Activists raise grim human rights situation in Balochistan at Berlin conference

Berlin [Germany], September 20 : The Baloch human rights activists and those living in exile have raised the issue of the grim human rights situation in Pakistan's poorest but resource-rich province of Balochistan at a day-long conference held in Berlin on September 17.
They were joined by Sindhi, Pashtun, Uyghur and other human rights activists from Germany and other parts of Europe. They include Sindhi intellectuals and Secretary General of the World Sindhi Congress Dr. Lakho Luhana, President of World Uyghur Congress Dolkun Isa, Kurdish political leader Mako Qocgiri and Junior Joint Secretary of Baloch National Movement Hasan Dost Baloch.
The chairman of the Baloch National Movement, Dr. Naseem, renowned scholar and author Dr. Ayisha Siddiqa, Historian Dr. Naseer Dasthi and Bibi Gul, the chairperson of the Human Rights Council of Balochistan also participated in the conference to make the world aware about worsening situation in Balochistan.

Dr. Naseem Baloch said that among the many issues the Baloch people face today under Pakistani occupation, the most compelling issue is the enforced disappearances and the kill and dump policy, including the recent fake encounters.
He added, "in the recent sit-in protest in Shaal (Quetta) Balochistan, we saw sisters and mothers of the enforced disappeared persons with their infant children. We saw weak and ill children without shoes, their mothers holding them in one hand and holding a mic in the other hand; crying for their loved ones."
He also added:" We are indirectly fighting against China, the ally of Pakistan. We are fighting against its presence in Gwader. Our success means safeguarding the interests and way of life of many other minorities who are bound to fall prey to Chinese hegemony. Apart from the exploitation of our natural resources, the Chines presence on the Strait of Hormuz in Gwader Port is bound to have negative economic and military effects on this region and the world."
"Earlier, Pakistan was alone in inflicting atrocities on us, the Baloch, the Gilgit and Baltistan, the Pashtuns and the Sindhis. but now it has got an expansionist and aggressive partner in the form of China. China has joined hands to carry on the Baloch Genocide. Their main purpose is to exploit the resources of Gilgit Baltistan, Sindh and Balochistan."
He said: "China has vast experience in exploitation and genocide from Tibet to East Turkestan, from Hongkong to Taiwan, China is a country that has no respect for human rights and humanity in its own country. More than two million Uyghur Muslims suffer in their concentration camps."
Dr. Naseem Baloch said, "Our national movement is a liberation movement from Pakistani occupation. We believe our liberation movement is an inspiration for the oppressed people of the entire region. Not only because we are fighting against Pakistan the center of world terrorism but also we are fighting for the survival of cultural diversity, empowerment of nations and the rights of the oppressed ethnic minorities in the region."
In response to a participant's question, he said that BNM wants to work with all Baloch political parties. We have also invited the central leaders of FBM and BRP for this program and we will continue to bridge for cooperation and solidarity in the future.
He said that he is in close contact with other Baloch nationalist parties.
Well-known author Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa said, "We need to broaden the definition of enforced disappearance, explore its causes and objectives and identify its various forms. What is disappeared, who is disappeared?
She said I know many of you are sitting here whose loved ones are disappeared. The state tends to silence people. No state has the right to deprive the people of their land; no state has the right to deprive people of their heritage. It is fierce.
"We should come together against any form of disappearance."
She said, " Look, an elected member of his people Ali Wazir, who had got bail but could not come out and is still in jail. This is what I mean by a form of disappearance by silencing the voice of people. Disappearances in the Pakistani state context have a broader connotation. The more extensive definition of disappearance is the criminal silencing people and shutting down what they want for their lives and lands.
She said voices become powerless when they don't have a proper plan; the community needs to come United and pool their resources. And visibility is indeed very important. That is what the Baloch nation movement should be focusing on.
She said the problem with the Baloch national movement is that the Pakistani state has successfully clumped down the visibility of the Baloch national struggle. They need to strategize so that their voice can reach the world.
Ayesha Siddiqa said that the Balochs need to connect with other nations that are jointly suffering in the same territory that we now call Pakistan. Because the people of Punjab don't know what is really happing in Balochistan. There is a media blackout
She added that Pakistan was based on the old European history formula. That formula was identity has to be deliberately concocted, even if you are Baloch and even if I am a Saraiki. From the first day, Pakistan has been struggling to form a common national identity.
