The leaders of the Baloch National Movement (BNM) said that the Pakistani state intends to eliminate the Baloch culture, language and traditions. The BNM leaders said Balochistan suffers from a variety of problems under the “Pakistani occupation”, notable among these are “enforced disappearances and kill-and-dumps.”
According to reports, the Baloch National Movement (BNM) held a conference in Berlin to discuss the rising cases of “enforced disappearances” in Balochistan and the silence of the international community. The conference was attended by BNM Chief Dr. Naseem Baloch, intellectual and author Ayesha Siddiqa and historian Dr. Naseer Dashti.
The speakers said the policy of “kill-and-dumps” in Balochistan is not new – it has been going on for five decades. They said the Pakistan state killed thousands of innocent souls in 1970, and the roots of this “systemic genocide” are deeply intertwined with Pakistan’s history as a country.
They said the media and other public institutions are equally complicit in the “genocide” unfolding in Balochistan.
BNM chief said that Pakistan was alone in repressing the Baloch, Pashtun, Gilgit and Sindhi communities, but now it has found a partner in the form of China that is willing to go to any lengths to achieve its designs. He said that China has a history of violence in Turkmenistan, Hong Kong, Tibet and Taiwan. China is among the few countries that have no respect for human rights, he said.
At least two million Uighur Muslims are incarcerated in concentration camps in China – they are facing genocide, the Baloch nation, he said.
Dr. Naseem Baloch further said that we are fighting to gain independence from Pakistan, and we believe that our movement would be a source of inspiration for the other oppressed nations in the region, whether it’s the Uighurs in China or the Pashtun and Sindhi in Pakistan. He said that we are also fighting against the exploitative policies of China, and our triumph will be the triumph of every nation or community that has suffered at the hands of China.
The BNM chief said that his party would like to work in liaison with other Baloch nationalist parties. He said that we had invited the Baloch Republican Party and others to the conference, and we would continue this inclusive outreach.
Author Ayesha Siddiqa said that the Pakistani state is using “enforced disappearances” as a tool to quash dissent. She said that this is a “criminal use of power and authority” and that we should collectively raise our voices against it.
Ms. Siddiqa said that the Baloch nationalist circles should reach out to other communities and make them aware of their common issues. She said that the media blackout in Balochistan is the reason why the world is not aware of the
“human rights catastrophe” unfolding in Balochistan.
Historian Naseer Dashti said that Pakistan is on the verge of collapse – considering its crawling economy and political instability, it would not be able to attract financial aid from the world in the next few years. He said that it is inevitable that Pakistan would break up, and there is no stopping it.
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan leader Bibi Gull also addressed the gathering online, but she could not finish her speech due to technical difficulties. She urged the Baloch diaspora scattered in Europe and around the world to highlight the human rights issues in Balochistan before the world.