On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, the Baloch National Movement (BNM) organized a rally and a protest in The Hague, Netherlands, in front of the Dutch Parliament.
The demonstrators held placards and banners highlighting ongoing Pakistani state repression in Balochistan, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and widespread violations of fundamental human rights. They appealed to the international community to pay serious attention to the deteriorating human rights situation in Balochistan.
Addressing the protest, BNM Netherlands Chapter President Moheem Abdul Rahim, Zahra Baloch, Saif Baloch, Mahra, and Sattar from the Jeay Sindh Freedom Movement said that severe human rights violations have continued in Balochistan for decades. They stated that thousands of Baloch political workers, students, teachers, and ordinary civilians have been forcibly disappeared, leaving families in anguish as they search for their loved ones for years without receiving justice.
They added that state repression in Balochistan is no longer limited to men; women have also become victims of Pakistani security forces. They cited recent cases such as Mah Jabeen Baloch from Shaal, 15-year-old Nasrina from Hub, and the enforced disappearance of a sister alongside her brother from Dalbandin.
The speakers further noted that the mothers and sisters of the disappeared have staged months-long sit-ins in Shaal, Karachi, and Islamabad. They endured extreme heat, cold, and rain while holding pictures of their loved ones, yet their pain remains unaddressed. Meanwhile, those who raise their voices against human rights abuses and enforced disappearances are themselves arrested or disappeared. Activists such as Dr. Mahrang Baloch and BYC members have been detained and falsely charged for highlighting violations. They lamented that the international community remains a silent spectator.
They stressed that the purpose of Human Rights Day is to amplify the voices of the oppressed and ensure justice. Sadly, Balochistan continues to be excluded from this global agenda. They pointed to drone attacks, raids on villages, and military actions that have forced people into despair, even suicide. Despite these grave violations, the United Nations remains indifferent and silent.
BNM activists affirmed that the Baloch nation believes in peaceful political struggle and will continue raising its voice for its rights in accordance with international law. They emphasized that BNM will not limit its activism to Human Rights Day alone but will continue to highlight the plight of the oppressed people of Balochistan every single day.
In conclusion, they stated that ignoring the human rights crisis in Balochistan any further is a violation of basic principles of humanity. International organizations and democratic governments have a responsibility to listen to the cries of Balochistan’s wounded people and uphold the demands of justice.
