Mahrang Baloch: Accountability, not immunity

Barrister Hassan A Shad AN international narrative is being carefully constructed around Mahrang Baloch. It is a narrative pushed through advocacy campaigns, amplified through social media and repeated so often that it is increasingly treated as fact rather than argument. The orchestrated campaign goes like this: Mahrang is a courageous dissident, a moral voice, almost a saintly figure standing alone against the machinery of the state. It is an internationally appealing story – since it puts Pakistan in bad light – hence it is being pushed forcefully. It is generally the tendency of international activism to simplify complex realities into neat categories of heroes and villains. Once an individual is elevated into a symbol, criticism becomes difficult if not impossible. Questions become unwelcome and facts that do not fit the preferred narrative are pushed to the margins. Before long, the person at the centre of the controversy is no longer viewed as an individual subject to the law, but as a cause unto themselves. That is precisely why Mahrang Baloch’s case demands a measure of perspective and serious introspection. The issue before the court was never whether Mahrang Baloch had indulged in activism. It was never whether she had attracted international attention. It was never whether foreign activists, advocacy groups or public figures regarded her favourably. Courts exist to determine responsibility when serious crimes are alleged to have been committed. A paramilitary soldier is dead. Yes, dead. That simple fact has been overshadowed by the campaign surrounding the accused. The soldier lost his life during a violent incident. His family lost a son. His colleagues lost a fellow serviceman. Yet much of the global discussion has focused almost exclusively on the reputation of the defendant rather than the gravity of the crime that led to her prosecution. That is a profound distortion of priorities. The first responsibility of any state is to protect life and maintai