Activists seek India support for Balochistan freedom movement

VARIOUS pro-Balochistan organisations in London have urged the Indian government to support Balochistan’s freedom movement.

The UK chapter of the Baloch National Movement (BNM) and other organisations on Wednesday (13) called on India to challenge the barbarity of Pakistan in its Balochistan region.

At a memorial event to mark Baloch Martyrs’ Day in the British capital, members of the BNM, as well as other groups such as the World Sindhi Congress, Baloch Students Organisation Azad and others,  paid tributes to those killed in the struggle for Baloch freedom in the past.

The members of the various groups branded the British government hypocritical for its silence on the human rights violations in the resource-rich region of the south Asian country.

Balochistan activists around the world mark November 13 as Martyrs’ Day in tribute to the martyrdom of Baloch ruler Mir Mehrab Khan and others who defended the region in the face of British invasion on November 13, 1839.

Hammal Haider, foreign affairs spokesperson of the Baloch National Movement, said: “Over 20,000 Baloch people have been abducted by Pakistani security forces and many killed in the last two decades. Our message to the Indian government is that they have to raise their voice against the atrocities by the Pakistani security forces.

“India played an important role in liberating Bangladesh, and it must now come forward and support our movement to gain independence from the rogue state of Pakistan, which is breeding Islamist militants and destabilising the entire region”.

Pro-Balochistan fighters urge for Baloch independence from Pakistan, an illegal occupier of their land, according to the pro-Balochistan fighters.

Haider further noted: “The UK talks about human rights of the Kashmiri people and remains silent on our suffering at the hands of Pakistan’s spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence.

“This is hypocritical, given that Balochistan was an independent country before the British colonialists created Pakistan and paved the way for Pakistani occupation of our land. They must speak out for all human rights violations.”

It is the duty of the entire international community to speak out against the genocide in Balochistan, the people who gathered said.