Is the Pakistan Government Committing Genocide Against Pashtuns in Waziristan?

Quetta, May 20 (NationPress) The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a prominent human rights organization in Balochistan, has vehemently denounced the alleged genocide of Pashtuns by the Pakistani government in Waziristan. This condemnation comes in light of the ongoing drone strikes that target civilian residences and the horrific killings of children.

"We categorically reject the drone assaults on innocent homes, the heinous slaying of children, and the systematic genocide of Pashtuns in North Waziristan. For decades, Pashtun territories have endured state-sponsored oppression, violence, and military aggression. We consider this a blatant and systematic genocide of the Pashtun community, without room for misinterpretation," stated the BYC in an official announcement.

In drawing parallels with Balochistan, the BYC noted that just as the Baloch people have suffered, the government is enacting a policy of systematic extermination against the Pashtun populace, emphasizing that state violence continues unabated in Pashtun regions.

"Currently, not just the Baloch and Pashtun nations but also all marginalized nationalities in the region face severe state repression, enforced disappearances of political leaders, extrajudicial killings, and relentless military brutality through so-called operations. The routine mortar shelling and drone strikes on civilian areas are blatant violations of human rights," the statement further elaborated.

The BYC has called for unity among all oppressed nations to resist state oppression and brutality. It is through collective resistance and the empowerment of the populace that this oppressive regime can be dismantled.

On the previous day, the BYC raised alarms about Pakistan's attempts to erase the Baloch identity, stating that for decades, the Baloch people have been targeted through violence, misinformation, and silence. The BYC is committed to peaceful resistance against this oppression.

Labeling it as genocide, the BYC disclosed that the Pakistani state has waged a cruel war on Balochistan for generations, involving the disappearance of youth, the disposal of bodies, and the wrongful branding of victims as terrorists.

Highlighting the recent incident involving the fatal shooting of Bakhtiar Ahmed Baloch, a resident of Bedar Pull, Naseerabad, on Saturday night, the BYC emphasized that this tragedy is part of a broader pattern of state-sanctioned violence against Baloch civilians by Pakistani forces.

Bakhtiar was killed by Frontier Corps (FC) personnel while local residents gathered to voice their concerns over ongoing military actions that have severely affected women and children.

"As we witness the tragic loss of Bakhtiar and countless other Baloch lives, the world's silence grows increasingly deafening. We urgently appeal to the global human rights community, international media, and relevant organizations to break their silence and take action. The people of Balochistan are being systematically targeted, and the world must not look away," urged the BYC.

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee is dedicated to advocating for the rights of the minority Baloch community in Pakistan.

Human rights defenders from the BYC have faced arrests or enforced disappearances at the hands of Pakistan's Counter Terrorism Department.

In March, several UN experts called for the immediate release of detained Baloch human rights defenders and demanded an end to the crackdown on peaceful demonstrators.

The experts expressed serious concerns regarding the escalating actions taken by the Pakistan police against the BYC.