Zarina Marri Case Is Baseless Propaganda, Say Balochistan Women Ministers

Quetta:Balochistan’s women ministers, Meena Majeed and Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani, have strongly denied the long-standing claims regarding the alleged abduction and abuse of a woman named Zarina Marri in 2005 from the Kohlu district. They described the incident as false and part of a propaganda campaign driven by foreign agencies.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on Wednesday, alongside the spokesperson for the Government of Balochistan, the ministers emphasized that a thorough review of the Education Department’s records found **no trace of any teacher by the name of Zarina Marri**.

Meena Majeed, Advisor to the Chief Minister on Sports and Youth Affairs, said that individuals like Munir Mengal, operating from abroad, are promoting anti-Pakistan narratives allegedly at the behest of India. She called the entire story fabricated, pointing out that neither the people of Kohlu nor the official education records support such claims.

She added that from 2004 to 2007, the only similar name in the records was **Zarina Nargis**, a teacher from the Zarkoon tribe, and even she had no connection to the alleged incident. Taj Muhammad Laghari, a senior education official and principal in Kohlu, also confirmed that the Zarina Marri story appears to be entirely fictional and aimed at discrediting national institutions.

**Provincial Education Minister Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani** stated that due to the sensitive nature of the allegations, a **full investigation** was conducted. She reiterated that **no teacher by the name of Zarina Marri was ever employed in Kohlu**, and all women with similar names were appointed after 2010.

Government spokesperson **Shahid Rind** commented that while the government does not wish to target any individual journalist, one who recently posted about the case on social media should either **provide concrete evidence or delete the post**, in line with ethical journalistic standards.

The ministers urged the public to **reject baseless propaganda** and avoid becoming part of misinformation campaigns designed to malign state institutions.