Baloch activists protest in Germany
On International Human Rights Day, the Baloch National Movement (BNM) staged demonstrations in Cologne and Chemnitz, Germany, to draw attention to the continuous abuses of human rights in Balochistan.
On Tuesday, participants—including members and supporters of the BNM—carried banners and placards calling for worldwide acknowledgement of the harsh persecution that the Baloch people endure under Pakistani control.
BNM Germany’s finance secretary, Amjid Murad, urged the world community to uphold its human rights obligations by addressing the continued suffering in Balochistan. He underlined that the Baloch population is being subjected to unrelenting horrors by Pakistan’s dictatorial government and called on the international community to intervene immediately.
BNM leaders gave stirring remarks during the demonstrations denouncing the Pakistani government’s systemic persecution of the Baloch people. Speaking vehemently against the cruel treatment of the people of Balochistan, Sharhasan, President of the BNM Germany Chapter, said that the Pakistani government was committing genocide against the Baloch and systematically denying them their fundamental human rights.
The shocking state-sponsored brutality in Balochistan, which includes enforced disappearances, extrajudicial executions, and the kidnapping of defenseless citizens, was clarified by Uzair Baloch, a BNM member from NRW and Rhineland-Palatinate. He emphasized that these people are often slain in fictitious encounters after being wrongly accused of being terrorists. Baloch demanded that the world community act quickly to put an end to these abuses of human rights.
Poet and BNM member Shay Jami denounced the lack of concern for the Baloch people’s plight by the world community. He said that the situation of the Baloch nation is still mostly ignored even if these concerns have been brought up in international fora.
Another BNM member, Asif Baloch, pointed out the sharp contrast between the current demonstrations in Balochistan, where families are still demanding justice for their loved ones who have been forcefully disappeared, and the international commemorations of Human Rights Day. He urged the whole community to acknowledge the inequities that the Baloch people endure and take appropriate action.
Another BNM member, Bakhtawar Zahid, emphasized that the current crimes in Balochistan are a part of a planned effort to stifle the Baloch independence movement. He underlined that in order to bring about peace and justice, the Baloch nation’s right to self-determination must be acknowledged.
BNM member Shali Zakir said that the area will suffer long-term repercussions if the crimes in Balochistan were not addressed. To put an end to the bloodshed, he called on the international community to take swift, decisive action.
Another BNM member, Hameda Baloch, described the intense suffering and distress experienced by the relatives of missing people, characterizing enforced disappearances as a continual source of anxiety for the Baloch people.
A supporter of the Baloch movement urged the world community to take significant action against the continuing tyranny after sharing his own experiences of suffering under official repression.
The demonstrations in Germany were a potent reminder of Balochistan’s continuous fight for justice and human rights. As supporters and activists came together to draw attention to the dire circumstances in the area, the BNM’s demand for international action and the acknowledgment of the rights of the Baloch people was one of the day’s main messages.
