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Baloch journalist and activist Bilal Baloch painted a bleak picture of Balochistan, claiming conditions are far worse than publicly reported. He also alleged that Pakistani law enforcement has little to no presence in the region, with Baloch freedom fighters instead maintaining intelligence-driven control and targeting state officials and military personnel.
On the sidelines of the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), in an exclusive interview with ANI, he described deep-rooted resentment against the Pakistani establishment, especially among children, noting that this hostility intensified after the 2006 killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti.
He claimed that if a referendum were held today, ”99% of the people would reject Pakistan.” He added that attacks on the military have become a near-daily reality, with fighters even tracking senior officers’ movements.
Highlighting state repression, he accused authorities of routinely shutting down internet and mobile networks to suppress information. Traditional media, he said, remains largely silenced, leaving social media as the primary news source until crackdowns intensified, with activists allegedly abducted to halt the flow of information. Baloch also blamed both the army and the Shehbaz Sharif government, backed by Army Chief Asim Munir, for complicity in enforced disappearances.
According to Bilal Baloch, families of missing persons, particularly women, have staged protests in Islamabad for over 100 days, demanding to know the fate of their loved ones. He recalled the mistreatment of protestors, citing the case of activist Maram Baloch, who was reportedly assaulted and humiliated by authorities.
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More ShortsHe strongly criticised what he called ”Punjabi hegemony” in Pakistan, accusing Punjab-dominated institutions of sidelining Baloch, Sindhi and Pashtun voices. He drew parallels to the mistreatment of Bengalis before 1971, arguing that the same policies are now applied to Balochistan.
He further condemned Pakistan’s reliance on religion and foreign alliances, claiming that despite projecting itself as the leader of the Muslim world, the state has been abandoned by most Islamic countries in times of conflict.
He stated that Baloch identity, culture and resilience remain unbroken despite what he described as systemic genocide. ”The world must understand, guns, propaganda, or foreign powers cannot erase us. We are a nation, and we will endure,” he stated.
With inputs from agencies