Pakistani activist living in Canada found dead - police

A Pakistani human rights activist living in Canada who went missing over the weekend has been found dead, Toronto Police said on Tuesday, adding they believed her death to be a non-criminal matter.

Karima Mehrab, a refugee from the Balochistan region of western Pakistan who was also known as Karima Baloch, went missing on Sunday in Toronto's downtown waterfront area. Police said her body was found on Monday.

Mehrab was a prominent student organizer who campaigned for Balochistan's separation from Pakistan, and later fled to Canada amid threats. She was named one of the BBC's 100 inspirational and influential women of 2016.

Toronto police offered few details about her death. Mike Butt, a detective, said by phone: "It has been deemed a non-criminal incident."

Amnesty International South Asia tweeted that her death was shocking and should be "effectively investigated," while the Human Rights Council of Balochistan called for the Canadian government to look into the matter.

Earlier this year Sajid Hussain, a Balochistan journalist and activist living in exile in Sweden, was found drowned there, according to media reports.