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The Canadian Baloch Congress (CBC) hosted a human rights conference in Toronto in recognition of the UN-designated International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, focusing on the struggles of countless missing individuals in Pakistan. This gathering honoured not just those who have been forcibly taken, but also their families, enduring ongoing silence and pain.
The conference highlighted the growing trend of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where individuals, including political activists, human rights advocates, and students, have been abducted or detained without accountability. Among those affected are Baloch rights activist Dr. Mahrang Baloch and members of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), whose capture has sparked significant condemnation. Bushra Khan, General Secretary of the Pashtun Council in Canada, called for the immediate release of all individuals wrongfully imprisoned. She pointed out that international organisations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Human Rights Commission have deemed enforced disappearances illegal, yet Pakistan continues these actions without consequence. Dr. Zaffar Baloch, President of the Baloch Human Rights Council of Canada, cautioned that Islamabad's new anti-terror legislation is being exploited to silence dissenters. "Individuals who oppose enforced disappearances or speak out against human rights abuses risk being labelled terrorists," he remarked, noting that political activists are being taken without fair trials under pretexts of anti-state accusations. Siraj Khan, a founding member of the Pashtun Council Canada, highlighted that Pashtuns, Baloch, Sindhis, and other marginalized communities have long been exploited for their resources. He advocated for a united front for all oppressed nations to collectively challenge Pakistan's authoritarian government. Sami Jan Mengal, an activist with the Baloch Human Rights Council, portrayed the escalating humanitarian crisis in Balochistan. He claimed that the Pakistani army and intelligence agencies are seizing civilians daily, rendering no one secure. "Baloch students are taken from their classrooms, fathers are snatched from their homes, and daughters are abducted from the streets. We are here to amplify our voices, hoping that one day global powers and democracies will acknowledge the situation unfolding in Balochistan," he expressed. The conference concluded with a unified appeal for worldwide awareness and support to put an end to enforced disappearances in Pakistan, demanding accountability from the state for what speakers denounced as "crimes against humanity." (ANI)
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