UNPO Press Release | July 26, 2012 Story

Representatives of Baloch Communities in Iran and Pakistan urge European Union to speak out against the continued violation of human rights

Brussels: Mr. Nasser Boladai and Mr. Noordin Mengal, representatives of the Baloch people in Iran and Pakistan respectively, visited Brussels to raise awareness of the continued human rights violations against Baloch people in both countries, and to urge the European Union to speak out against the systematic suppression exerted upon them by the Iranian and Pakistani regimes.

In a series of meetings, the Baloch representatives engaged in constructive dialogues with Members of the European Parliament, European officials, political advisers and human rights organisations. Mr. Boladai and Mr. Mengal explained in detail the severity of the human rights violations by the military that include, among others, arbitrary arrests, continuing disappearances, torture, targeted killings, dumping of mutilated bodies, mass graves, military operation and bombardment of civilian populations and mass displacements. The Baloch representatives explained that the everyday life for the Baloch people continued to be of suffering and characterised by severely limited access to education and basic services such as electricity and water, restrictions on their freedom of association and expression and little space for political organizations campaigning for the rights of Baloch. The Baloch representatives highlighted the elimination of social and political activists and human rights defenders raising their voice for the rights of the Baloch people by the army and state intelligence agencies. They explained about Iran and Pakistan's unjust efforts to impose their culture, language and radical religious ideologies on the Baloch people and highlighted the economic exploitation of the Baloch resources.

Discussions focused on the significance of the European Parliament's Delegations for Relations with the South Asia and Iran, as well as of the Subcommittee for Human Rights, to promote Baloch peoples' rights in their discussions and engagement, however limited, with Iranian and Pakistani governments. Mr. Boladai and Mr. Mengal stressed that it was time for the international community to intervene in Balochistan and curtail ties with the two states. The representatives requested the European officials to hold accountable and take stern action against Pakistan and Iran.