Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur for human rights defenders, conducted an online meeting with Baloch activists Sammi Deen Baloch and Dr. MahRang Baloch. The discussion centered on the situation in Balochistan, particularly focusing on enforced disappearances and reports of police harassment against protestors.
Lawlor expressed serious concerns over the reported harassment and called for the withdrawal of baseless criminal charges against peaceful protestors in her statement on the social media platform ‘X’.
Sammi Deen Baloch, General Secretary of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), briefed Lawlor on challenges encountered during the Baloch march, including arrests and fabricated cases. She also shared her personal story related to her father’s disappearance, highlighting the broader issue of enforced disappearances in the region.
Dr. MahRang Baloch, a leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), discussed the police crackdown, a negative media campaign, and controversial remarks by Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister. Lawlor assured the activists of her ongoing commitment to monitoring their situation and the risks faced by Baloch protesters.
This development occurs amid widespread protests against the “Baloch Genocide,” with protesters urging the United Nations to send a fact-finding mission to Balochistan and calling for a UN presence in the region.