"Finally, the UN takes a stand..." Baloch activist on forced disappearances of Baloch members
Aug 25, 2024
Quetta [Pakistan], August 25 : Mahrang Baloch, organiser of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee on Sunday expressed happiness over the UN's stand on the forced disappearances of Baloch members.
She urged Pakistan to ratify the convention against enforced disappearances.
In a post on X, she said, "Finally, the UN takes a stand for the disappeared in Pakistan. Urging Pakistan to ratify the Convention against Enforced Disappearances. The UN's call for Pakistan to address enforced disappearances is a crucial step towards justice. We, the people of Balochistan, have waited too long for the world to see our plight. We are looking forward to more adequate pressure to meet the magnitude of the issue."
https://x.com/MahrangBaloch_/status/1827622938415440313
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination issued its findings on Pakistan, and called on the nation to take the necessary measures to investigate and prosecute reports of enforced disappearances, reported The Balochistan Post.
Pakistan has been urged by the UN to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and to set aside enough funds to create and carry out policies aimed at stopping forced disappearances, especially those that affect marginalised ethnic groups like the Baloch.
The UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination released its report on Pakistan at a meeting on Friday in Geneva.
The committee called on Islamabad to investigate and prosecute reports of enforced disappearances involving politicians, public officials, human rights campaigners, and leaders of ethnic and ethnoreligious groups, reported The Balochistan Post.
The committee stressed that individuals found guilty must answer for their actions and receive punishments appropriate to their crimes. The UN panel further suggested that the government of Pakistan offer the victims and their families proper remedies, which should include rehabilitation, restitution, guarantees of non-repetition, cessation, and compensation.
Additionally, it also called for the reform or repeal of Pakistan's blasphemy laws, particularly those that impose severe penalties such as life imprisonment or the death penalty.
