QUETTA: The spokesperson for the Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) issued a statement condemning the escalating state repression by the occupying Pakistani state forces. The statement described how, in a brazen act of violence, Pakistani forces opened fire on peaceful, unarmed protesters in Quetta, killing three Baloch individuals and injuring several others.
The statement further criticised the silence of international peacekeeping bodies and the global community, accusing them of turning a blind eye to the ongoing Baloch genocide. The FBM emphasised that without the complacency of these international bodies, the Pakistani and Iranian occupying forces would not be able to carry out such severe and rapid escalation in their campaign against the Baloch people.
The spokesperson continued, stating that when Pakistani forces gun down peaceful Baloch activists, there is no response from the international community. However, when the Baloch nation rises in self-defence, the same international entities repeat the narratives crafted by the Pakistani state and its military.
The FBM called on global powers, the UN and peacekeeping organisations to abandon their double standards and to take decisive action to end their silence on the issue.
The FBM spokesperson also highlighted the continued repression by both the Pakistani and Iranian states, noting that these states have been systematically attempting to annihilate the Baloch people since the beginning of their occupation. The Pakistani state, along with its Iranian counterpart, seeks to force the Baloch nation into abandoning its struggle for national freedom, human rights, and dignity. Despite the continuous atrocities, the Baloch people have resisted at every level, from peaceful protests to armed struggle, against the occupation and the mounting oppression.
Further, the FBM spokesperson condemned the recent actions of Pakistani forces, who buried the bodies of 13 Baloch martyrs in the dark of night at Quetta’s Kasi Graveyard, labelling them as “terrorists.” The spokesperson pointed out that this act not only violated basic human rights but also showed the lowest standards of human values and morality.
The forced burial of these bodies without proper identification or notifying their families directly violates fundamental human rights, particularly the right to information, guaranteed under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The FBM spokesperson emphasised that the Baloch people are actively engaged in their fight for freedom, and yet, Pakistani forces continue to label anyone, from Baloch men, women, and children to intellectuals and activists, as “terrorists.”
The spokesperson further remarked that it is the Pakistani and Iranian states that are the real “terrorists,” violating international laws and showing utter disregard for the Baloch people’s humanity.
The FBM also pointed to the historical context, drawing parallels between the Pakistani state’s actions in Balochistan and its atrocities during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, where the Pakistani military killed intellectuals, students, and educated civilians in a bid to subdue the Bengali population. The same tactics, the FBM stated, are now being used in Balochistan against Baloch intellectuals, students, and peaceful activists.
Lastly, the FBM spokesperson condemned Pakistan as a state that not only engages in terrorism within its borders but also plays a role in spreading terrorism worldwide to further its expansionist goals. The international community, including the UN Security Council members, are well aware that Pakistan is a threat to global peace, as it continues to carry out mass killings and organised genocide against oppressed nations like the Baloch and Pashtuns.
The FBM reaffirmed its call for immediate international intervention to stop the Pakistani state’s atrocities and demanded that the world hold Pakistan accountable for its actions against the Baloch people.