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The Baloch National Movement (BNM) held a powerful protest outside the Pakistani Embassy in The Hague on Sunday to mark one year since the enforced disappearance of Ustad Wahid Kambar Baloch, a respected Baloch intellectual and rights advocate.
The demonstration was aimed at exposing Pakistan's ongoing policy of state repression in Balochistan, including enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. Members of the BNM Netherlands chapter, along with human rights activists, gathered with banners and placards bearing slogans such as "Stop Baloch Genocide", "Where is Wahid Kambar?", and "Pakistan: Hands off Balochistan." Protesters chanted slogans calling for justice and urged international institutions to intervene. Speaking at the demonstration, Muheem Abdul Rahim, President of BNM Netherlands, said Wahid Kambar's disappearance reflects Pakistan's broader policy of silencing political dissent in Balochistan. "What happened to Ustad Wahid Kambar is not an isolated incident. Hundreds of Baloch political workers, students, and intellectuals have vanished without a trace. This is state terrorism," he stated, as reported by the Baloch National Movement (BNM). Latif Baloch and activist Qadeer Sagar echoed similar sentiments. They condemned Pakistan's policy of enforced disappearances and called upon the United Nations, the European Union, and international human rights watchdogs to break their silence. "The world must recognise that the situation in Balochistan is not just a regional crisis, it is a global human rights emergency," said Dr. Baloch, according to the BNM. The speakers also called on the international media to report on the reality in Balochistan, where the military and intelligence agencies are accused of conducting systematic abductions, torture, and killings of civilians. The BNM accused Pakistan of committing genocide in Balochistan to suppress demands for autonomy and control over local natural resources. The protest also highlighted the broader insurgency in Balochistan, where Baloch nationalist groups have long resisted Pakistani rule, citing political marginalisation and exploitation of the province's abundant natural wealth. According to the BNM, Balochistan remains the largest yet least developed province of Pakistan, and the local population continues to suffer under what they describe as colonial-style governance. The BNM reaffirmed its commitment to continue raising its voice internationally until enforced disappearances and human rights violations in Balochistan come to an end. (ANI)
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