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Baloch leader Mehran Marri has delivered a scathing indictment of Pakistan's human rights record in Balochistan, alleging widespread enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and arbitrary detentions that he describes as "genocide at full escalation."
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Marri stated that the situation in the province has reached an "extremely grim" point, mirroring decades of systematic repression. According to Marri, the Pakistani military establishment has not only intensified crackdowns within Balochistan but has expanded what he calls "transnational aggression" into India and Afghanistan, targeting Baloch refugees beyond Pakistan's borders. He claims that the military's sense of impunity has grown due to its strategic partnerships with major powers such as the United States and China. Marri argues that Pakistan routinely masks military operations under the pretext of counterinsurgency, while in reality suppressing legitimate political aspirations. He says the Baloch struggle is centred on sovereignty, territorial integrity and fundamental human dignity, yet is repeatedly labelled by Pakistani authorities as terrorism or foreign-backed unrest. "They manipulate the narrative to simplify our struggle," he said, urging the international community not to take Pakistani claims at face value. Criticising Pakistan's recent shipment of rare earth minerals to the United States, Marri maintained that Balochistan's resources are being exploited without benefiting the local population. Comparing the minerals to "stolen goods," he called for global regulations similar to those imposed on conflict diamonds. Despite being home to vast natural wealth and critical ports, Balochistan remains among Pakistan's poorest regions, a disparity Marri attributes to "illegal occupation." The worsening situation has forced numerous activists, students, and journalists to flee the country in search of asylum. Marri described Balochistan as an "open-air prison," where civilians live under constant surveillance, curfews, and military pressure. "There is no politics. We live in a dungeon," he stated. Going further, he questioned Pakistan's legitimacy as a nation-state, alleging that it was a colonial construct sustained by geopolitical interests rather than genuine nationhood. He urged the international community to reassess its recognition of Pakistan, citing its destabilising role in the region. (ANI)
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