The Baloch National Movement (BNM) has condemned the Pakistan Army’s human rights abuses in Pak-occupied Balochistan, branding the region as a “graveyard of hopes” rather than just a piece of land. This stark criticism was voiced during the fifth international Balochistan conference held in Geneva from September 16 to 18, 2024.
Sammi Deen Baloch, General Secretary of BNM, addressed the conference via video link, highlighting the severe human rights violations perpetrated by Pak forces and intelligence agencies. He described POB as a place where humanity is continuously disregarded, calling on the international community to intervene and address the issue of enforced disappearances, a direct consequence of the Pakistan military’s actions.
The conference, part of BNM’s ongoing Geneva activities, was attended by global representatives and activists who discussed the dire situation in POB. The event aimed to shed light on the collaboration between China and Pakistan in exploiting the region and violating human rights.
BNM Criticizes Pak Army’s Brutality
The first segment of the conference featured prominent speakers, including climate change activist Yusuf Baloch, PhD scholar Jaffer Mirza from King’s College London, former spokesperson of the Jammu Kashmir Peoples National Party Habib-ur-Rehman, and Dr. Lakho Lohano from the World Sindhi Congress. They spoke about the challenges faced by the Baloch people and the ongoing resistance against the Pakistan military’s oppressive tactics.
In the second segment, international figures such as Afrasiab Khattak from the National Democratic Movement, British MP John McDonnell, Nida Kirmani from Lahore University of Management Sciences, and human rights lawyers Iman Mazari and Dr. Jennifer Philippart contributed their insights. They criticized the Pak Army backed-government’s role in orchestrating the enforced disappearances, extra judicial killings, raids and frequent military operations. The speakers highlighted that the occupied-state’s reluctance to enact effective legislation against these abuses reflects its broader disregard for human rights.
The final segment featured BNM Chairman Dr. Naseem Baloch, historian Dr. Nasir Dashti, Italian journalist Francesca Marino, and human rights advocate Angelena. They condemned the Pak military’s use of the Fourth Schedule to target political activists, describing it as a tool for suppressing dissent and labeling individuals as terrorists without due process. They said that the Paki establishment, disconnected from the land it occupies, perpetuates a system of oppression and exploitation in POB.