Baloch political activists and human rights groups have rejected official accounts surrounding a woman publicly shown in Quetta, saying authorities’ allegations that link her to militancy are unfounded. The Balochistan Post reported that Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti and senior police officials identified the woman as Laiba, also named Farzana Zehri, claiming she was arrested in Khuzdar in an intelligence-led operation and labelled a “potential suicide bomber.” Officials said her arrest averted a major attack and alleged she had been in contact with Dr Sabiha Baloch and was to receive training after meeting her.
Those claims were strongly disputed by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), which says Zehri was forcibly disappeared on December 1, 2025, and held incommunicado for more than three months before being shown to the public. The BYC questioned why she was not produced in court during that period and argued that any statements obtained under secret detention are unreliable. The group also dismissed accusations linking Dr Sabiha or her organisation to armed groups and demanded either verifiable evidence from authorities or a public apology.
Dr Sabiha Baloch described enforced disappearances as tools of intimidation and called the public presentation of Zehri a “media trial” following prolonged secret detention. She noted that several leaders of her organisation have been jailed for long stretches without formal charges and said her family continues to face harassment, including the detention of her father.
Activist Sammi Deen Baloch highlighted the unexplained gap in Zehri’s whereabouts—“three months and eighteen days”—while members of the Baloch Women Forum and the Human Rights Council of Balochistan warned that such actions appear aimed at discrediting peaceful political voices and shrinking civic space in the province. The Balochistan Post provided the reporting; the item was circulated via a syndicated feed.
