Baloch Diaspora Protests Outside White House Against Pakistan’s Atrocities

Washington D.C., January 8: Members of the Balochistan diaspora gathered outside the White House to protest against Pakistan’s alleged human rights abuses and the enforced disappearances of Baloch people. Waheed Baloch, a former speaker of the Balochistan Assembly and one of the protestors, emphasized that the demonstration aimed to draw attention to the atrocities committed in Balochistan over the past 75 years.

Expressing their discontent with Pakistan’s actions, Waheed Baloch stated, “We’re protesting against the atrocities that have been done to Balochistan by Pakistan for the last 75 years. We’re protesting here in support of those Baloch families that were abducted and missing. For the last 75 years, Pakistan has forcefully occupied Balochistan.”

Asked about their expectations from the upcoming general elections in Pakistan, he asserted that there is no hope for free and fair elections, describing the process as unconstitutional and undemocratic. “There has never been a free and fair election in Pakistan, and there is no hope…for Balochistan, they just reelect their nominees,” he added.

Responding to Pakistan’s accusations that Balochis are sponsored by the Indian government, Waheed Baloch dismissed the claim, labeling it as baseless. “They (Pakistan) just say that Balochis are sponsored by the government of India, but they never have produced any evidence…it is rubbish. They lied before, and they are lying again. If India had been supporting Balochistan, Balochistan would not have been this weak. These are just distracted tactics,” he remarked.

Sufi Laghari, a member of a Sindhi foundation, echoed the sentiments, criticizing Pakistan for blaming India for internal issues. “One of the biggest failures of Pakistan is that they always blame India…thousands of people in Balochistan have disappeared; do you think it is sponsored by India? These are useless weapons they’re using. These are just blames, games, and fake theories…This is going to be the end of the story for Pakistan, and we are going to get freedom soon,” he asserted.

Sammi Baloch, a young Baloch protestor, expressed her concern over the Baloch genocide, emphasizing that the ongoing atrocities constitute a violation of human rights. “We are here because the Baloch genocide is happening and has been happening since partition… We are here to stand with them and their families because what happened to them is atrocious and is a human rights violation,” she stated.