Amid attempts by Islamabad to corner New Delhi by presenting a false narrative on Kashmir at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, a Baloch activist has alleged that Pakistan is a “breeding ground for terrorism”.
The Secretary-General of Baloch Human Rights Council, Samad Baloch told news agency ANI that Pakistan was not only committing “systematic genocide” of Baloch people but was also “involved in the genocide of Sindhis and Pashtuns”.
The Baloch activist minced no words in stating that Pakistan is also a “threat for the world as it is a rogue state and there is no law or justice”.
“We have suffered a lot. Our socio-cultural and economic rights have been denied,” Samad Baloch said.
He further said that Pakistan has plundered Balochistan of its resources making the people in the region suffer more.
As the 42nd session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) got underway in Geneva on Monday, banners appeared in front of the venue, highlighting the acute violation of human rights in Balochistan.
The Baloch Human Rights Council and Pashtuns put up banners outside the United Nations’ venue to draw the world’s attention against “Pakistani tyranny”.
The people of Balochistan, who seek independence from Pakistan, have earlier raised the issue of their “annihilation” by the Pakistani forces at the forum of UNHRC.
The last was in March when senior Baloch activist Karima Baloch talked about arbitrary killings and enforced disappearances of thousands of locals in Balochistan being carried out by Pakistani forces for decades.
Not only in Geneva, but the Baloch people have also been highlighting in various other countries too the problems being faced by them at the hands of Pakistan. Such protests have been witnessed in the UK, Germany and the US.
Energy-rich Balochistan has been struggling for freedom from Pakistani occupation since 1948. The locals say Pakistan is plundering the economic wealth of the province, without giving any benefits to them.
On India’s 73rd Independence Day celebrated last month, Baloch activists appealed for India’s support freedom from Pakistan.
This comes as Pakistan has been attempting to internationalise the Kashmir issue after the Indian Government abrogated Article 370 of its Constitution, that gave special status to the state.
Pakistan had on Tuesday raked up the issue at the UN Human Rights Council after failing to garner support even from its staunch allies on J-K.
In his address at the UNHRC session, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had said that Jammu and Kashmir had been converted into the “largest prison” with people being denied access to basic amenities following the abrogation of Article 370.
Pakistan further asked the Council to conduct an international investigation, urging the world rights body not to remain “indifferent” over India’s move on Kashmir.
However, the Indian delegation led by Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs Vijay Thakur Singh, effectively rebutted Pakistan’s allegations on human rights violations in Kashmir.
India said there was a need to call out those who are “misusing” the United Nations Human Rights Council platform for “malicious political agenda under the garb of human rights.”
In a strong rebuttal, India said: “This fabricated narrative comes from the epicentre of global terrorism, where ringleaders were sheltered for years.”
India also drew global attention to Pakistan’s persecution and elimination of religious and ethnic minorities.
Pakistan had knocked the doors of the UNHRC after it failed to gain global attention on Kashmir issue at the UNSC.