By Ravi Khandelwal
Geneva [Switzerland], Mar 04 : A group of Baloch activists held a protest here asking the United Nations' Human Rights Council to intervene and stop the 'genocide' in Balochistan.
The demonstration held during the ongoing 43rd session of the UN Human Rights Council was orgsed by the Baloch Voice Association. The activists were seen holding banners with slogans--'Balochistan is bleeding', 'Free Balochistan' and 'Stop enforced disappearances'.
Neela Quadri Baloch, President of the World Baloch Women' Forum said, "It's almost 70 years United Nations is here, and it's almost 70 years that Pakistan has occupied Balochistan and they are responsible for our genocide."
A large number of political activists, students and intellectuals have gone missing in Balochistan, allegedly abducted up by the security forces. Activists say many of those abducted were killed and their mutilated bodies were found in isolated places.
"They are using rape as a tool of oppression. They are taking our women, they are torturing them. This is the time the UN should understand and feel a responsibility to come to Balochistan and intervene," Neela Quadri Baloch said.
"UN should monitor what's going on in Balochistan. You can't walk in Balochistan ten meters without a check post. So, we are living in occupied land, we are living in a hell that is made by the state of Pakistan. There should be an intervention by the UN in Balochistan and there should be fact-finding missions because there are mass graves, more than 40,000 people are missing. Our whole nation is in Great Depression", said the woman activist.
Munir Mengal, the president of the Baloch Voice Association said, "The people in Balochistan are being eliminated. We are receiving reports, we are receiving data which shows that the Pakist state is eliminating Baloch people, approximately 8-10 people become victims of enforced disappearances every week. Some 3-4 people are being killed by Pakist state forces, who were kidnapped".
The Baloch have been fighting against the forceful occupation of their land by Pakistan.
Mengal further said, "Since 1948, we have a political conflict with the state of Pakistan. We are against the annexation of our land by Pakistan on the basis of religion. So, the Baloch have stood for that and they are fighting over that".
He laid stress on urgent intervention by the international human rights body to save the lives of Baloch people.
The Baloch Voice Association also held a discussion on the prevailing situation in Balochistan in which Baloch activists and human rights activists from Europe participated.
( With inputs from ANI )