Mahrang Baloch serves defamation notice on Pakistan military spokesperson

Human rights activist Mahrang Baloch has served a legal defamation notice on Pakistan military spokesperson, demanding an apology and retraction of what she has termed “false, malicious and life-threatening” statements made against her during a press conference and a recent public event.

The notice, issued through her legal representatives Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha, comes in response to remarks made by the Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) during a press conference on May 23, 2025, and a speech at an event held in Rawalpindi on June 2, 2025.

The comments, broadcast widely on national media and shared by the official ISPR social media accounts, accused Dr. Baloch and the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) of acting as “proxies for terrorists” and foreign intelligence agencies.

The notice cites translated excerpts from the military spokesperson’s statements, including: “When you speak of BYC and Mahrang Baloch, you must unmask their deformed evil face… They speak of human rights… Then those missing persons are found involved in terrorist activities… Now the whole world has seen that she and BYC are proxies of this terrorism.”

At the Rawalpindi event, the notice alleged that the spokesperson went further, calling Dr. Baloch and BYC "Indian proxies," questioning who funds her international trips, and -- most alarmingly -- allegedly labeling her “wajib-ul-qatl,” a term interpreted by many as an incitement to violence.

According to the legal notice, these statements have “seriously tarnished the reputation” of Dr. Baloch, endangered her life, and incited harassment and threats against her.

It also claims that this narrative was soon followed by a threatening video from the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), in which the group targeted unarmed Baloch civilians and groups including the BYC.

“This apparent narrative coordination between the media and PR wing for the Armed Forces, on the one hand, and a terrorist group such as the ISKP, on the other, is a matter of grave concern and alarm,” the notice says.

Legal demands

The notice, issued under the Defamation Ordinance 2002, demands the following within 14 days:

• A cease-and-desist order from making or spreading further defamatory claims.
• A public apology using the same platforms where the allegations were originally made.
• The removal of all defamatory content from media archives and social media platforms.
• Payment of PKR 10 million in damages to Dr. Baloch for loss of reputation and mental anguish.
• Failure to comply, the notice warns, will result in the initiation of civil and criminal proceedings.

The legal team argues that the DG ISPR, as a public office holder bound by constitutional oaths, has violated both legal norms and ethical duties by “becoming judge, jury, and executioner without due process.” They also challenge the factual basis of the claims made against Dr. Baloch, particularly the question of foreign funding.

In response to the allegation about trips to Norway, the notice clarifies that Dr. Baloch’s participation in international human rights forums -- including the World Expression Forum (WEXFO) -- was fully funded and publicly documented by the host organizations.