India should intervene in Balochistan like it did in Bangladesh: Mehran Marri

For highlighting Islamabad's atrocities on Gilgit-Baltistan, PoK and Balochistan

Hailing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for highlighting Islamabad's atrocities on Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Balochistan, Mehran Marri, the representative of Balochistan at the UNHRC and European Union, on Monday hoped New Delhi intervenes on the issue like it did to stop genocide in Bangladesh.

Marri told ANI: "I would like to thank Mr Narendra Modi for raising the issue of Balochistan. As India is aspiring to be a permanent member of the UN Security Council, I think Mr Narendra Modi has proven that they deserve that seat because India as a regional power should acknowledge the issues happening in his neigbourhood."

Asserting that Baloch people are suffering genocide at the hands of Pakistan military and the leadership, he hoped India intervenes in the matter.

"As India intervened in Bangladesh to stop the genocide on the people of Bangladesh, we are hopeful the same will happen with us because we are suffering genocide at the hands of Pakistan military and Pakistan," he added.

He said that Prime Minister Modi's remark has given hope to the people of Balochistan.

Senge Sering, director of the Washington DC-based Gilgit-Baltistan National Congress, also welcomed Prime Minister Modi's remark.

"We welcome the remarks that Prime Minister of India made on the human rights violations in Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir and Balochistan. We have been saying from the very beginning that be it the matter of Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir and Balochistan every country or organisation who are the stakeholders should take part in the matter," he told ANI.

He said that the Pakistani government should be exposed, adding this would help in stopping the crimes against humanity committed in Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir and Balochistan.

Prime Minister Modi earlier in the day said that he was grateful to the Baloch people for reaching out to him.

"People of Balochistan,Gilgit and PoK have thanked me a lot in past few days, I am grateful to them," he said in New Delhi on the occasion of India's 70th Independence Day.

"This is the example of our humanitarian approach, but there are some countries who glorify terrorists. To the youth who have taken up guns, I urge them to return to their parents and shun violence," he added.

Earlier on Saturday, two prominent Baloch leaders welcomed Prime Minister Modi's stand to expose Pakistan's brutalities in Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Their appeal came a day after the Modi government launched a fresh offensive against Islamabad for igniting the latest unrest in Kashmir after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani last month.

Kashmir has been on the boil for more than a month with at least 58 killed and thousands wounded during protests against Wani's killing.