UK Parliament hosts meeting on Balochistan crisis, calls for urgent international action

UK MP Sojan Joseph hosted a meeting at the Houses of Parliament in London to discuss growing concerns about the increasing human rights violations in Balochistan, particularly those caused by Pakistani security forces.

Prominent scholars, academics and human rights activists gathered to discuss the dire situation in the region. he/she condemned the action of Pakistani security forces and called it an act of genocide.

The most worrying trends have been a sharp increase in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in recent months.

Speakers urged the UK government to intervene and use its diplomatic influence to prevent further loss of life and property in Balochistan. They also called for urgent international action and demanded that the UK Government advocate for the establishment of a UN fact-finding mission to investigate the severity of the human rights crisis in the region.

Prominent personalities at the meeting included Ayesha Siddiqa, Lakhumal Luhana, Naghma Iqtadar, Naseer Dashti, Faheem Baloch and Qamar Malik, all of whom shared their expertise and personal insights into the ongoing violations.

The gathering stressed the need for immediate international attention to bring justice and accountability to the people of Balochistan.

Human rights violations in Balochistan have been a persistent and significant issue for decades. The ethnic Baluch people in Pakistan’s Balochistan province have long accused the state of systemic discrimination, marginalization and denial of political autonomy.

The Pakistani government has been criticized for forcibly suppressing Baloch nationalist movements, including reports of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture of activists, journalists, and civilians.

The Pakistani military, intelligence agencies and paramilitary forces have been implicated in these abuses, often under the guise of counter-insurgency operations targeting Baloch insurgents and pro-independence groups.

In addition to violence, Balochistan suffers from widespread economic underdevelopment, despite its abundance of natural resources such as oil, gas and minerals. This economic inequality, along with limited access to education, health care and infrastructure, has fueled growing discontent among the Baloch people.