Quetta: Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has slammed Pakistan as an “extremely hypocritical” country which “loudly speaks at international forums about human rights situations in Kashmir and Palestine” even as it continues to illegally occupy Balochistan and oppress its people every day.
The outfit, which is militarily fighting for independence of Balochistan from Pakistan, was commenting on the remarks made by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the UN General Assembly recently regarding Palestine and Kashmir.
The group also rejected the claim made by Shehbaz Sharif at the UNGA that the BLA is using the territory of Afghanistan for its operations in Balochistan, even as it said the Baloch people and Afghans enjoy friendly relations since centuries ago.
“It is extremely hypocritical that Pakistan speaks loudly at international forums about human rights violations in Kashmir and Palestine even as it continues its colonial occupation of Balochistan and the human rights violations there,” BLA spokesman Jeeyand Baloch said in a statement.
“Pakistan’s forcible occupation of Balochistan in 1948 and its continuous neglect of the Baloch people’s basic desire and right to freedom are the same cruelties that it claims to oppose in front of the world,” the spokesman added.
He pointed out that human rights violations by Pakistan in Balochistan have been continuing ever since the region was illegally occupied by Pakistan decades back.
“From enforced disappearances to extrajudicial killings, (Pakistani) State machinery is being used to suppress dissent and crush legitimate rights struggles,” he said.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, as well as international organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have repeatedly presented documentation of atrocities in Balochistan, which is enough to expose Pakistani war crimes in the region, Jeeyand said.
He said thousands of Baloch political activists, intellectuals, and students have been forcibly disappeared, and military operations have devastated entire communities.
“These brutal tactics expose the hypocrisy of Pakistan, which speaks of human rights at international forums,” the BLA spokesman said.
He said the BLA also “vehemently rejects the baseless allegations” made by Shehbaz Sharif during the 89th session of the United Nations General Assembly despite occupying Balochistan.
Jeeyand Baloch said Shehbaz Sharif had alleged that “the Baloch Liberation Army and the Majeed Brigade, the fidayeen wing of the BLA, use the territory of Afghanistan” for conducting operations in Pakistan.
“These allegations are part of the Pakistani state’s long-running disinformation strategy aimed at distracting the world from the occupation of Balochistan, Pakistani atrocities, and human rights abuses,” the spokesman said.
The Baloch Liberation Army’s strength, stability, and national defense do not depend on any external power but are rooted in Baloch land and the Baloch nation, the spokesman said adding “our history and geography are our protection.”
“Baloch Fighters do not seek refuge in any foreign land but in the mountains and deserts of their native land and among their own Baloch nation. The Baloch people are the real source of our strength and power,” he said.
“Pakistan’s attempt to link our struggle to external intervention is an insult to the heritage of resistance and bravery of the Baloch nation,” he said.
“Historically, the Baloch and Afghan nations have been close allies. Our friendship dates back to the time of Ahmed Shah Abdali and Noori Naseer Khan, and it is based on mutual respect,” he said.
“Furthermore, Pakistan has a long and documented history of meddling in and destabilizing Afghanistan. From the Soviet-Afghan War to its aftermath, Pakistan’s interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs, including declaring Afghanistan as its fifth province, is no secret. Pakistan has always sought to use its western neighbor for its strategic interests, resulting in decades of war and suffering in Afghanistan,” he said.
The BLA spokesman also took a swipe at Pakistan, saying its relations with its three neighboring countries are strained and always on the verge of war.
“This provides clear evidence of Pakistan’s reckless foreign policy and its inability to maintain peaceful relations with its neighbors,” he said.
“The allegations leveled against the Baloch Liberation Army are merely a hoax intended to divert the world’s attention from Pakistan’s internal failures and the ongoing persecution of the Baloch people,” he said.
The BLA firmly believes in supporting its people and protecting its homeland. We will continue our liberation struggle, regardless of how much Pakistan tries to mislead the international community.
