Dahdar 4 FC Personel Killed 6 Injured. BLA

The spoke person of Baloch Liberation Army Meerak Baluch said to the media from an unknown location via a sattelite phone that at Dahdar's area Ampadah where Companies searching for oil and gas while the soldiers of baluch liberation army opened fire on the security personal of FC with a sophisticated weapons killed 4 and 6 seriously injured.BLA Spoke person claimed the responsiblity.The recent visit of President Zardari to quetta where he declared the future stragety about the search of oil and gas in Baluchistan while few companies already working on it and hiring local baluch tribesman for the security of occupied panjabi army and bringing them on front line.Today BLA declaring it if any baluch join the state partnership and plunder the baluchistan natural resources would be consider enemy and his fate will be same.

Mushtaq Baloch Missing Since 27th March

Mushtaq Baloch Member of organizing comity BSO AZad Khuzdar zone was kidnapped by intelligence agencies of Pakistan on 27 march 2009,at 12:30 pm in front of session court and girls college. He was injured by firing.
On 28 there was shutter down strike in Khuzdar.

Islamabad: Demonstration held for missing persons

Shahzaib Baloch went missing on the day when Zardari visited Balochsitan. No clue of his whereabouts like, other thousands of Baloch who are missing from Balcoistan for many years.ISLAMABAD: Scores of relatives of missing persons on Saturday called on President Asif Ali Zardari to order release of their dear ones through an executive order.Under the banner of Defence of Human Rights (DHR), the fathers, mothers, wives, sisters, sons and daughters of the persons who had gone missing after 9/11 events and still this trend was on, gathered close to the Prime Minister Secretariat The only element of jubilation in recent years, they contended, was the reinstatement of the chief justice of Supreme Court and other deposed judges.They had planned to stage a sit-in and observe token hunger strike at the Parliament House, coinciding it with President Zardari’s address to the joint sitting of the two chambers of parliament. However, they were not allowed by the police to do so.Later, members of Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Association (PESA) headed by Admiral (R) Fasih Bokhari joined the protesters and expressed solidarity with them.“We request President Zardari to facilitate freeing of our loved ones now. Some one from the government must tell us, what is the hurdle, where is the key to release our near ones,” remarked Amina Masood Janjua, who heads the DHR. Her spouse Masood Janjua, a businessman, is missing since 2005.She told this correspondent that they were tired and wanted the state to fulfill its constitutional responsibility and produce those who were taken away on different occasions. She stood under a big banner inscribed with appeal to president, prime minister and the chief of army staff to help end their sufferings.They chanted slogans on the Constitution Avenue, as the convoys of the parliamentarians and other guests sped away after the presidential address to the parliament was over.Talking to The News, Admiral (R) Fasih Bokhari said that they had decided to have a sitting with the close-ones of the missing persons so that a line of action could be drawn on how to get them freed.“This is sheer violation of all laws to keep people hidden. It is also a transgression of the concept of habeas corpus. Whoever is behind this violation, must be held accountable, as the argument that I or we were following orders does not hold any ground with reference to holding people in unknown confinement,” he maintained.PESA, he explained, intended to approach the court of law after having a detailed presentation from the relatives of the missing people. “If at all, there are any charges against them, they should be produced before a court,” he said to a question.Lashkar Khan, who had come all the way from Quetta, said that he lost his young brother Chakar Khan on February 06 and never heard about him afterwards. He was a businessman. He has three children, spouse and ailing parents.He said his missing brother had no connection with any political or religious party. “It appears, his case is like hundreds of others, who had gone missing in Balochistan,” he said.Spouse of Dr Abid Sharif said her husband was taken away on September 16, 2005 on his way to Peshawar, where he was to setup a medical camp to provide free help to the ailing people.Yet another such a case is of Tahir Mehmood, 28, who ran a truck stand in Nowshehra. He is missing since February 04, last year. http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=169694

European Parliament To Host Meeting Of Leading Iranian Dissidents

Leading Iranian opposition figures will be meeting in Brussels, Belgium for a two-day conference on 1-2 April 2009 to discuss the prospects for democratization and federalism in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Entitled ‘Human Rights and the Question of Democratization and Federalism in Iran', the conference panels will discuss federalism's potential to accommodate Iran's patchwork of ethnicities. Discussion will dwell on the issues of autonomy, democratization, good governance, and press freedom before a final debate on the question of what the future may hold for Iran.

