Human Rights activists Protest in Geneva to highlight the plight of Baloch and Sindhi Nations

on 2010/3/14 0:20:00

Geneva: Baloch, Sindhi and other International Human Rights activists from the UK, USA and Canada have come together to address a conference and to protest against Pakistan’s atrocities in Sindh and Balochistan, on the 13th Session of the Human rights Council in Geneva. In alliance with Interfaith International, UNPO has helped plan and co-ordinate the events to high light the Human Rights Violations in Balochistan.

The first of these events took place on11/3/2010 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Representatives from Sindh and Balochistan spoke on different prospects of the ongoing Human Rights Violations in their perspective occupied territories. Speakers included Senator Sanaullah Baloch a former Pakistan Senator and Mr. Mehran Baloch a prominent Baloch activist and Baloch people’s representative in the UN, Mr. Peter Tatchell a British human rights activist, Mr. Jacob Rothing an international expert on forced displacement in the South Asian region, Mr. Marino Busdachin, Dr Lahku Luhana, Dr Haleem Bhatti from World Sindhi Congress, Laurie Dreamer of American friends of Balochistan, Dr Zafar Baloch of BHRC Canada and several other Baloch and Sindhi representatives & activists were also present at the event.

The speakers accentuate on issue of forced-disappearances in Balochistan and other injustices that people of Balochistan are facing currently. The speakers were very critical of ISI (Inter Services Intelligence) of Pakistan. Samad Baloch of BHRC (UK) demanded the MI (Military Intelligence) and ISI (Inter Service Intelligence) be banned and declared as terrorist Organisations. Peter Tatchell a well known British Human Rights campaigner in his concluding remarks said that “If a tiny East Timore can be a free and Independent state, why not Balochistan?” Similarly Dr Lakhlu and Haleem Bhatti of World Sindhi Congress spoke against the Pakistan’s Intelligence agencies and said that several Sindhi people have been disappeared and tortured including representatives of World Sindhi Congress by the state’s security forces.

Laurie Dreamer of American friends of Balochistan spoke of the burning issue of abduction of Baloch political activists. She said that currently thousands of Baloch activist were missing and their whereabouts and fate remain unknown to their family members. She said it was the responsibility of the state to bring these people to surface and give them the right to a fair trial.

Mehran Baluch while speaking about the suspension of International Interfaith said that they (ISI, Pakistan) can try to restrict my activities but they shall never be able to suppress the entire Baloch Nation. Since the so called government has come into power the ISI has been active in sinister operation in Balochistan and on International level against Baloch patriots and Human Rights activists in particular. The Pakistanis have misled the International Community by announcing a so called reconciliation package and continues to apologise for its wrong doings in past; whereas on the other hand it has embarked an aggressive campaign of elimination and marginalisation of the Baloch Nation. The package is based on sinister intention to further suppress and exploit the people and resources of Balochistan and legitimise its illegal occupation by Punjabi Pakistan.

Unfortunately when peaceful revolution becomes impossible violent revolution becomes natural. Baloch will not sit back and be spectators of Punjabis’ (Pakistan) loot, plunder and murder our Nation. Balochistan’s liberation is inevitable and it is our right, he concluded.

The event was followed with a protest and demonstration held outside the United Nations in Geneva. The Baloch and Sindhi protester chanted slogans against Pakistan’s and Iran’s atrocities against the people of Balochistan and Sindh. They demanded the immediate withdrawal of Pakistani military from Balochistan and the release of force-disappeared Baloch political activists.