As cases of alleged enforced disappearances continue to rise in Pakistan, the Baloch Human Rights Council has made a fervent appeal to the United Nations (UN) to dispatch a fact-finding mission to investigate the grave human rights violations in Balochistan. In an official statement released on Wednesday, the Council underscored the urgency of addressing the atrocities faced by the Baloch people in Pakistan.
The call for action was made during a side event held on the sidelines of the 52nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council. The event, hosted by the General Secretary of the Baloch Human Rights Council, aimed to shed light on the dire situation unfolding in Balochistan and to draw attention to the ongoing violations of human rights in the region.
Qambar Malik, representing the Baloch Human Rights Council, delivered a poignant address at the event, highlighting Pakistan’s consistent disregard for national and international laws. He emphasized that Pakistan has been perpetrating heinous crimes against humanity in Balochistan, in clear violation of its obligations under various UN conventions. Malik presented data compiled by the Baloch Human Rights Council, revealing alarming statistics of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of Baloch political and human rights activists, including women and children. He lamented the impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators of these crimes, calling for accountability and justice.
Providing historical context, Malik underscored that the Baloch struggle for self-determination stemmed from Pakistan’s invasion of Balochistan and its forceful annexation in 1948, against the will of the Baloch people. The ongoing human rights abuses in Balochistan are a direct consequence of this unjust annexation, he asserted.
Dr. Naseem Baloch, Chairman of the Baloch National Movement, echoed Malik’s concerns, highlighting the multifaceted threats faced by the Baloch people on sociocultural, economic, and political fronts. He urged Europe and the international community to break their silence on the humanitarian crisis in Balochistan and to hold Pakistan accountable for its crimes in the region.
The event also featured representatives from various human rights organizations, who addressed the audience on different aspects of human rights violations affecting oppressed nations in Pakistan. Speakers included Dr. Hidayat Bhutto of the World Sindhi Congress, Sardar Nasir Aziz Khan of the United Kashmir Peoples National Party (UKPNP), and Fazal ur Rehman Afridi, President of IRESK, among others.
With voices from Balochistan and beyond coming together to demand justice and accountability, the event served as a powerful platform to amplify the plight of the Baloch people and to urge international intervention in addressing the human rights crisis unfolding in the region.