"The world needs to know and the Baloch needs to reach out to the people in Pakistan and people throughout the world. We have to think about how we would transmit our message more. It should be in mainstream society to project your voice."
She said we have to understand this phenomenon that the security state would remain strong. It is not a weak state.
Historian Dr. Naseer Dashti said Pakistan would become bankrupt in the next two years. As soon as Pakistan becomes bankrupt, the vandalism process will accelerate, and other countries will no longer support it financially. The collapse of Pakistan is certain. That is for sure and no one can change.
He said that in these circumstances the role of Baloch leadership and political cadre is very important. Even here we made a mistake like our elders who thought Britain would provide them weapons to fight against Pakistan. While the truth was that Pakistan was occupying Balochistan with the encouragement of Britain. If we repeat our mistakes, we would lose our freedom even in these situations in case Pakistan collapsed.
He said the British government formed the Muslim League. Pakistan is a unique country in history that no one suffered during the so-called war of independence. After World War II, the world conditions changed, and Colonies were forced to leave. The biggest colonial power here was Britain, which liberated its colonies in such a way that the conditions here had not improved.
Dr. Naseer said that because of the Soviet Union becoming a world power, the discovery of oil in the Gulf countries and the fear of the communist forces in China becoming powerful, Britain violated its Standstill agreement with Balochistan and took away the independence of Balochistan and handed it over to Pakistan.
Dr. Lakhu Luhana, the secretary general of the World Sindhi Congress said that Pakistan was built on the denial of nations that have thousands of years old identities that evolved through thousands of years old socio-political history. Pakistan has maintained it through the suppression of other nation. In Pakistan Army controls all institutions and is the sole power holder. The state of Pakistan had been looting the resources of the Sindhi, Baloch and Saraiki people. The recent floods can be associated with climate change, but Pakistan has made it worse by denying them the right to live. But in Sindh, people are dying of hunger and diseases; this is intentional genocide.
He said the Pakistani state does not care about Baloch, Sindhi, and Saraikis, but the state is responsible for their destruction. People have forcibly disappeared, and Balochs are the most victims of forced disappearance. The Pakistani state has enforced disappear thousands of people whose whereabouts are unknown.
President of the World Uyghur Congress Dolkun Isa said that we are Muslims, but we are not allowed to perform our religious rituals in China.
He said we had been denied to greet our people in an Islamic way. We are not allowed to say "Salam" to each other and we are not allowed to keep fast. There We cannot choose Islamic names for our children like Muhammad, Ahmed, etc the state of China has forced people, even more than 60 years old people to change their Islamic names.
"Millions of children were separated from their parents to deprive them of their identity. Since 1949, millions of people have been killed by Chinese forces and women have been raped."
He also criticized the silence of Muslim countries; he said that the world's Muslim countries are silent because their economic interests are more important than humanity.
He said Pakistan and China are simultaneously making the league and usurping the natural resources of Uyghur and Baloch under the CPEC route.
Kurdish political expert Mako Qocgiri of Sevka Azad in Germany mentioned the division of the Kurdish nation between the three states and highlighted the problems faced by the Kurdish nation due to this division.
Qocgiri also added, "our aim and goal is even the democratization of the region. Today we are working with all the peoples of the region who are fighting for democracy and freedom. We see it as our responsibility to promote the struggle for democracy and freedom throughout the region. This is also the reason why today Turkey, as well as other international powers, are fighting against our movement. They see our project as a threat to their power structures."
On this occasion, Hasan Dost Baloch, Junior Joint Secretary of the Baloch National Movement, said that Pakistan occupied Balochistan in 1948. Until now, millions of people have been killed and forcibly disappeared. The trend of suicide has increased in Balochistan. They are committing suicide because of their treatment in torture cells. There they were treated in such a way that after their release they felt they were no longer fit to live in society.
He added that many nations gained their freedom in the world through peaceful struggle, but Pakistan is an uncivilized and ruthless state that believes in demonstrations of power and suppression. Pakistan has occupied the Baloch, Sindhi and Pashtun lands and suppressed the people. Our struggle is against this cruelty. After a long history of peaceful struggle Baloch nation had concluded that the parliamentary form of struggle in Pakistan was useless to gain national freedom.