Dissident Pakistani human rights campaigner found dead in Canada

A prominent Pakistani dissident and critic of the nation’s military has been found dead in Canada, prompting calls for an investigation into her death.

Karima Baloch had been living in exile and been receiving threats in the weeks before her disappearance at the weekend, her family said.

Canadian police said the 39-year-old’s body was found in Toronto on Monday evening, after having gone missing the previous day.

A police spokeswoman said the  death was being treated as “a non-criminal death and there are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances”.

But Amnesty called her death “deeply shocking” and said it “must be immediately and effectively investigated”.

Ms Baloch rose to prominence as an activist in the poverty-stricken, but resource rich province of Balochistan, which has been home to a long-running separatist insurgency. Baloch campaigners allege thousands have disappeared as Pakistan’s military has waged a brutal campaign to quash the separatists. The military denies abuses.

Ms Baloch rose through the ranks of the Baloch Students’ Organisation (BSO) and went on to lead the activist group despite it being banned. She campaigned to highlight human rights abuses in the province and fled to take asylum in Canada in 2016. While in Canada she had continued to campaign.

In 2016, the BBC named her on its annual list of 100 inspiring and influential women. 

Her husband, Hammal Haider, who is also an exiled Pakistani activist, told the Guardian he did not believe she had killed herself.

“She was a strong lady and she left home in a good mood. We can’t rule out foul play as she has been under threats. She left Pakistan as her home was raided more than twice. Her uncle was killed. She was threatened to leave activism and political activities but she did not and fled to Canada.”

He said he had also received threats over social media a month ago after he had raised the issue of human rights abuses and military operations in the province.

He said: “I was told that my brothers and wife can be targeted. I didn’t take them seriously. We often get such trolls and threats while talking about human rights abuses.”

The Canadian government has yet to comment on the case. 

Ms Baloch is the second Baloch dissident to die in exile this year. A journalist called Sajid Hussain,  who had left Pakistan after threats and sought asylum in Sweden, was found dead in a river outside Uppsala in April.

The Swedish prosecution authority in July closed a preliminary murder investigation into his death, saying they no longer suspected a crime had taken place.

Pakistanis in exile yesterday took to social media to express fears for their own safety.