Baloch group requests UN intervention over rights abuses in Pakistan

A Baloch rights group has requested UN intervention in the southwestern province of Pakistan to save people suffering from the most severe form of rights violations.

Addressing the 51st Session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), a representative of the Baloch Human Rights Council said the Balochs in Pakistan are being dehumanized in the face of aggressive exploitation of their resources while being deprived of education, health, and other social amenities.

"We request the council's urgent and direct intervention to save the Baloch people suffering from human rights violations resulting in extreme poverty," said Kamal Khan, Information Secretary of the Baloch Human Rights Council.

The activist also drew attention to some aspects of human rights violations regarding the exploitation of natural resources of Balochistan by Pakistan resulting in the extreme poverty of the Baloch people.

Kamal Khan highlighted that only 2 per cent of the population in Balochistan is getting the facility running water. Only 40 per cent have a sewerage system in their settlements.

The activist pointed out how China and Pakistan are ruthlessly exploiting the natural resources of Balochistan.

"Despite being rich in natural resources, Balochistan remains the most impoverished region with the highest unemployment rate in Pakistan. 70 per cent of the population in Balochistan live below the poverty line. As a result of systematic economic deprivation, many children suffer from severe malnutrition. The infant mortality rate in Balochistan is one of the highest in the world," he said.

Given the Baloch people's dire situation, Kamal Khan lastly requested the council's urgent and direct intervention to save the Baloch people suffering in Pakistan.

Earlier this week, the Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC) organised a massive anti-Pakistan protest in front of the United Nations office in Geneva during the ongoing 51st session of the Human Rights Council.

They called upon the UN to send a fact-finding mission to Balochistan to investigate heinous crimes being committed by Pakistan Army and other secret agencies.

The demonstration was addressed by leaders of Baloch, Sindhis and Pakistan-occupied Kashmiri communities in exile and highlighted various aspects of human rights violations in Balochistan and termed them as genocide.

The protesters later submitted a memorandum to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights demanding to send a fact-finding mission to Balochistan to investigate extrajudicial killings and "kill and dump" policy of the Pakistani state.

Samad Baloch, Secretary General, Baloch Human Rights Council said Pakistan is a curse upon Baloch, Sindhis and Pakhtun people since its creation and its annexation of Balochistan.

"Pakistan has made Balochistan a hell for Baloch people. They deliberately deprived the basic and fundamental rights of the Baloch people and we are here to raise the voices of the Baloch people and their grievances. We want the international community to intervene," he added.