Activists in Pakistan sentenced to life in prison over soldier’s death during rally

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan sentenced two leaders of a Baloch human rights group Monday to life in prison over the death of a paramilitary soldier during a rally in 2024.

Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Shah, leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), which is accused by authorities of having links to an outlawed militant group, were convicted of terrorism, sedition and murder in the killing of Shabbir Baloch during a BYC-led protest in the port city of Gwadar, in Balochistan.

The prosecution said the two activists had incited a mob that subsequently attacked a security vehicle, seized the soldier and beat him to death with sticks and bricks. A police investigation found the pair had played a direct role in mobilizing the crowd, which had protested without obtaining permission from the district administration. The soldier’s death attracted nationwide condemnation.

Mahrang and Shah denied the charges.

Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the provincial government in Baluchistan, told The Associated Press that prosecutors had “undeniable evidence” and that the case was not about political activism or dissent.

“This was not a case concerning political opinion, peaceful dissent or the right to protest. It concerned the murder of a soldier,” he said.

Mahrang and Shah have the right to appeal the verdict, Rind added.

Baluchistan’s Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti hailed the verdict, describing it as a “demonstration of the rule of law and justice” for the killed soldier. In a post on X, Bugti said that those who target state officials under the guise of peaceful protest would not escape accountability.

The court convicted the two defendants after a trial that was initially held in Gwadar and later moved to a high-security prison in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, because of security concerns.

Prosecutors said the trial was repeatedly disrupted by demonstrations organized by supporters of the BYC outside the court and by alleged attempts to intimidate witnesses. Authorities subsequently transferred proceedings to Quetta. Suspects and witnesses were able to testify via video links.

Pakistan’s government has long alleged that the BYC serves as a front for the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group which has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly attacks in recent years, including assaults on passenger trains, buses, security forces, and coal miners. It was designated as a terrorist organization by Pakistan in 2006 and by the U.S. in 2025.

The BYC has repeatedly rejected the allegation, saying it is a peaceful rights movement.

Balochistan, which is Pakistan’s largest province, borders Afghanistan and Iran and is rich in oil, gas and mineral resources. The province has been the center of a long-running separatist insurgency, with insurgents demanding independence or greater control over local resources.

Pakistani Taliban militants and other armed groups also operate in the region. Though Pakistan says it has quelled insurgency, violence has persisted in Balochistan.

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Ahmed reported from Islamabad.