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A protest was held outside 10 Downing Street in London against the reported Pakistani airstrikes on civilian areas in Surab, Balochistan, on August 12, 2026. Organised by the Baloch National Movement (BNM), the demonstration condemned the reported deaths of civilians, including women and children, and called for justice, accountability and international intervention.
Protesters urged the UK Government, the international community and human rights organisations to take note of the situation in Balochistan and press for an independent investigation into the reported airstrikes. They also called for international organisations to be granted access to the affected areas to verify the casualties and assess the situation on the ground. Speaking during the protest, BNM activist Niaz Baloch said, "Today, members of the Baloch nation organised a protest against Pakistani jet strikes in Surab, Balochistan. In the early hours of August 12, Pakistani fighter jets struck a civilian population in Surab. The attack resulted in significant casualties. The figures have not been confirmed yet, but the pictures emerging from the area showed that women and children were among the victims." He further said, "This was not the first time that the Pakistani military had used aerial power against the Baloch civilian population. Before this, the Pakistani army had used drone strikes in Surab, which had also killed innocent women and children. Today, we came here to demand that the United Kingdom press Pakistan to allow international organisations into Balochistan to investigate the incident." Baloch added, "We also asked the United Kingdom's mission in Pakistan to press for access to Balochistan so that international organisations could visit the area, interview people and interact directly with local residents. Our call was also to the United Nations and the European Union to highlight this issue. This was not the first such incident in Balochistan. This was a pattern, and Pakistan was following it to terrorise the Baloch civilian population and militarise the region." The protesters called for greater international scrutiny, independent investigations and stronger measures to protect civilians in Balochistan. (ANI)
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