Pakistani activist Mahrang Baloch, a leading human rights defender from the restive Balochistan province, was prevented from boarding a flight to New York where she was supposed to attend a gala by TIME Magazine. Mahrang was recently honored by the magazine as one of the Most Influential Emerging Leaders of the Year.
On Monday, Mahrang arrived at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport where the officials told her she would not be allowed to board the flight. According to Mahrang, they did not offer any reason for their action.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Mahrang termed the incident as “a clear violation of my fundamental right to freedom of movement.” She asserted that the travel ban reflects the state’s increasing apprehension towards Baloch voices and an effort to suppress them.
Mahrang stated that this travel ban is part of a broader effort by the Pakistani government to silence Baloch activists and control the narrative surrounding the ongoing issues in Balochistan, which has a long-standing record of human rights abuses.
She said, “There was no valid justification for preventing my travel, except to ensure that Baloch perspectives remain unheard on the global stage.” The activist pledged to contest these restrictions, insisting, “I will resist this unfair infringement on my rights.”
Last month, another Baloch activist, Sammi Deen Baloch—daughter of the forcibly disappeared Dr. Deen Muhammad—was also stopped by immigration authorities at Karachi’s airport while trying to travel to Muscat, Oman.
