Bebarg Zehri
Bebarg Zehri is a member of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee and part of its central committee. He is a prominent human rights defender who has spoken out against human rights violations in Balochistan. He was injured in an attack by Pakistan security forces in 2010 and has lost the mobility in both legs. Despite the risks and challenges, the human rights defender has continued to speak out against atrocities in Balochistan, especially the ones resulting from the conduct of security and intelligence agencies. On 20 March 2025 at around 5 am the Bebarg Zehri and his brother were abducted from their home by Pakistan police and detained by the Counter Terrorism Division.
Human rights defenders in Pakistan are subjected to a range of attacks and abuses, including extra-judicial killings and violence, arbitrary arrest and detention, brutal sectarian violence, abduction and enforced disappearance, surveillance, threats and judicial harassment. Many HRDs have even had their offices attacked or burnt down and their colleagues killed. There exists a culture of impunity for killings of HRDs and this has emboldened perpetrators and fuelled further violence against them. Behind the veil of national security, the government continues to muzzle those critical of it’s policies and of Islam. In addition to this, HRDs are further threatened and intimidated by various non-state actors such as militants and interest groups.
Defenders investigating human rights violations in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) face a particularly hostile climate, as they are targeted by security agencies, religious groups, militants, and armed gangs. Women HRDs face particular risks due to their gender. Besides threats by security agencies and armed groups, WHRDs can receive threats from their own family members, who exert pressure on them to quit their human rights work, or be threatened with the safety of their children. While the transgender community in Pakistan has made some strides in recent years, attacks on transgender HRDs remain widespread and the violence has been increasing. HRDs working on religious freedom and minority rights are also targeted.
