Baloch group briefs UN officials on grave human rights abuses by Pak authorities in Balochistan

GENEVA: The leaders of the Baloch National Movement (BNM) on Wednesday briefed the United Nations officials regarding the grave human rights abuses there, alleging that Pakistan’s policy of enforced disappearances has left many families devastated and homes deserted across the province.

According to BNM, a delegation led by its Chairman Naseem Baloch met Grazyna Baranowska, Chair-Rapporteur of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) in Geneva.

During the meeting, the BNM delegation presented the latest six-month human rights report and a dossier on enforced disappearances, prepared by the human rights body Paank, to the Working Group’s leadership.

The BNM said that its sustained international advocacy has brought the issue of Balochistan firmly before global institutions as an urgent matter requiring resolution.

"Pakistan has long evaded accountability on enforced disappearances, but BNM’s persistent efforts have compelled it to answer before international bodies. In this meeting, the BNM delegation did not merely describe the situation in words; it submitted documented evidence that is difficult to dismiss," it added.

The BNM called on UN mechanisms not to rely on Pakistan’s "false and unfounded" claims, but to take practical and effective steps towards accountability so that the human rights situation in Balochistan can improve. (IANS)

Also Read: From East Pakistan to Balochistan: How ignoring regional voices risks repeating the tragedy of 1971