The Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) will organize a protest demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club at 3 PM (local time) on 16th February 2020 to draw attention of the United Nations Secretary General Mr Antonio Guterres to the grave human rights violations in Balochistan, Mama Qadeer Baloch, vice chairman of the VBMP, said in a video message that was released on social media.
For the last eighteen years, Pakistani security forces have been actively involved in the enforced disappearance and extra-judicial murders of students, political activists and human rights defenders in Balochistan with impunity. In most cases, they have tortured the victims and thrown their mutilated dead bodies at desolated places, explained Mama Qadeer Baloch.
draw attention of the United Nations Secretary General Mr Antonio Guterres about grave human rights violations in Balochistan
According to data gathered by the VBMP, thousands of Baloch people including children, elderly and women have been picked up by the Pakistani security forces outside the purview of law. Even the judiciary has failed to offer any remedy and the perpetration of crimes against humanity continues in Balochistan with no help in sight.
UN Secretary General Mr Antonio Guterres is expected to visit Pakistan from 15th February, and will be accompanied by a 14 member delegation.
The VBMP appealed to marginalized religious and ethnic minorities to participate in their protest to remind the UN Secretary General about Pakistan’s failure to live up to its pledge of respecting the UN conventions it has ratified, and to request Mr Guterres’ personal intervention in resolving the humanitarian crisis facing the people of Balochistan.