Activists, experts raise issues of human rights abuse in Balochistan
Mar 12, 2020
Geneva (Switzerland), Mar 12 (ANI): Political activists, experts and European Parliamentarian shared a stage to discuss about the plight of people in Balochistan at a conference held at a tent set up at the Broken Chair square in Geneva on Wednesday. The ‘Save The Baloch’ campaign is launched by the Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC) where the participants discuss about human rights abuse in Balochistan at a conference titled “Genocide in Balochistan: the role of international community”. The Baloch political activists highlight the atrocities committed by Pakistan Army as they have launched operations in Balochistan, killing civilians and destroying their houses. Razzak Baloch, organiser USA Chapter of Baloch Human Rights Council said, “Every 10 miles there is a check post, Balochistan has become a bigger jail. People cannot move around. You cannot even question them as why you are stopping us?, why are you searching our bodies?, why are you searching our women? Why are you searching our children?.” Taha Siddiqui, a Pakistani journalist, who is now living in exile, said, “In Balochistan, currently the biggest issue is that for a very long time there was abuse, there was a lot of atrocities by the Pakistani state but now it’s not just about these missing persons actually. What is the problem is that there is missing stories, there is an information black hole and things are not being reported independently or not even reported at all”. He added, “So, the worst thing that is going on in Balochistan is that we don’t even have an idea of what is going on and that’s worse than being able to report about it, talk about it. So in that sense the way there are secret military operations going on, the abduction is going on, there is religious radicalisation going on and all of this is not being reported.” Taha, who escaped his abduction in Pakistan by secret agencies told ANI, “The media is not being allowed and we are seeing that this is intensifying ever since China has come into the equation. Ever since China has invested in Balochistan now the crack down from the military and Pakistani state is even worsened and they do not want to talk about Baloch issues, the human rights abuse or whatever is happening in Balochistan. Noting negative can be reported from the country because China does not want it, so the Pakistan military does not want it”. The event was also attended by a member of European Parliament who talked about the persecution of people in the mineral-rich but poorest province in Pakistan. Ryszard Czarnecki, a Member of European Parliament told ANI, “You have a very active (Baloch) diaspora, especially in Europe, and representative of this diaspora inform us, the members of European Parliament about the real situation in Balochistan and about Pakistani violations and lack of respecting of human rights in this region”. “Obviously, we should make intervention at different international levels. The people in Balochistan should feel that they are not alone. I would like to express my solidarity with our brothers and sisters in this region”, said the MEP.
