Baloch American Congress seeks US President’s attention on situation in Balochistan

Washington, DC [US], January 31 (ANI): The Baloch American Congress (BAC) has written a letter to US President Joe Biden on Tuesday and sought his urgent attention on the situation in Balochistan. The BAC “strongly” requested Biden to seek justice for the Baloch people.

The BAC has expressed concern over the issue of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the ongoing genocide in Balochistan. In the letter, BAC stated, “Over the past six months there has been a significant increase in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killing of social and political activities in Balochistan.”

In the letter written to Biden, the BAC stated, “The situation in Balochistan demands your urgent attention. Your intervention can save many lives and alleviate the suffering of countless individuals who have disappeared and their families.”

“We strongly request you to seek justice for the Baloch people. Failing to do so would be a betrayal of those who are being crushed under the weight of the military establishment of a recognized rogue state. We firmly believe that no individual or state should be above international laws. Those responsible for grave violations of human rights in Balochistan must be held accountable,” it added.

In a post on X, the Baloch American Congress stated, “The Baloch American Congress has written an open letter to @POTUS, expressing their concerns over the issues of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the Baloch genocide in Balochistan, carried out by the Pakistani state.”

Citing the data from human rights organisations, the Baloch American Congress in the letter mentioned that 274 individuals, including students, teachers, and writers have gone missing in Balochistan, starting from June to December 2023. The BAC claimed that these acts of enforced disappearances have been orchestrated by the personnel of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI).

In the letter, BAC further mentioned, “Additionally, Pakistani military-supported “Death squads” and proxy religious organizations have intensified their activities, resulting in daily murders and kidnappings of human rights defenders and social-political leaders across various regions of Balochistan. The abduction, torture, and dumping of mutilated bodies of political activists by these armed groups have become distressingly common.”

BAC stated that regarding the continuous inhuman and repressive treatment of Baloch people, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, under the leadership of Mahrang Baloch, organised a sit-in of largely Baloch women, children and elders outside the Press Club in Islamabad for the recovery of Baloch missing persons.

In the letter, BAC stated, “The sit-in was continued for more than two month and instead of any positive response from Pakistani rulers, the sit-in was forcibly ended by the Islamabad administration.”

Complaining about the cornering of Balochistan, the BAC mentioned that journalists and human rights activists have been denied access to Balochistan.

In the letter, BAC stated, “Journalists and human rights organizations are denied access to Balochistan, allowing Pakistani intelligence agencies to commit crimes against the Baloch with impunity. These inhumane acts aim to silence the Baloch people’s voice, as they raise legitimate concerns regarding their socio-economic rights and their right to self-determination.”

Citing data from independent human rights organisations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, the BAC mentioned that 5000 Baloch political activists, leaders, and human rights defenders have been forcefully disappeared since 2007.

In the letter, BAC claimed, “In addition to human rights violations, economic exploitation is another pressing issue in Balochistan. Chinese corporations have been granted leases for so-called mega projects in Balochistan, such Gwadar, Saindak, and RekoDiq, against the will of the Baloch people. These corporations ruthlessly exploit natural resources, disregarding ethical business practices and causing severe environmental damage.

The BAC claimed that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has further exacerbated the socio-cultural situation in Balochistan. It said that the villages along the CPEC were being forcibly displaced and their land was being given to Chinese without the consent of local residents.

In the letter, BAC wrote, “Despite the region’s wealth in natural resources, the people of Balochistan continue to live below the poverty line. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has further exacerbated the socio-cultural situation in Balochistan. Villages along the CPEC route are being forcibly displaced, and lands are being allotted to the Chinese without the consent of the local population or any compensation.”