The conference will be opened at 9.00am in Room P4B001 of the European Parliament's Paul-Henri Spaak building by Angelika Beer MEP, member of the Greens/European Free Alliance Group and chairwoman of the European Parliament delegation for relations with Iran. Opening speeches will also be made by the co-sponsor of the conference, Marco Cappato MEP, vice-chairman of the delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries. Their remarks will be accompanied by contributions from Graham Watson MEP (tbc), leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament, Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne MEP, member of the ALDE Group and chairwoman of the European Parliament's delegation for relations with Iraq, Paulo Casaca MEP, member of the Socialist Group and member of the delegation for relations with Iran, and Senator Marco Perduca of the Italian Senate.

Commenting on the situation in Iran will be Nasser Boladai of the Congress of Nationalities for a Federal Iran (CNFI) and Marino Busdachin, General Secretary of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO). Representatives of Iran's Ahwaz, Azerbaijani, Baloch, and Kurdish organizations will also feature as key panelists.

The conference is being organized by the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (http://www.unpo.org/) in partnership with the Congress of Nationalities for a Federal Iran (http://www.cnfi.org/) and Members of the European Parliament from the Nonviolent Radical Party.

Six Baluch Were Hanged And 7 Were Shot Dead By Terrorist Iranian Regime

London: March 11, 2009. Six Baluch were hanged and 7 were shot dead in the last seven days. Radio Farda quoted official news agencies of the Iranian government as saying that the six men were accused of Fighting God and Corrupting the Earth, a term used by the courts to describe the activities of those who are fighting against the Iranian government.

Fighting against the government has been equaled to fighting against God by the Islamic regime. None of the official news agencies that reported these incidents revealed the names of the victims. The Iranian government usually refuses to give the full details of the identities of its victims in order to confuse the public. (1) Four of the victims were hanged in the early morning today in Zahedan, capital of Baluchistan. The other two were hanged few days earlier. Other Iranian news agencies reported that seven Baluch have been shot dead in two separate incidents. The sources referred to the victims as insurgents but did not reveal their identities as usual.(2) Few days earlier a spokesman of security forces announced that 28 members of Jondollah, People's Resistance Movement of Iran have been condemned to death. Jondollah rejected the claim and asserted that none of its members have been arrested and those who have been condemned to death are ordinary members of the public.

People's Resistance Movement of Iran issued a statement yesterday in which it claimed that they have been caught up in a trap by the Islamic Republic security forces on 7 March but have been able to break the siege. It claimed 15 members of the security forces were killed in the clashes and one of their own members was also killed and four of them were slightly injured. It is believed that Abdul Malik Rigi the leader of the group was leading this operation. The statement said that 7 helicopters, two fighting jets and hundreds of security forces were engaged in this operation. Abdul Malik Rigi is the No 1 enemy of the Iranian regime. The Islamic government has sent at least five hit squads to assassinate Abdul Malik in the

last five months. All of these hit men have been arrested by this group. One of the assassination squad claimed that they have been paid more than five million dollars to eliminate Abdul Malik. Jondollah neutralised four military operations in the last two months against their own members. They used for the first time two roadside bombs to eliminate two groups of military cars that were supplying logistic to attack

them. In another suicide bombing, the younger brother of Abdul Malik Rigi, Abdul Ghafour Rigi was able to drive a car equipped with 2000 kilos of C4 explosives and exploded himself in the main garrison of Sarawan which is located in the middle of the city. Eight hundred members of security forces and several top clergy of the city used to participate in these ceremonies in which the security forces were brainwashed against the Sunni people of Baluchistan.

According to one report the majority of the people who were present were killed. This was the first suicide bomb operation in Balochistan. There is a low level insurgency in Iranian Baluchistan. The Baluchresistance claimed that the Islamic Republic of Iran has been employing a policy of deliberate impoverishing of the Baluch people, deliberately keeping them out of jobs and universities.

According to the official figures of the Islamic Republic of Iran 76 percent of Baluch people live under poverty line. The Baluch people are Sunnis and are campaigning against discrimination and corruption. They are seeking a democratic system in which all Iranian people enjoy equal rights.

