Baloch activist Dr Mahrang Baloch has been arrested

Rating Justification

The iVerify Pakistan team has reviewed this content and determined that it is misleading.

To reach this conclusion, the iVerify Pakistan team conducted a reverse image search to find the original video.

Social media users were sharing a video of Baloch activist Dr Mahrang Baloch being manhandled by police since August 1, 2024, claiming she had been arrested. However, the video is an old one from June 2020.

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) kicked off a protest in Gwadar on July 28, following arrests and deadly clashes with security forces, against alleged human rights violations and exploitation of the province’s resources.

Prominent leaders were arrested in the ensuing days, prompting widespread protests. The BYC signed an agreement with the provincial government on August 2 and agreed to end the protest following the fulfilment of its demands, including the release of all those arrested.

HOW IT STARTED

On August 1, 2024, a video was shared by an X user, who appeared to be a PTI supporter based on his past posts, showing Dr Mahrang being manhandled by police with the caption, “The scene of the arrest of Mahrang Baloch. What does this state actually want?”

The post was seen by more than 167,000 people.

The same video was shared by another account on X with the caption, “Mahrang Baloch has been arrested.”

This post was seen by more than 50,000 people.

The same video with a similar caption was shared by other X users as well as can be seen here and here.

METHODOLOGY

A fact check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and because it came amid an ongoing protest movement in Balochistan for its rights, of which Dr Mahrang is one of the lead organisers.

A reverse image search conducted using screenshots led to an X post by Dr Mahrang on June 24, 2020.

The Baloch activist shared the same video with the hashtags “restore internet in Balochistan” and “say no to online classes” while the caption for the post said: “It has always been the attitude of the Pakistani state that peaceful strugglers have been labelled evildoers and terrorists, and the police SHO is calling the students evildoers. But we will continue to struggle.”

A keyword search for “Balochistan”, “Mahrang arrest” and “online classes” to determine if any news outlet reported the incident yielded a news story published by The Express Tribune on June 25, 2020, with the headline, “Protesting students arrested for demanding internet facilities in Quetta”.

According to the report, the Balochistan police arrested over two dozen students, including Dr Mahrang, during a protest in Quetta demanding internet access for online classes.

The demonstration, organised by the Baloch Students Alliance, opposed the province’s move to conduct online classes amid poor internet facilities. The arrests occurred under Section 144, which banned gatherings due to Covid-19 restrictions in place at the time.

A Balochistan-based news outlet also reported the same news in an article dated June 28, 2020.

Furthermore, neither the BYC nor Dr Mahrang’s social media pages posted any update or post on August 1 or 2 about her alleged arrest or any such development.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: MISLEADING

The claim regarding a video showing Dr Mahrang Baloch’s arrest is misleading.

The video circulating is an old video from June 2020 when she was arrested by the Balochistan police while protesting and demanding internet access for online classes during Covid-19.

Resharing the old video without mentioning its original context or details such as its original date has the potential to mislead the public into thinking that the arrest is amid the current tense situation which can further inflame and aggravate the situation by inciting people towards violence based on misunderstanding.

Evidence and References

June 24, 2020, Mahrang Baloch X post:
https://perma.cc/S9LN-G8P6

June 25, 2020, The Express Tribune news story:
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2249922/protesting-students-arrested-demanding-internet-facilities-quetta#google_vignette

June 28, 2020, Balochistan-based local news outlet’s report:
https://www.balochistanvoices.com/2020/06/balochistans-students-discontent-with-online-classes/