Quetta, Nov 21 (IANS) Leading Baloch human rights defender, Mir Yar Baloch, on Friday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, highlighting the systematic repression faced by people of Balochistan at the hands of the “occupying” Pakistani military.
In a letter addressed to Birla, Mir wrote, “On behalf of the 60 million people of the Republic of Balochistan, we extend our deep respect to the Lok Sabha and to the great democratic traditions of the Republic of India. We write to you at a time of immense suffering, historic transformation, and profound urgency for the Baloch nation.
“From the Baloch national standpoint, Pakistan’s presence in Balochistan has, from the first day, been an illegal occupation imposed at gunpoint, not a union born of consent or justice. For 78 years, the Baloch nation has stood firm in asserting that Pakistan’s claim over Balochistan is void, unrecognised, and morally indefensible, as it rests solely on coercion rather than any legal or historical right,” he added.
Mir emphasised that instead of respecting the aspirations of the Baloch people, Pakistan has intensified its campaign of violence, conducting aerial bombardments, deploying tanks, using lethal drones, and carrying out widespread enforced disappearances across Balochistan.
“More than forty thousand Baloch men, women and children have been forcibly disappeared. Mass graves continue to be discovered. Entire villages have been destroyed. Economic exploitation and collective punishment remain routine. This is not merely a regional conflict; it is a humanitarian crisis of global significance,” the human rights activist asserted.
On behalf of the people of Balochistan, Mir urged the Indian Parliament to hold a comprehensive debate on the situation in the province during the upcoming Lok Sabha session in December. He stressed that such a debate would give voice to the silent suffering of millions and help expose the grave human rights violations, war crimes, and systemic repression inflicted by Pakistan on the Baloch people.
Mir also offered to assist the international forensic experts in visiting Balochistan to collect evidence of Pakistan’s deliberate use of chemical and toxic weapons, which he said the Pakistani establishment has consistently concealed from the world. He called on the Parliament of India to consider adopting a resolution on the current deteriorating situation in Balochistan.
“Our people have endured immeasurable loss, yet they remain unbroken. We appeal to the conscience of the world’s largest democracy to stand with justice, humanity, and the universal principles of freedom and self-determination,” the letter concluded
–IANS
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