Writer: Reza Hossein Borr

Source: http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/headlinenewsd.php?hnewsid=1015

Balochistan: Massive protest rallies against forceful annexation of Baloch land with Pakistan

Quetta: Several Massive protest rallies were held across Balochistan and Karachi against the forceful annexation of Balochistan with Pakistan at gunpoint on 27 March 1948. Baloch Women Panel jointly with BRP. Elum Itehad, Raisani Qaumi Itehad, Baloch Bar Association, Marri Itehad and many other Baloch freedom loving groups held a Massive protest rally in Quetta, Capital of Balochistan. The rally passing form several main roads of Quetta finally gathered at Manan Chauk Where several leaders of BWP and other organizations addressed the rally. Main focus of all the speakers was that Balochistan was an Independent state and pakistan occupied Balochistan at gunpoint. The then ruler of Balochistan Ahmad Yar Khan was coerced to singe the so called annexation document with Pakistan, however his younger brother Agha Abdul Karim revolted against the forceful annexation of Baloch land. He took to mountains with other like minded friends and started guerrilla operation against Punjabi occupying forces in Balochistan. Today's struggle for Free Balochistan is a continuation of all past patriot Baloch leaders' struggles from Agha Abdul Karim to Shaheed Balach Marri who had laid their lives for the sake of motherland Balochistan and Baloch Nation and paid the ultimate price.participants of the rally chanted slogans against Pakistan, its army, rulers and the Punjabi establishment. The participants were holding the pictures of young Baloch leaders like Brahumdagh Bugti, Shaheed Balaach Marri, Hyrbair Marri, Dr Allah Nazar Baloch and missing persons. They held placards inscribed as "struggle for an Independent Balochistan shall continue" "Long live Baloch National army"" Only solution to Balochistan issue is Independence" "No to Provincial autonomy, we want freedom" " UN must recognize Baloch struggle for Freedom" "Release Baloch political prisoners" etcThe leaders of Baloch groups have rejected the so called reconciliation talks of Zardari. They said that Zardari doesn't have the mandate to resolve Balochistan issue. The new so called democratic govt is also following the foot-prints of former dictator's regime. Baloch student and political activists are still being arrested on daily bases. Army operation is still going on in Balochistan, a large number of army is still present in most areas of Balochistan. Baloch women and children are still being killed and insulted by the Pakistan soldiers. They said while they spoke about the atrocities and injustices of the past, Pakistan army is carrying out yet another offensive operation in Dera Bugti and several areas of Kohistan Marri. They strongly condemned the abduction of Shahzaib Baloch by Pakistani agencies and demanded his immediate release alongwith many thousands of Baloch missing people. BWP leaders said that today Baloch are struggling to save their Identity, language and tradition from extinction. Baloch sarmachaars are defending thier mother land against the foreign occupying forces, they are also defending the defenseless people of Balochistan, who are under constant attack from Pakistan's Punjabi army.They demanded UN intervention and asked the UN to send a fact finding mission to Balochistan in order to investigate about forced disappearances and forced displacements of Baloch people. They further said that UN must recognize the legitimate struggle of Baloch resistance movements against the illegitimate occupation of Baloch land.Saparetly BSO (mohiodeen) and BNP-M held a joint rally in Quetta and demanded for Baloch national rights. Speaking at a rally on Friday, leaders of the Balochistan National Party-M, National Party and Baloch Students’ Organisation-M said the economic package announced in Quetta by President Zardari was a mockery of sacrifices made by people like Nawab Akbar Bugti and Nawabzada Balaach Marri. They said the leaders had not sacrificed their lives for ‘some billion rupees’.The Baloch people were waging a political struggle to achieve national rights and to protect their coast and resources, the speakers said at the Science College Chowk. They said the Baloch had already rejected mega projects launched by former president Pervez Musharraf.They said Balochistan was rich in natural resources and the Baloch people had a right to use them for their own welfare. ‘We won’t need the president’s economic package if we are allowed to use our resources.’On the other hand BNF (Baloch National Front), BSO-A, Baloch Human Rights Council and Baloch National movement also held a massive joint protest rally in Liyari area of Karachi.Speaking at the occasion BNF leaders demanded the immediate release of Baloch political prisoner and missing person. They said several thousand Baloch were either missing or being tortured by Pakistani agencies in different torture cells across Pakistan. They said many thousand Marri and Bugti Baloch have been forcefully displaced from their homes and are now living under extreme condition. The forced displaced Baloch have not been provided any shelter, food and medicine by the govt of time, like the past regimes.

