Quetta: The pro-freedom Baloch political party Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) held ‘Baloch Martyrs Day’ events in several regions of Balochistan and many cities of the world on Monday to pay tributes to the fallen heroes of the province’s freedom struggle.
The activists of the FBM conducted wall chalking in different cities of Balochistan including the capital city Quetta, Turbat, Pasni, Jiwani and other areas to pay homage to Baloch martyrs and demanded Pakistani forces to withdraw from Balochistan.
The FBM activists also held memorial gathering and references in Karachi and Quetta on November 13 to praise the sacrifices of Baloch martyrs and to assure their families that the mission of their loved ones will be carried on and fulfilled.
Apart from Balochistan, the FBM activists also held programmes in Afghanistan, Germany, Sweden, Canada and the Netherlands. The Baloch and other human rights activists strongly condemned Pakistani state atrocities against Baloch people and vowed to continue their peaceful and democratic struggle till the liberation of Balochistan.
In Afghanistan, the Baloch Unity Council of Afghanistan and Free Balochistan Movement organised a joint programme to pay tribute to Baloch Martyrs. The speakers said that Pakistan was carrying out “indiscriminate attacks against innocent Baloch people.”
They also said that innocent Baloch, including women, children and elderly, were arrested by the Pakistan forces.
In The Netherlands’ Hague city, the FBM activists organised a brief play in front of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in which an activist wore an outfit painted with red-blood colour and held a placard that read “Shhhh! Be silent! International Court is Sleeping.”
In Sweden as well, activists of the Free Balochistan Movement organised a candlelight vigil and exhibited the pictures of Baloch martyrs killed by Pakistan during indiscriminate military attacks and as part of the ongoing kill and dump policy in Balochistan.
In Canada’s Vancouver city, the FBM activists Waja Aziz Baloch and other members of the Baloch Community of British Columbia organised a memorial gathering to pay respects to the martyrs of Balochistan. Ayesha Baloch, Khoda Bakhsh Baloch and Aziz Baloch addressed the participants and spoke extensively about atrocities by Pakistan in Balochistan.
The speakers said that Pakistan was violating all international laws and United Nations conventions in Balochistan, but still there was no action from either the UN or rest of the international community.
In Germany, the Free Balochistan Movement workers held a programme in Dortmund city. The speakers included Rohail Marri son of late Balach Marri, Claudia Heidelberg, Christine an activist of Amnesty International, Sindhi nationalist Salim Sanai, Nobat Marri, Sameer Baloch, Beebgar Baloch, Fateh Baloch, Mahgonag Baloch and Azum Noor Baloch.
Azum Noor Baloch read out his poetry about Baloch martyrs whereas other speakers talked about Pakistani brutalities in Balochistan and urged the international community to take notice of Pakistani crimes against the Baloch nation.
Nobat Marri an activist of the Free Balochistan Movement said, “Baloch martyrs sacrificed their present for our future. They sacrificed their lives so that we and our coming generations can live in peace and dignity in our free homeland.”
He said that the best tribute to martyrs was to regain Balochistan’s independence because that was the “mission of our martyrs we must fulfill.”
Marri also said that it was the responsibility of those Baloch who were living abroad to inform and educate the world about the true history of Balochistan.
“The world must know that we are a nation with our own unique culture, language and traditions,” said Marri.
“We existed long before Pakistan and Iran came into being. We were an independent nation until the British carved out the fundamentalist Muslim Punjabi state from India and imposed it on us,” he added.
Talking about the silence of the international community, Nobat Marri said, “The UN and other International Human Rights Organisations’ silence has encouraged Pakistan to get away with murder, disappearances and rape of millions of Bengali people. Hence, today Pakistan is repeating the same crimes against humanity in Balochistan.”
The speakers also stressed on Baloch unity and said “Pakistan cannot break the will of the Baloch nation by killing innocent people.”
“The only component our current struggle lacks is unity and disciplined struggle. The day Baloch nations achieved Unity and discipline among their ranks, that will be the day of victory for the Baloch nation,” Nobat Marri added.
For decades in Balochistan, economic exploitation through the plundering of natural resources, and the systematic economic, social and political exclusion of indigenous Baloch people, has become a norm.
In addition to this, enforced disappearances, extra-judicial killings and an escalating crackdown on freedom of expression are used as covert tools to brutally repress the peaceful struggle for justice, rights and equality of the Baloch.
Reports say at least 8,000 Baloch are still victims of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, while 1,500 such victims were killed and dumped, according to human rights organisations. (ANI)
Baloch Martyrs Day: FBM holds references in Balochistan, abroad
