By Admin 
Pakistan has once again come at the center of international criticism regarding its judicial system and human rights record. Questions are being raised from all over the world on the life imprisonment awarded to Baloch human rights activist Dr. Mahrang Baloch and his colleague Sibgatullah Shah by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan.
The Netherlands-based International Human Rights Foundation (IHRF) has strongly condemned the decision, calling it a ‘gross travesty of justice’ and a ‘direct attack on the rule of law’.
Dr. Mahrang Baloch has been raising her voice against alleged enforced disappearances, fake encounters and state repression in Balochistan for a long time. The IHRF says their only crime was that they tried to expose human rights violations.
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International Human Rights Foundation (IHRF) Condemns Shameful Life Sentence for Dr. Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Shah by Pakistani Authorities
The Hague, The Netherlands – June 23, 2026 – The International Human Rights Foundation (IHRF) expresses its… pic.twitter.com/aLowRZ4oJg
— International Human Rights Foundation (@IHRF_English) June 23, 2026
The organization’s statement said that the case was fraught with serious legal irregularities. It is alleged that the hearing took place in a kind of ‘secret court’ in the jail premises, where the accused were not given full opportunity to effectively cross-examine the witnesses and present their side. IHRF said that such a process cannot be called a fair judicial hearing.
The biggest question is being raised on the judicial structure of Pakistan, which has been accused of targeting political opponents, journalists and human rights activists for years. Critics say that anti-terrorism laws are gradually being used to suppress voices of dissent instead of fighting terrorism.
IHRF clearly stated that this decision is ‘not justice, but the use of the judicial system as a political weapon’. The organization warned that imposing terrorism laws on peaceful social activists is a sign of increasing pressure on civil liberties in Pakistan.
International human rights organizations have earlier also expressed concern about alleged human rights violations in Balochistan. Baloch activists have alleged that there is no independent investigation into incidents of enforced disappearance, detention and repression in the region. The Pakistan government has been rejecting these allegations, but with every new case the questions on its cleanliness are becoming deeper.
Life imprisonment to Mahrang Baloch
In a 10-page verdict, Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) convicted Dr Mahrang Baloch and Sibgatullah Shah in a case related to the death of an FC jawan. The court accepted the prosecution’s allegation that the mob attacked the security forces after Mahrang Baloch’s speech. However, the controversy regarding the case has also deepened. Both the accused boycotted the hearing through video link and refused to take government counsel. The defense raised questions over the non-appearance of key witness Major Waleed in the court, but the court considered it an issue not affecting the basic facts of the case and classified the incident as terrorism, not protest.
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