BNF Held Rally In Lyari,27 March Marked As A Black Day

BNF(Baloch National Front) held a rally in lyari ,started from Shaeed Akbar Bugti

roundabout.The rally lead by BNF Central information Secretary Abdul Wahab Baloch,Bso (Azad)Central Secretary Zahid Baloch,Bso(Azad)CC member Jawwad Baloch and hundred of others march on the street of lyari.The BNF leaders speech on the Bugti Chowk said Baluchistan was a free country but Pakistan occupied it.

An Unknown Nation and an Unknown Country

We are writing this letter with a motive of having your voice for a suppressed Nation who has very few people to speak for, a Nation which is not very well known in this world, a Nation which is facing a systematic genocide and is certain to loose not only its identity but also has an extinction threat from Pakistan and Iran, two countries which have no rules for humanity, no freedom of expression and no regard for innocent death tolls. Both the countries are never questioned about the atrocities they do against this weak Nation. This weak Nation is known as Baluch Nation, living a miserable life with a population of above 20 million around the world. The colonial policy of drawing up the state boundaries in 19th century disregarded Baluch claims and divided an otherwise contiguous geographical terrain—spanning from Bandar Abbas in the west to Jacobabad to the east and from the Makuran coast to the south and from the Toba Kakar range in the north --- Among three states, i.e. Iran, British India and Afghanistan. The colonial cartographic adventure succeeded basically because the Baloch state had existed all through the history as a weak confederacy which could not unite into a power to challenge the Colonial Might and thus the Baloch rights were ignored without much concern-The Baloch land was divided into three parts by the British Colonial rulers by their forward policy, one part was given under Iran’s control in 1871, the part which was divided by a line which is known as the Gold Smid line to make Iran ally against Russia, the other part to Afghanistan in 1893, known as Durand Line, Balochistan was divided without any sort of consent by the Baloch population – After the Partition of British India into India and Pakistan, the Baloch sought complete Independence, but they were soon overtaken by history and the Pakistani Leadership, which was caused by direct pressure of Colonial rulers, so that this new weak State may not get influenced by the Communist Russia, which at that time was forwarding towards the Arabian Sea, Pakistan like the colonial predecessors, forced the annexation of Baloch State, known as Balochistan- Ever Since the Balochs have not accepted the forcible annexation of Balochistan The popular disaffection has simmered from years and Balochs have fought until yet four wars of Independence against Pakistan since March 1948, the month when Balochistan was occupied by Pakistan. The Pakistani state in view of its critical dependency on the natural resources of Baluchistan has used every possible way to suppress the voice of Baluch People, However the co-ercive state apparatus, on the other hand, has increase the wish among the Baloch people to regain their Independence and they have surfaced like the phoenix from the ashes again and again, moving into higher levels of resistance in each successive appearance. The ways used to suppress this highly moralized struggle Pakistani state has been breaking Humanitarian norms and has shown no concern for the Human Rights in Balochistan, so far thousands of innocent children have lost their lives, thousands been displaced and living without shelter, thousands of mothers waiting for their sons to be shown up, thousands of elderly people becoming victims of aerial bombing and chemical weapons, thousands of sisters seeing the dead bodies of their brothers, hundreds of brothers helpless in releasing their sisters from the captivity of Pakistan army and Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Whoever raises voice against the atrocities and illegal occupation of Balochistan has to face all kinds of torture that may not be called as humanistic and the stories are quite painful to be heard by every human being around the world. As Pakistan, Iranian state forces never change their policies towards Baloch, whether it be Shah’s Regime or Khomeini’s, which continues till very day, as recent murderous acts of arbitrary killings, summary executions and hanging of innocent Baloch youths in Iran. Baloch people overwhelming majority of whom live in Balochistan have not only been deprived of their basic rights, but also have been subject to blatant repression, systematic discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity and religion. The Baloch genocide in year 1973 – 1977 after dismissal of elected Baloch Nationalist government, Pakistan and Iran combinedly imposed war against Baloch nation and started aerial Bombardments on Baloch civilians, during war Iranian Gunship Helicopters joined Pakistan to attack Baloch civilians, and even in the current on going war of independence, the Iranian and Pakistani official meet time to time to assure collaboration in suppressing Baloch Nation to the extent that Baloch Nation may not be capable to claim their basic rights, land and resources. Baloch issue is not a problem of Pakistan, Iran or Balochs only, it has become a humanitarian issue, and we would be pleased if you serve humanity by highlighting the Baloch Cause and helping us to make a better and peaceful world.

