Karachi: Rahim Baloch Advocate, former Secretary General of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), has criticized what he described as the ineffective response of the international community to human rights violations in Balochistan and other parts of Pakistan.
In a statement, Rahim Baloch said the Baloch people have been left “helpless and unsupported” in their struggle against what he termed decades-long serious human rights violations. He said that enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings remain among the most serious concerns, attributing responsibility to Pakistani security forces, including the Frontier Corps (FC) and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Balochistan. He further claimed that similar incidents have been raised in Sindh against Rangers, intelligence agencies, and the CTD.
He also stated that in Islamabad and several cities of Punjab, Baloch individuals particularly students are targeted by law enforcement and intelligence agencies on the basis of their ethnic identity. According to him, successive governments in Pakistan have either supported or continued such policies in partnership with the military establishment.
Referring to the recent killing of Hamad Baloch in Karachi, Rahim Baloch said that the incident occurred during custody and described it as a staged encounter. He said the case reflects what he termed a longstanding lack of accountability for law enforcement officials accused of unlawful detention and extrajudicial killings.
The former BNM leader further criticized the response of the United Nations, European governments, and other international institutions, saying that what he described as weak political will and ineffective action has emboldened Pakistani security forces to continue counterinsurgency operations in Balochistan. He said that such actions amount to severe and systematic repression of the Baloch population.
Rahim Baloch called for urgent international attention to the deteriorating human rights situation faced by Baloch people in Balochistan and other regions of Pakistan. He demanded a transparent investigation into the killing of Hamad Baloch.
