London: The Baloch National Movement (BNM) staged a protest in London outside the Prime Minister’s House against ongoing human rights violations across Balochistan, including enforced disappearances, collective punishment, and the “genocide” of civilians by the Pakistani forces.
The demonstrations held this week were part of the month-long BNM Global Campaign running from March 10 and brought together a large number of members of the Baloch diaspora.
According to the BNM, during the protests, a structured awareness campaign was launched, with activists distributing pamphlets at key political, media, and tourist locations across the city to raise awareness about the current situation in Balochistan.
These locations, it said, included the Prime Minister’s Office, the British Parliament, the headquarters of the media outlet BBC, and other prominent public places.
Addressing the participants, senior BNM leader Hassan Dost Baloch stated that Pakistan is “making the mistake of believing it can suppress the Baloch national movement through genocide.”
Recalling the sacrifices of Baloch national leaders and the BNM leadership in 2009, he noted that “the movement has intensified since then, and today the Baloch nation is closer than ever to achieving its freedom.”
He added that “the ongoing state actions in Balochistan are, in fact, clear evidence of Pakistan’s failure and defeat.”
The BNM mentioned that other speakers at the protest – including human rights activists Abid Abdullah, Jasim Baloch, and Ahmed Abdul Hameed – also expressed their views and stressed the urgent need for greater international attention to the dire situation in Balochistan.
Last week the BNM organised a peaceful protest in South Korea’s Busan, highlighting the persistent human rights abuses in Balochistan and systematic military repression by Pakistani forces.
Held as part of its ongoing global campaign, the BNM said the protests aimed to raise international awareness and demand justice and freedom for the Baloch people, with informative pamphlets widely distributed to passers-by.
Addressing the participants, BNM member Bakhtawar Baloch delivered a speech in the Korean language to explain the dire situation in Balochistan to the local public and media while calling for global solidarity against the atrocities by Pakistani forces.
“The participants raised strong slogans demanding freedom for Balochistan and strongly condemning the brutality of the Pakistani army. Slogans echoed calls for an end to enforced disappearances, the release of all missing persons, justice for victims, and freedom from occupation and repression,” the BNM stated.
(IANS)
