Baloch rights activist Mahrang Baloch has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for the second time, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) announced on Friday, 27 June. The disclosure comes just days after a Pakistani Anti-Terrorism Court sentenced her — along with three other activists — to life imprisonment in a case linked to the killing of a Frontier Corps official, a verdict that has drawn widespread international condemnation.

The Nomination and Its Timing

According to the BYC, the nomination was submitted in January 2026 but was withheld from public disclosure in line with the organisation's internal policy. The committee chose to reveal it now, it said, to underscore the contradiction between the Pakistani state's legal actions against Mahrang Baloch and the international community's recognition of her work.

'This nomination took place in January 2026; however, under organisational policy, it was not brought into the public eye at that time. Bringing this fact to light today is essential because the individual whom the Pakistani state has attempted to punish through false and baseless charges of terrorism is the same individual now being recognised globally as a symbol of the struggle for peace, justice, and human rights,' the BYC said in a statement.

BYC's Allegations Against the Pakistani State

The BYC alleged that multiple Baloch leaders are currently facing what it described as 'fabricated FIRs, baseless accusations, and faceless trials' conducted through 'non-transparent judicial processes.' The committee claimed these proceedings are aimed at silencing dissent against ongoing human rights violations in Balochistan, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and military operations.

'Mahrang Baloch's second nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize is clear proof that the organisation's struggle is entirely peaceful, democratic, and based on principles of human rights, while the actions taken by the state against the organisation's leaders reflect political revenge and coercion,' the BYC added.

Escalation After Arrests

The rights body further alleged that following the arrests of Mahrang Baloch and other BYC leaders, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and military operations in Balochistan have intensified — developments that, it said, Baloch civilians are experiencing daily. These claims have not been independently verified.

Separately, the Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ) also weighed in, stating that the second nomination 'carries profound significance' given the political context. 'As the Pakistani state pursues her through politically driven prosecutions and imposes a life imprisonment sentence, the international community continues to acknowledge her peaceful commitment to human rights and justice,' the BVJ said.

Call for International Action

Both the BYC and the BVJ called on international human rights organisations, governments, and democratic institutions to take concrete steps — beyond symbolic recognition — to protect human rights defenders in Balochistan, secure the release of those imprisoned for peaceful activism, and end what they termed a cycle of impunity. The BYC's appeal underscores growing pressure on the global community to respond to the situation in the restive Pakistani province.