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The Baloch National Movement (BNM) staged a forceful anti-Pakistan demonstration in Geneva during the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council to spotlight mounting human rights abuses in Balochistan.
Running parallel to the protest, organisers set up a striking photo exhibition displaying graphic images of what they described as persistent, systematic human rights violations perpetrated in the region, aiming to compel the international community to turn its gaze towards the crisis and demand rigorous global scrutiny. Condemning Islamabad's actions, Naseem Baloch, Chairman of the Baloch National Movement, stated that Pakistan has forcibly occupied Balochistan and escalated severe abuses. Speaking to ANI, Naseem Baloch said, "We are presently in Geneva. The purpose of our visit, including the photo exhibition, protests, and other activities, is to show the world that Pakistan has forcibly occupied Balochistan. Following this forced occupation, various forms of human rights violations have been taking place there, and these have escalated significantly... In the last few years, there has been a sharp intensification of what we call the 'kill and dump' policy, where people are abducted and forcibly disappeared on a daily basis, and their bodies are subsequently dumped. Our objective in coming here, and the aim of the photo exhibition and protests, is to demonstrate to the world that Balochistan is a land where severe atrocities are being committed." Echoing similar concerns regarding the terror faced by locals at the hands of security forces, Faheem Baloch, Foreign Secretary of the Baloch National Movement, highlighted the ongoing crisis during the long march. "Today, we had a long march in Geneva to tell the world what kind of atrocities are going on in Balochistan. The people are being abducted, tortured, and killed... The security forces have started abducting the family members of those talking about the human rights violations and killings," Faheem Baloch told ANI. Against this backdrop, Balochistan has for years witnessed political unrest, an armed insurgency and allegations of enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions and restrictions on political activity. At the same time, the region has also witnessed attacks by armed Baloch separatist groups against security personnel and other targets, followed by security operations by Pakistani authorities. The human rights situation, enforced disappearances, political activism, security operations and the broader question of Baloch political rights have remained contentious issues surrounding the region. (ANI)
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