British Labour MP John McDonnell has urged the UK government to take a more proactive role in addressing alleged human rights violations in Pakistan’s Balochistan province….reports Asian Lite News Desk
British Labour Party MP John McDonnell has called on the UK government to take stronger action over alleged human rights violations in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.
Speaking virtually at the 12th Balochistan International Conference, organised by the Baloch National Movement (BNM) at the Geneva Press Club, McDonnell said British ministers should play a more active role in addressing allegations of abuses by Pakistani authorities.
He also referred to Britain’s colonial history in the region, saying it gave the UK a “special responsibility” to engage with the situation.
McDonnell said the British government should help address human rights violations and recognise what he described as the Baloch people’s demands for “peace, justice and the right to self-determination”.
He told conference participants that he had continued to provide political and diplomatic support in Britain to Baloch people affected by what he described as Pakistani repression and said he would maintain that position.
The MP also highlighted Britain’s asylum responsibilities, arguing that new restrictions had increased difficulties for people seeking asylum.
The conference also heard figures presented by Jamal Baloch, media coordinator of Paank, the human rights organisation associated with the BNM.
Jamal said Paank had documented thousands of cases involving alleged human rights violations and enforced disappearances in Balochistan over the years.
According to figures presented by him, the organisation recorded 485 cases of enforced disappearance over the previous six months. He also said Paank had received information about 181 alleged extrajudicial killings during the same period, with several cases subsequently confirmed by the organisation.
Jamal said Paank’s records indicated that an average of 81 people were forcibly disappeared each month in Balochistan, while an average of 30 people among those disappeared were victims of extrajudicial killings.
He said the human rights situation in Balochistan extended beyond enforced disappearances and alleged extrajudicial killings, arguing that the wider situation required greater attention.
Lakhu Lohana, general secretary of the World Sindhi Congress, also addressed the conference and said the difficulties facing Balochistan had continued for almost “80 years”.
Lohana rejected the description of Balochistan as being at a political “crossroads”, instead saying the province was “on the path of freedom and liberation”.
He also referred to poverty and malnutrition, saying people across the province had died from such conditions over the past eight decades in addition to those killed or subjected to enforced disappearance.
Referring to the United Nations Charter of Human Rights and the international community, Lohana questioned whether the worsening situation in Balochistan could be allowed to continue.
“How many more bodies from Balochistan will have to bleed before they can no longer deny that atrocities are taking place and that they must stop all this?” he said.
The claims and figures presented at the conference were attributed to Paank and speakers at the event.
