Seoul/Berlin/London: The Baloch National Movement (BNM) organized simultaneous protest demonstrations across three continents on the 17th anniversary of the enforced disappearance of Dr. Deen Mohammad Baloch, a central leader of the Baloch National Movement who was abducted from a hospital by the Pakistan Army on June 28, 2009, and has not been seen since.
Protests were held in Seoul, South Korea, Berlin, Germany, and outside 10 Downing Street in London, United Kingdom, drawing participants who demanded accountability from Pakistani authorities, international intervention, and the immediate safe recovery of Dr. Deen Mohammad Baloch and thousands of other forcibly disappeared Baloch political activists.
In Seoul, BNM activists staged a protest highlighting the 17-year enforced disappearance of Dr. Deen Mohammad Baloch, describing him as a central leader of the Baloch National Movement who has been held in the torture cells of the Pakistan Army for nearly two decades.
Speakers emphasized that the Baloch National Movement is a political party striving for the independence of Balochistan, and that its central leader’s continued disappearance is a grave human rights violation that demands international attention.
Protesters also raised their voices against the sentences handed down to BYC leader Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Sibghatullah Baloch, and BSO Chairman Balach Qadir through what they described as “faceless trials” secret judicial proceedings, asserting that in occupied Balochistan, the Pakistani state has stripped the Baloch nation of all its fundamental rights. They stated that student leaders and human rights defenders like Balach Qadir have been convicted in fabricated cases through secret court proceedings.
Demonstrators appealed to the international community for support and cooperation, stating that the backdrop of human rights violations in Balochistan is Pakistan’s occupation and its denial of the Baloch nation’s right to sovereignty. Speakers reaffirmed that the Baloch nation is not prepared to retreat even an inch from its right to self-determination and demanded that Pakistan end its occupation and immediately withdraw from Balochistan.
In Berlin, the BNM held a demonstration at the iconic Alexanderplatz to mark exactly 17 years since Dr. Deen Mohammad Baloch’s enforced disappearance. Speakers noted that despite nearly two decades having passed, his family does not know whether he is even alive.
Addressing the gathering, speakers described Dr. Deen Mohammad Baloch as a conscientious physician and a nationalist leader who engaged in a peaceful struggle for the freedom of the Baloch nation before being abducted from a hospital on June 28, 2009. They stated that the sacrifices made by him and thousands of other captives are for the free and bright future of the Baloch nation.
Participants carried banners and posters displaying images of Dr. Deen Mohammad Baloch and other Baloch political activists, who are being held in illegal detention by the Pakistan Army as enforced disappearances. Informational pamphlets were also distributed to the public to raise awareness about the ongoing issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan.
The demonstration was addressed by Hammal Khan, Central Committee member of the BNM, Asghar Ali, President of the BNM Germany Chapter, and Mustafa Shahwani.
In London, BNM activists gathered outside 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British Prime Minister, to mark the 17th anniversary of Dr. Deen Mohammad Baloch’s enforced disappearance. The demonstration aimed to draw the attention of the UK government, the United Nations, international human rights organizations, and the broader global community to the deteriorating human rights situation in Balochistan.
Addressing the gathering, BNM Junior Joint Secretary Hasan Dost stated that the Pakistan Army is aggressively pursuing a policy of collective punishment against Baloch political activists, and urged international institutions to exert pressure on Pakistan and reconsider the financial assistance being provided to the country.
Other speakers condemned the 17-year enforced disappearance, unlawful imprisonment, and continuous torture of Dr. Deen Mohammad Baloch as a gross human rights violation. They emphasized that enforced disappearances have become a formalized state policy in Balochistan, operating in blatant defiance of international law, and that thousands of Baloch families have been devastated by this practice.
Speakers also highlighted that the father, uncles, and other close relatives of the BNM Chairman have themselves been subjected to enforced disappearances, citing it as a stark example of the collective punishment inflicted upon the families of peaceful political leaders. Activists and protesters carried portraits, posters, and banners featuring Dr. Deen Mohammad Baloch and other victims of enforced disappearances, chanting slogans demanding the immediate safe recovery of all forcibly missing persons, an end to collective punishment, a halt to human rights abuses, and freedom for Balochistan.
The protest proceedings were moderated by Kambar Bakhshi Baloch, Secretary of the BNM UK Chapter. Key addresses were delivered by BNM Junior Joint Secretary Hasan Dost, Saleem Elahi, and Kifayat Baloch. Dost also appealed to the global Baloch diaspora to join the BNM and take a more active role in the Baloch freedom movement.
Across all three demonstrations, speakers collectively called upon the United Nations, international human rights organizations, and world governments to pay attention to the pain and agony of Baloch families affected by enforced disappearances, and to hold Pakistani authorities accountable for what protesters described as systematic and state-sponsored human rights violations.Activists and protesters
