Geneva: 2019-09-23

The Information Secretary of Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC) Qambar Malik Baloch in his intervention speeches on Item 3 and Item 4 during the 42nd UNHRC session drew the attention of the council to the on-going dimensional human rights violation in Balochistan being perpetrated by Pakistan and Iran. He pointed out that the Baloch are being victimized because they are struggling for the ownership of their land and resources, and a life free of all sorts of oppression where they can live in accordance with their cherished socio-cultural values.

Highlighting the systematic use of violence and assimilation strategy as a policy by the ruling regimes of Iran and Pakistan to counter the Baloch struggle for national right to self-determination, BHRC representative revealed that the Baloch are not only faced with physical elimination but also intrusions are made in their socio-cultural and political way of life in a systematic and organized way. 

Qambar Baloch told the assembly that the state of Pakistan has resorted to making way for radical Islam in Balochistan, and thousands of Madrassas (religious schools) are major sources of recruits for internationally designated terror groups like Taliban, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and the ISIS.  He highlighted the phenomenon of enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings of the Baloch socio-political activists and leaders by the security agencies of Pakistan.

He said that the Baloch in Iran are suffering as they have been denied their socio-cultural, religious and political freedoms by the regime of Ayatollahs. They are facing extreme physical torture, summary executions, public hanging, and other inhumane and barbaric acts. BHRC representative said that the irony is that the authorities in both Pakistan and Iran claim these acts of terror against the Baloch are culturally and religiously justified.

Criticizing the so-called developmental projects, Qambar Malik asserted that China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other such projects including Saindak and RekoDeq have benefitted the Chinese and the ruling nationality in Pakistan leaving the Baloch economically devastated. 

BHRC representative requested the council’s immediate and meaningful intervention to prevent Pakistan and Iran from continuing the policies which tantamount to genocide of a whole people. He demanded that human rights violations of Baloch must stop and the religious state of Iran and Pakistan must be held accountable.