With Regards

Baloch Students Organization

BSO(Shal Zone) President arrested and Mark Protest in Different places throughout Baluchistan

Quetta:Bso(Shal Zone) President Shahzaib Baluch being arrested by civil dress agencies person on his way to home.This news spread like a fire throughout Baluchistan.Bso azad &BRP members marked protest in Quetta and other part of Baluchistan.The traffic was diverted about four hours protestors were shouting anti state slogans.

BLF droped pamplets in Mashkay

BLF(Baluchistan Liberation Front) has droped pamplets in Mashkay town stated to Baluch people do not go for hunting and picnic in the surrounded moutains,because State agencies informers wandering on the mountains to trace the Freedom fighters.Because of the successful tactics of freedom fighters has took the peace of terrorist army.

We appeal to Baluch people pick any particular place in the town for the sake of picnic.This act will stop the informers tactics.Its duty of every baluch to work together to resist their tactics as well as stop the hunt of wild life on surrouned mountains.

Pakistan's secret war in Baluchistan

President Musharraf is resorting to mass arrests, torture and assassinations to crush the Baluch people Peter TatchellDecember 21, 2007 4:00 PM Pakistan launched a renewed military offensive against the people of Baluchistan on December 6, with the aim of crushing the nationalist movement and suppressing protests against Islamabad\'s recent murder of the Baluch national leader, Mir Balach Marri. The often indiscriminate attacks on civilian settlements are taking place mostly in the Kahan and Dera Bugti regions, and involve the deployment of heavy artillery, fighter aircraft and helicopter gunships. Pakistan\'s attacks have reportedly, so far, resulted in deaths of at least 100 men, women and children. More than 200 houses and other buildings, including schools and clinics, have been bombed and burned to the ground. Many farm animals were also killed in the attacks, depriving already poor people of their livelihood. Faced with this state terrorism by the dictatorship of President Pervez Musharraf, thousands of Baluch people have fled into the mountains to escape the military onslaught.Baluchistan was granted independence by Britain in 1947. Less than a year later, in 1948, Pakistan invaded and annexed the country. Ever since, Islamabad has suppressed (pdf) the nationalist movement and ripped-off Baluchistan\'s gas, oil, coal, copper and gold resources; leaving most of the population impoverished and living under the tyranny of military occupation. The current onslaught by Pakistani forces is just the latest of many violent assaults and human rights violations in Baluchistan by the Musharraf dictatorship, as documented by the Asian Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Pakistan has sealed off the regions where the military operations are taking place and is blocking phone lines. But according to a message smuggled to me by Baluch rights campaigner Anjuman Ithehad Marri, who said:\"The Pakistani army used helicopter gunships and carpet-bombed innocent Baluchs in the Kahan, Taratani and Kamalan Kech areas. Dozens of innocent Baluchs, most of them shepherds and farmers, were shot dead by Pakistan\'s terrorist army. In addition, hundreds of houses were burnt and livestock killed. Pakistan\'s terrorist army arrested over 400 innocent Marri Baluch people in Kohistan Marri, including women and children, and took them to unknown places. No one knows about their whereabouts. Twenty-five of those arrested were tied to trees and shot dead. We appeal to international peace-loving communities and organisations, including the Red Cross, United Nations and Amnesty International, to send a fact-finding team to Baluchistan to see Pakistan\'s barbarism with their own eyes.\"Another report bought out of Baluchistan by human rights campaigners states:\"The Pakistan army is operating a shoot-to-kill policy. Around 500 innocent civilians, mostly women and children, were kidnapped by the Pakistan army and transferred to detention camps, where they are being treated inhumanely. Over 2,000 people from these areas have had to abandon their homes to take shelter in mountains and caves to save themselves from the firepower of the Pakistani military. Currently most of the affected areas remain encircled and closed off by the military. Nobody from the outside world is allowed into the region to witness the atrocities. The operation is ongoing and continues unabated, bringing more suffering and further loss of innocent Baluch life. This new intense military operation is an attempt to silence and demoralise the rightful struggle of the Baluch people for their freedom. It comes in the aftermath of the killing of Baluch national hero, Mir Balach Marri, and the arrest of Mir Hyrbyair Marri (the exiled Baluch nationalist) in the UK.\"On my Talking With Tatchell online TV programme, I recently interviewed Mehran Baluch, the Baluch representative to the UN human rights council, about Pakistan\'s neo-colonial occupation of Baluchistan. He has asked me to circulate this appeal to the international community about the latest military offensive:\"These brutal, indiscriminate military tactics violate the ethics of warfare; involving despicable and atrocious war crimes. The condemnation of these crimes against humanity is a duty of the civilised world ... We request human rights organisations to visit the region and witness the slaughter for themselves. We also strongly urge the UN human rights council to send a fact-finding mission to Baluchistan to investigate these attacks. Pakistan is determined to kill the Baluch people and has deployed its entire state machinery to crush and eliminate the Baluch nation. This is state terrorism and is in contravention of international human rights laws. We hope the international community will not ignore the situation in Baluchistan in the way that it stood back and allowed the genocide in Rwanda. Under the regime of Musharraf and his military chief, General Kiyani, the people of Baluchistan will always be abused as the enemy. The right to self-determination is the only solution for Baluchistan. The escalated military offensive is no coincidence, but part of a pre-planned strategy to crush the Baluch people. It coincides with the killing of the legendary Baluch patriot, Balach Marri, in the Sarlat area of Naushki in a military operation on November 21 2007, and in the arrest of his younger brother Hyrbyair Marri and fellow Baluch patriot Faiz Baluch in London on December 4 2007.\"Last weekend saw protests in London by Baluch refugees against the military assault on their country. They feel a sense of immense frustration, demoralisation and anger at Britain\'s failure to press the Pakistani regime to halt its abuses in Baluchistan. The foreign secretary, David Miliband, appears to take the view that we need Pakistan as an ally in the so-called \"war of terror\" and therefore we should look the other way when confronted with evidence of Islamabad\'s human rights violations and neo-colonial despotism. This sleazy realpolitik, whereby Britain colludes with dictators, needs to change. It is doing great damage to the UK\'s international standing and betraying the just cause of the people of Baluchistan.

