court for no reason? In the past when Pakistani forces burnt their house in the Kech district, the family had to migrate to Quetta.

Their adversities did not end there; her husband and brother-in-law were then killed by the Pakistani forces.

While Pakistan’s economy remains on the ventilator and people are counting days on an empty stomach, the Pak government keeps busy making the Baloch people’s lives even more miserable.

Whether it is through CPEC projects, environmentally hazardous mining activities, corrupt food distribution systems or lack of food, unavailability of gas and electricity in the reserve-rich Balochistan, or lack of development and so on, Pakistan is hell-bent on removing the existence of the Baloch after having colonized them for more than seven decades.

Pakistani forces have made a habit of troubling the Baloch. Balochistan has been demanding freedom from Pakistan since its inception.

The Baloch National Movement (BNM) and many such local organizations risk death daily to fight Pakistani media censorship to show their plight to human rights organizations, or anyone who can sympathize with them.

On March 27, BNM Netherlands organized a protest demonstration on the occasion of Black Day which was joined by the local Baloch seeking refuge in Europe.

The protestors were holding placards and banners against the forced occupation of Balochistan with various slogans written on them.

They raised slogans in favour of the independence of Balochistan.

They said that they wanted to tell the world about the cruelties and the oppressive nature of the Pakistani state.

Violating international political and humanitarian laws, Pakistan has occupied an independent country and the Baloch are fighting the enemy country Pakistan on every front against this occupation.

Pakistan quite literally will kill or punish anyone who stands up to them.

On March 24 the anti-terrorism court sentenced two Baloch youths to five years of imprisonment for speaking against them in February 2022.

Saqib Zaib Sarpara and Farhad Sarpara went missing last year from their house, and their crime - to stand up for violence against his people.

On March 22 yet another body, after a series of such murders, was found under a bridge in Mastung.

To date, no one has identified it for the fear of being reprimanded or worse, punished by the police for knowing or being a close aide of an activist.

A large-scale military operation of the Pakistan Army has been going on in the Bolan area of Balochistan since the beginning of March.

The areas affected by the operation include Bazgar, Hanjir, and Garnawah areas.

According to regional sources, not only foot soldiers are participating in the operation, but they are also supported by combat helicopters.

Sources say that flights of at least four gunship helicopters are continuing in the area and they are also dropping military personnel at various places. This “cleansing” operation is merciless.

Last week, an elderly person was tortured to death in the Kulwah area while three persons were forcibly disappeared and transferred to an unknown location during the ongoing military operation in the northern hilly areas of Kolwah.

Similarly, a tribal leader along with seven of his companions was killed in a planned attack in the Zhob area of Balochistan.

Human rights bodies are demanding the immediate release of Mahal and all other imprisoned and detained Baloch people who are innocent but illegally kept in Army custody for asking for the basic dignity of living a human life.

Mahal’s disappearances and tribulations have sparked a global debate against Pakistani treatment of Balochistan and their heinous crimes against humanity.

Perhaps this is the beginning of the ending of Pakistan’s oppressive rule on Balochistan.