Geneva, March 20 (NationPress) The Baloch National Movement (BNM) has urgently appealed to the global community to address the alarming human rights violations occurring in Balochistan, accusing the Pakistani government of manipulating legal frameworks to quash dissent, target innocent civilians, and systematically silence voices within the region.

During the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, BNM representatives brought attention to critical issues such as enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and severe restrictions on freedom of expression, all part of a systematic campaign to suppress the Baloch populace.

Speaking at the session, Mahra Baloch, a member of the BNM, stated that the civilian population is facing collective punishment merely for their existence.

“In Balochistan, an entire community faces punishment for simply existing. The Pakistani state has weaponized law under the pretext of counterterrorism, criminalizing dissent, erasing lives, and silencing an entire nation. The Anti-Terrorism Act in Pakistan has been misappropriated to brand Baloch students, activists, and human rights advocates as so-called proscribed individuals. This designation strips them of their freedom, denies their right to travel, and subjects them to ongoing threats,” Mahra emphasized.

She reported that in 2025 alone, Paank, the Human Rights Department of BNM, documented 1355 cases of enforced disappearances and 225 instances of extrajudicial killings throughout Balochistan.

Mahra insisted that these figures are not mere statistics; they represent real people taken from their homes, students abducted from educational institutions, and bodies returned as grim warnings.

She also highlighted the plight of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leadership, stating, “Mahrang Baloch, a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize, has been unjustly arrested, denied necessary medical care, and targeted solely for his peaceful advocacy efforts.”

“Internet blackouts, extensive surveillance, and collective punishments have become commonplace, crafted to prevent the world from witnessing the ongoing situation in Balochistan,” Mahra added.

Stressing that silence permits these atrocities to continue, Mahra urged the international community to demand that Pakistan halt these violations, release all arbitrarily detained Baloch activists, and initiate independent and transparent investigations into enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.

Earlier on Wednesday, Jamal Baloch, media coordinator of the human rights body Paank, remarked that the abuses are intensifying, particularly in relation to projects associated with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

“I stand before this council to highlight the systematic human rights abuses in Balochistan orchestrated by Pakistan and exacerbated by China's strategic involvement. In Balochistan, enforced disappearances have become a state policy. The Pakistani military operates beyond legal boundaries, abducting students, educators, journalists, and political activists,” Jamal stated.

Affirming that “peaceful dissent is equated to terrorism,” he noted that women-led civil rights movements like BYC are being suppressed, and all districts in Balochistan are subjected to internet blackouts to hide military operations and silence victims.

“These violations have intensified alongside projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, aimed at securing strategic interests and resource extraction. The Pakistani military has ramped up repression and militarized civilian life,” Jamal concluded.