A seminar was held on 21st December in Tirtaj, Awaran district, to pay tribute to the sacrifices of the former chairperson of the Baloch Students Organisation–Azad (BSO–Azad), Banuk Karima Baloch. The organisers have been accused of anti-state activities and the Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against those activists.
Awaran police have registered an FIR against Dr Shali Baloch, Zakia Baloch, Arz Malik Baloch, and other members of the Baloch Women Forum. The FIR alleges that the seminar included speeches promoting hatred against the State and attempted to influence children’s minds with anti-state propaganda.
The Baloch Women Forum has strongly condemned the FIR, labelling it a blatant violation of human rights and an attempt to silence the voice of the Baloch people.
In a statement, the Forum criticised state institutions for what it described as ongoing oppression and human rights abuses against the people of Balochistan. It further claimed that portraying a peaceful seminar as anti-state was a deliberate attempt to distort facts and destabilise the region’s peace.
The Forum clarified that the seminar was organised to honour the struggle and sacrifices of Banuk Karima Baloch and was attended by local community members. They asserted that the event was a peaceful political gathering and in no way anti-state.
Rejecting the FIR, the Forum demanded the immediate withdrawal of charges against its members and locals. It also called for the protection of the fundamental human and political rights of the Baloch people.
The Forum warned that actions like these could exacerbate the issues in Balochistan and urged state institutions to refrain from measures that disrupt peace and stability in the region.