Baloch leader urges UN to address human rights violations in Balochistan

The Chairman of the Baloch Students Organization (BSO) Sohrab Baloch urged the newly appointed United Nations (UN) High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet to address the human rights violations taking place in Balochistan.

In a moving open letter to Bachelet, Baloch wrote, "The Baloch people have been systematically marginalised and deprived of basic rights. Moreover, those who stand against state's discriminate and brutal policies towards Baloch people, are subjected to enforced disappearance and most of the time executed extrajudicially."

"Over the years, Baloch human rights groups and international human rights institutions on the situation of Balochistan have reported serious continuing human rights violations against Baloch people," he added.

Accusing the Pakistan government of suppressing the rights of civilians and systematically impending the movement of activists through indiscriminate crackdown, Baloch alleged, "For last one decade, we are witnessing a barrage of indiscriminate attacks targeting civilians and crackdown against political activists, human rights defenders, journalists and intellectuals including member and leadership of Baloch Students Organization-Azad."

"On the contrary, the Pakistan Government and security establishment's response to these documented reports have ranged from the blanket of denials of any wrongdoing by security forces to numerous attempts to discredit reports of abuses by human rights organizations, eyewitnesses and survivors," he wrote in the letter.

Appealing that the UN should "proactively engage with Pakistan and convey the concern about the gravity of the situation", Baloch stated, "I believe that your leadership on this matter would send a powerful message to the government and military and could prevent further atrocities and violations in Balochistan.