Dr. Mahrang Baloch, leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, has been recognized in Time magazine’s ‘2024 Time100 Next’ list for her peaceful advocacy of Baloch rights. The list highlights 100 young individuals who are making significant impacts in various fields, including the arts, sports, and activism.
Time noted Dr. Mahrang’s dedication to her cause, particularly highlighting her December 2023 march to Islamabad, where she and hundreds of women sought justice for their missing loved ones.
Expressing her gratitude on Facebook, she said, “I am deeply honored and thrilled to be named among the top 100 emerging leaders in the world by TIME. I dedicate this recognition to all Baloch women human rights defenders and the families of victims of enforced disappearances.”
Dr. Mahrang’s journey into activism began when her father, Ghaffar Longove, went missing in December 2009. At the time, she was just a primary school student. The eldest of six siblings, she protested by burning her school books outside the Quetta Press Club, demanding her father’s return. His mutilated body was discovered in 2011.
In December 2023, she played a key role in organizing a major protest and sit-in in Islamabad against enforced disappearances. A report released in July revealed that 197 new cases of missing persons were reported in the first half of 2024, with the majority from Balochistan.
Other notable figures on the list include Bangladeshi student leader Nahid Islam, who led protests that resulted in the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and Gazan food blogger Hamada Shaqoura, who shares wartime recipes from aid package ingredients while highlighting the plight of his people. Shaqoura expressed mixed feelings about his recognition, stating, “I don’t particularly feel like celebrating when my Palestinian people are facing death 24/7. But I’ll take a moment to emphasize that we — Palestinians — are here, and will always be!”
