Baloch activist meets EU envoy to Pakistan Riina Kionka
Apr 27, 2024
Balochistan [Pakistan], April 27 : Prominent Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch attended the Asma Jahangir Conference on Saturday and discussed increasing rights abuses in Balochistan and enforced disappearances with the European Union envoy to Pakistan, Riina Kionka.
The European envoy also assured the Baloch leader to raise the issues with her Pakistani counterparts.
In a post on X, Mahrang Baloch shared details of her meeting saying, "It was a pleasure meeting European Union ambassador to Pakistan; Her Excellency Ambassador @RKionka during #AJCONF. I informed her about the increasing rights abuses in Balochistan and enforced disappearances. She listened carefully and assured me she would raise the issue with her Pakistani counterparts. Thank you for your time, dear Ambassador."
Asma Jahangir Conference or AJCONF is an annual recurring two-day conference. The fifth conference was held on April, 25-26, 2024 in Lahore in memory of Asma Jahangir.
Meanwhile, the US State Department's latest "2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices," issued on April 22, indicates no significant improvement in Pakistan's human rights situation over the past year, The Balochistan Post reported.
The report accuses the Pakistani government of engaging in intimidation and reprisals against individuals abroad, including civil society activists, human rights defenders, and journalists.
According to the report, Pakistan is responsible for substantial human rights abuses, such as arbitrary and extrajudicial killings, torture, inhumane treatment, and life-threatening prison conditions.
According to The Balochistan Post, US report further states that arbitrary arrests and political detentions continue to occur, with "a lack of accountability contributing to widespread impunity."
The report also highlighted allegations from the previous year where activists accused the Pakistani government of conducting politically motivated killings and kidnappings in other countries.
Additionally, it noted that successive Pakistani administrations have tacitly approved enforced disappearances. Citing figures from the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, the report detailed that out of 9,967 missing-person cases reported since 2011, 7,714 have been resolved, leaving 2,253 still pending.