BoyCott Settler Services In Balochistan

If we look throughout Balochistan so we will find settlers are running from high class business to low class Business.On the Streets of Quetta,Khuzdar,Hub,Gowadar and other towns they are running Utility shops,Public Call Office(PCO),Welder Shop,Barber Shops and many other small business.They are running this business from many years with a good profit.We Need to give awareness to our people to adopt all small business in short time period.And we should boycott settlers services in throughout Balochistan.Our arm organisation several times Warned the settlers to quit Balochistan but they are not quitting that much,once we stop their services so they will automatically quit the balochistan cause of business crisis.REQUEST TO BALUCH NATION BOYCOTT THE SETTLER SERVICES AND PASS THIS MESSAGE TO THE THROUGHT BALUCH PEOPLE OF EVERY TOWN AND GIVE THEM AWARENESS OF SMALL PROFITABLE BUSINESS AND TAKE OVER SETTLER BUSINESSES.

Balochistan: Continuation of Repression Highlighted at UN

Geneva: Alongside the 10th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), UNPO and Interfaith International organized a briefing on the deteriorating human rights situation in Pakistani Balochistan.As part of the efforts to highlight the deteriorating human rights situation in Pakistani controlled Balochistan, Interfaith International, in cooperation with UNPO, organized an interactive debate alongside the 10th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC).Main participants to this event included representatives of the Baloch people, representatives of the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR), Member of the European Parliament Mr. Casaca, Member of the Canadian Parliament Mr. Silva, representatives of the Sindh community in Pakistan, as well as a spokesperson of Iranian controlled Balochistan.Dr. Charles Graves, Director of Interfaith International, opened the meeting by giving a brief account of where the Baloch people are located, who these peoples are and then in further detail outlines the conflict that Pakistani controlled Balochistan has with the Pakistani government. Dr. Graves also outlined the economic repression of the Baloch community and particularly the lack of revenues that the Baloch community gets from the natural resources which are extracted from their territory.It was Senator Sanaullah Baloch who provided the attendees with a detailed account of the history of Balochistan, which is seen as the source of the conflict with the government of Pakistan. Furthermore, Senator Baloch highlighted various areas in which the human rights of the Baloch are blatantly ignored, including a number of civil and political rights, as well as Social, Economic and Cultural rights.Detailed statistics evidently supported claims of ongoing repression of the Baloch community and showed a pattern of systematic underdevelopment of the region, particularly in the fields of education.UNPO United Nations Coordinator, Ms. Agnes Venema, briefly highlighted the international obligations of Pakistan as a signatory to several international treaties. Though highlighting the efforts made by the new government of Pakistan, which recently signed onto the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, she highlighted that signing a document does not yet constitute ratification, which can take up to years. Furthermore, Ms. Venema expressed skepticism in terms of those who are allegedly responsible for human rights violations being brought to justice. A culture of impunity prevails in Pakistan and even publicly committing oneself to international instruments put in place to protect the human rights of all cannot guarantee that those rights are being implemented as long as such a culture of impunity is being sustained.Mr. Mehram Baluch, being one of the first Baloch to come to the United Nations in 2001 to highlight the Baloch plight, was proud to be able to speak at the event, despite intimidation suffered at the hands of the Pakistani government. He gave detailed account of how far the Baloch have come in the past decade and welcomed the