The Hague: On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, the Baloch National Movement (BNM) organized a rally and protest in front of the Dutch Parliament in The Hague, drawing attention to ongoing human rights violations in Balochistan.
Protesters carried placards and banners highlighting enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and widespread abuses of fundamental human rights by Pakistani security forces. The demonstrators urged the international community to take serious notice of the deteriorating human rights situation in Balochistan.
Addressing the rally, BNM Netherlands Chapter President Moheem Abdul Rahim, along with Zahra Baloch, Saif Baloch, Mahra and Sattar from the Jeay Sindh Freedom Movement, stated that severe human rights violations have persisted in Balochistan for decades. They said thousands of political activists, students, teachers and ordinary civilians have been forcibly disappeared, leaving families in anguish as they search for their loved ones without receiving justice.
The speakers also highlighted that women have increasingly become victims of state repression, citing recent cases including Mahjabeen Baloch from Shaal, 15-year-old Nasrina from Hub and the enforced disappearance of a sister alongside her brother from Dalbandin.
They noted that the mothers and sisters of the disappeared have staged months-long sit-ins in Shaal, Karachi and Islamabad, enduring extreme heat, cold, and rain while holding pictures of their missing loved ones, yet their grievances remain unaddressed. Activists who speak out against these violations, including Dr. Mahrang Baloch and members of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), have also been arrested or forcibly disappeared.
The speakers stressed that Human Rights Day is meant to amplify the voices of the oppressed and ensure justice. However, Balochistan continues to be excluded from this global agenda. They pointed to drone attacks, village raids, and military operations that have driven residents into despair, including cases of suicide, while international organizations such as the United Nations remain largely silent.
BNM activists reaffirmed their commitment to peaceful political struggle, emphasizing that their advocacy for Baloch rights will continue year-round, not just on Human Rights Day. They urged democratic governments and international organizations to respond to the cries of the people of Balochistan and uphold the demands of justice, warning that ignoring the crisis further violates basic principles of humanity.
