By Admin 
Several human rights organizations on Wednesday (October 22, 2025) strongly condemned the decision of the Balochistan government to put three peaceful Baloch women activists in the fourth schedule of Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997.
In a notification issued by the Balochistan Home Department on October 16, Shali Baloch, central convenor of Baloch Mahila Forum (BWF) and Naz Gul and Syed Bibi, members of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), have been accused of collaborating and being associated with terrorism-related activities and have been listed under ATA.
The decision was widely criticized by human rights bodies and activists around the world and condemned the continued atrocities against Baloch activists by Pakistani authorities. Condemning the decision, human rights organization Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ) described the action as part of a systematic campaign of intimidation aimed at silencing Baloch women who are courageously defending human rights through non-violent and democratic means.
BVJ said, ‘The repeated misuse of colonial-era laws, such as the Fourth Schedule of the ATA and Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), reflects a deliberate attempt to criminalize dissent and suppress legitimate political expression in Balochistan.’
It further said, ‘These actions not only violate the Constitution of Pakistan, especially Articles 19 and 25, but also violate Pakistan’s obligations under international human rights law, which guarantee the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.’
On the other hand, the human rights wing of the Baloch National Movement, PANK, condemned the move as a blatant attempt to criminalize peaceful activism and silence Baloch women who have raised their voice against enforced disappearances and human rights abuses.
Pank called for intervention by international human rights bodies, demanded removal of names of women activists from the Fourth Schedule and held Pakistan accountable for the ongoing repression in Balochistan.
Following the notification, Shali Baloch posted on
He further said, ‘We have always fought within the ambit of the law and the Constitution and will now take recourse to every legal forum to challenge the false allegations leveled against us. Such cowardly actions will energize our long struggle.