May 22, 2025: Baloch activist and Foreign Committee representative of the Baloch National Movement, Hakeem Baloch, has described the ongoing crisis in Balochistan as a “slow genocide” orchestrated by the Pakistani military and government authorities.
Highlighting the region’s dire human rights situation, Baloch reported that over 20,000 individuals have been forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces—many missing for more than a decade. “In Balochistan, families consider themselves fortunate if they manage to recover the body of their missing loved one,” he remarked.
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He condemned the targeting of peaceful civil rights advocates, including Maharang Baloch, Bebarg Zehri, Saeeda Baloch, and Sabiha Baloch, noting that these individuals are harassed, detained, or threatened for merely demanding dignity and justice. In some cases, even family members of these activists have been arrested in efforts to suppress dissent.
Baloch emphasized that any voice calling for independence or basic rights is met with harsh state repression. He cited the killings of prominent Baloch leaders like Ghulam Mohammed Baloch and Mannan Baloch as examples of Pakistan’s brutal crackdowns. Despite these efforts, he stated, a new generation has risen to continue the struggle.
Criticizing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Baloch claimed it has been imposed without the consent of the local Baloch population. He argued the project has resulted in forced displacements, increased military presence, and no economic benefit for the Baloch people. “Not a single job has been offered to Baloch locals,” he said, accusing the initiative of serving Chinese and Pakistani strategic goals rather than local needs.
Countering Pakistan’s narrative that unrest in Balochistan is driven by foreign propaganda, Baloch said the rise of social media and digital connectivity has exposed the truth. “Denial is the only tactic the Pakistani state has remaining,” he asserted.
Concluding his message, Hakeem Baloch urged the international community—especially India—to support the Baloch freedom movement. “This is not about foreign interference; it’s about our fundamental right as recognized by the UN Charter,” he affirmed. “We welcome support from any country that stands for justice and freedom.”