The Baloch Nation’s Plea for an Independent Balochistan on the Occasion of Human Rights Day
Dear World!
On March 27, 1948, Balochistan was forcibly occupied by the Pakistani state through betrayal and violence. Since then, the Baloch Nation has been engaged in a continuous struggle to restore the independent status of their homeland. However, the Pakistani state and its military have mercilessly used all means in order to suppress this fight for survival and against slavery. Today, Balochistan is widely recognized as a war-torn region, where the Pakistani military is systematically violating every fundamental human right.
Balochistan’s rich natural resources, including Gwadar Port, Riko Diq, Sandak, and vast reserves of Sui gas, coal, and other minerals, are ruthlessly exploited, often with the aid of multinational corporations, especially China. Yet, despite the plunder of these resources, the Baloch Nation has gained nothing but mutilated bodies of young men, women, children, political activists, and journalists. We are left with mass graves, forced migration, and the deprivation of our right to live peacefully on our own land. The ongoing exploitation and militarization of Balochistan have only deepened the wounds of Baloch Nation, who continue to face the brutal consequences of this forceful occupation.
Respected Human Rights Advocates!
Owing to a pervasive media blackout and severe restrictions on indigenous organizations and political parties, information about the plight of the Baloch Nation often fails to reach the outside world. The Pakistani state has implemented a policy of silencing any voices that dare to speak out, labeling peaceful activists and human rights defenders as “TERRORISTS” or “RAW Funded.” The situation is compounded by the fact that Balochistan is largely a “No-go zone,” making it nearly impossible for independent journalists and human rights organizations to operate freely within the region. Nevertheless, the Pakistani state continues to violate every article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. There is not a single area in Balochistan that remains free from the control or invasion of the Pakistani military, and the people live in a constant state of fear and uncertainty.
According to the monthly reports of The Balochistan Post, an underground news outlet based in Balochistan that reveal the atrocities faced by the Baloch Nation, only in November 2024, 144 individuals were forcibly abducted by the Pakistani military, many of whom were later killed in fake encounters by the Counter Terrorism Department or Pakistani military forces. Thousands of Baloch people remain forcibly disappeared, with their families desperately pleading for answers, unsure whether their loved ones are alive or dead. These disappearances are not randomly happening but they are part of Baloch Genocide by the Pakistani military.
The Baloch Nation’s genocide by Pakistani military has reached an unprecedented level. The Baloch Nation is subjected to collective punishment, with entire villages and cities being terrorized. The international human rights champions must not turn a blind eye to these atrocities. This is the time to act and make Pakistani military accountable, before more lives are lost in this ongoing genocide of the Baloch Nation. Else, Baloch Nation has every right to defend its identity, people and land or resources by using all means since every colony had used in history.
Dear Journalists!
We call upon you to bring the truth to light, to help expose the state-sponsored violence and to give a voice to the voiceless Baloch Nations. The world must know of the daily suffering endured by our people. As we mark Human Rights Day, we urge you to stand with the Baloch Nation, to amplify our struggle for the restoration of independent status of Balochistan, and to demand an end to the human rights violations and genocide. Your role in reporting the truth and holding the Pakistani state accountable is crucial or essential to our cause. The silence of the international media has allowed Pakistani military to crush Baloch Nation’s struggle for freedom of Balochistan.
Honorable United Nations Organization!
On December 10th every year, Human Rights Day is observed worldwide, but for the Baloch people, every day is a reminder of the ongoing systematic genocide and violations of our basic rights. We urge you to take immediate steps to investigate and address the human rights abuses in Balochistan. We call on the United Nations to demand that Pakistan end its military occupation of Balochistan, halt the forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and arbitrary detentions, and allow the Baloch people the freedom to determine their own future. We, the Baloch, seek nothing more than the right to live in peace, free from occupation, and to reclaim the independence that was unjustly taken from us.
On this Human Rights Day, we ask the international community, human rights organizations, and the media to raise their voices in solidarity with the Baloch Nation. We urge you to take immediate actions to bring international attention to the ongoing atrocities in Balochistan and to hold the Pakistani state accountable for its actions.
LONG LIVE FREE BALOCHISTAN
Baloch Students Organization-Azad