fact that so many had come to attend an event which aimed at providing more information on the current and ever deteriorating situation of the Baloch in Pakistan.Not only members of the Baloch community took the floor. Mr. Peter Stania, Director of the International Institute for Peace in Vienna also took the opportunity to speak at the event. He echoed some of the remarks made before and emphasized that peaceful means are to be deployed in order to overcome the violations suffered in Pakistan.Hon. Mario Silva, Member of the Canadian Parliament and shadow foreign affairs critic also took up some moments to highlight the fact that the West cannot ignore this issue and that immediate action is needed.Furthermore, the Honorable Paulo Casaca, Portuguese Member of the European Parliament for the Socialist Group had also taken the time to comment on the human rights situation of the Balcoh. Being the Vice-chair of the South Asia Peace Forum, he emphasized the efforts that have been taken to look for a sustainable resolution to this conflict. He added, however, that the highest right in his opinion was the right to an identity, including the right to a language and a culture.UNPO Representative for Balochistan, Mr. Noordin Mengal, gave testimony of the repeated military operations that have been launched by the Pakistani government in Balochistan. He added that the government and the army of Pakistan could kill the Baloch, but that they will not be able to kill the ideas of a people.As a painful reminder of the harsh conditions that the Baloch live under on a daily basis, Mr. Munir Mengal, gave a detailed record of the conditions of him enforced disappearance. After launching a Baloch tv chanel, Mr. Mengal was detained at the hands of the Pakistani military and tortured. Throughout his detailed account, he emphasized the repressive nature of the Pakistani military towards to Baloch. Mr. Mengal was fortunately released after which his testimony was recorded by the International Committee for the Red Cross, though he will remain scared for life.On behalf of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Mr. Neil Gilmore, temporary Pakistan desk officer, gave an account of the activities of the OHCHR in relation to Balochistan. He recalled the letters of allegation that the Working Group on Enforced Disappearances had send to Pakistan and the fact that this information had also be relayed to the Human Right Council in its latest report. Furthermore, he highlighted the joint efforts of a number of Special Procedures Mandate Holders who had prepared communications and letters of allegation which attempted at retrieving the truth about these alleged victims of human rights abuses at the hands of the Pakistani regime. Furthermore, Mr. Gilmore agreed to accept a memorandum on behalf of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), Interfaith International, Baloch Human Rights Council and the Sindhi Baloch Forum calling for increased international pressure on Pakistan to improve the human rights situation in Balochistan.As a last speaker, Mr. Luhana of the World Sindhi Congress expressed his support to the Baloch cause. Suffering from similar human rights abuses, the Sindh feel closely related to the struggle for human rights of their Baloch neighbours. He appealed to the international community to step in and increase support to those who continue to struggle for their human rights.Before closure of the meeting, Mr. Mehram Baluch once more reiterated the appeal that UNPO on behalf of its Baloch members has published. He pleaded for the safe return of UNHCR employee Mr. John Solecki who had been abducted by, what Mr. Baluch called “foolish Baloch who saw no other way out”. He appealed directly to them, stating that the UN is listening. Proof of this is the fact that the meeting was attended by numerous UN members of staff. Mr. Baluch appealed for his safe return and pleaded against such acts of utter desperation. The appeal publically welcomed by the representatives of the UNHCR, who pledged to forward the message to the Secretariat.http://www.unpo.org/content/view/9409/85/