TORONTO -- The death of prominent Pakistani rights activist, 37-year-old Karima Baloch, is being treated as 鈥渘on-criminal,鈥� Toronto police say.
Baloch, who was also known as Karima Mehrab, reportedly went missing Sunday around 3 p.m. in the Bay Street and Queens Quay West area.
Toronto Police , asking for anyone who had seen her to come forward.
The police, saying that she had been 鈥渓ocated鈥� and a she had been found.
In an email to CTV News, a press officer confirmed that Baloch had been found deceased, and that it was being 鈥渋nvestigated as a non-criminal death鈥� and there are 鈥渘ot believed to be any suspicious circumstances.鈥�
Baloch鈥檚 husband that her body had been found on Toronto鈥檚 Centre Island.
Who was Karima Baloch?
Baloch was an activist from the Balochistan region in western Pakistan, and a vocal critic of the Pakistani military and state establishment.
She was well known, and was the first female head of the banned activist group Baloch Student鈥檚 Organization, Other members of her extended family with ties to the activist movement have gone missing and later been found dead.
Earlier this year, another exiled Balochian and relative to Ms. Baloch, journalist where he had claimed political asylum from Pakistan, two months after he went missing.
Activists say that Balochian protesters are being targeted by the Pakistani military 鈥� a claim they deny.
Baloch left Pakistan in 2015, and claimed asylum in Canada in 2016 after terrorism charges were laid against her.
Baloch was named as one of the BBC鈥檚 鈥渁nnual list of 100 inspirational and influential women鈥� in 2016 for her work, and and in person, even in exile.
Lateef Johar Baloch, a friend of Ms. Baloch, told CTV News that he had known her since 2009, that she was studying at the University of Toronto, and 鈥渢he Pakistan military threatened her and her family members鈥� and engaged in 鈥渂lackmail to stop her activism and [from] naming the Pakistani military.鈥�
He told the BBC about the continued threats made against Baloch, including a recent 鈥渨arning that someone would send her a 鈥楥hristmas gift, and 鈥榯each her a lesson.鈥欌��
The last thing was a Guardian article outlining the 鈥�.鈥�
A report from the UN Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances says there are 鈥� 731 of those are still missing, and activists say many cases will never reach a UN committee.
Kiran Nazish, co-founder of the Coalition For Women in Journalism, told CTV News that Baloch was very young when those tragic stories were happening around her and ultimately inspired her to take a stance.
She explained that Baloch 鈥渒new many of her neighbours and family members who were disappeared鈥� and was friends with outspoken people and fellow activists who would end up dead.
鈥淪he told me many times that she thought she could be killed as well.,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd even here in Canada she did fear getting killed.鈥� Nazish praised Baloch for being 鈥渞eally brave鈥� and 鈥渆xtremely inspiring," because despite being afraid, she still continued to raise her voice.
Public Reaction
Reaction to Baloch鈥檚 death has seen an outpouring of grief and demands for justice in the public and activist spheres.
Amnesty International South Asia : 鈥淭he death of activist Karima Baloch in Toronto, Canada is deeply shocking and must immediately and effectively be investigated.鈥�
Others began pointing fingers, accusing Pakistan or other governments of targeting Baloch on Canadian soil.
But most have been , as the community mourns another death.
