On August 14th, Baloch and Sindhi political activists, along with human rights advocates, observed the day as a ‘Black Day.’ They aimed to draw attention to the oppression they perceive their nations have faced by Pakistan since its inception in 1947.
The Sindhi Baloch Forum organized a march that commenced at Trafalgar Square and concluded at 10 Downing Street. Here, on behalf of the Forum, a memorandum was handed over to the British Prime Minister, urging the British government for intervention in the alleged human rights abuses of Sindhis and Balochs.
The protest rally subsequently moved to Parliament Square, where community leaders and representatives of various groups, including Munir Baloch from the Baloch National Movement and Samad Baloch of the Baloch Human Rights Council, addressed the crowd. The focus of their speeches were the alleged human rights abuses in Sindh and Balochistan, perpetrated by Pakistani security forces. They spoke out against the alleged enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and intimidation of Baloch and Sindhi activists.
Additionally, the speakers emphasized the importance of preserving the Baloch and Sindhi languages and traditions. They voiced their concerns over the Pakistani state’s efforts to impose radical religious ideologies on traditionally secular Baloch and Sindhi nations, and highlighted alleged forced religious conversions and marriages involving underage Sindhi Hindu girls.