Free Balochistan Movement held protests in different countries to mark Balochistan Occupation Day

London: Free Balochistan Movement activists have held protest demonstrations and awareness campaigns in different countries including Canada, Germany, Austria, United States of America and the United Kingdom.

The FBM activists were carrying banners, placards and contributed leaflets. The Baloch protester also chanted slogans against the illegal occupation of Balochistan and Pakistani state atrocities against Baloch people. The protesters also strongly condemn China’s ‘complicity’ with Pakistan in Balochistan and said that China’s was supporting Pakistan’s state crimes in Gwadar and other areas of Balochistan in the name of development.

In Berlin Germany, Philadelphia USA and Vancouver Canada members of Pakistani community tried to sabotage and disrupt the peaceful protests of Free Balochistan Movement but the Baloch activists and local authorities, timely action thwarted their attempts.

The leaflet the FBM actives gave out during their demonstrations read: “One policy that all empires employ to prolong their colonialism is the policy of ‘divide and rule.’ British Imperial rulers applied this policy most effectively in India and beyond. British invaded Balochistan in 1839 to shield India from outsiders. After the occupation of Balochistan, the British divided Balochistan into three parts to weaken Baloch struggle for independence. Currently, Balochistan is divided between Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan.

“The Baloch struggle for independence from Britain continued until Baloch regained their independence on 11 August 1947. However, Baloch freedom lasted only for a few months. The newly created religious state of Pakistan offered the Baloch nation to join Pakistan on basis of one religion (Islam) but when the Baloch elected representative from both houses – House of Lords and House of Common – rejected the notion of joining Pakistan. The fanatic state of Pakistan then initiated its conspiracies to weaken Balochistan by employing the divide and rule policy and eventually invaded the eastern part of Balochistan on 27 March 1948.

“The Baloch nation has persistently continued their struggle to reclaim their freedom from the very day that Pakistan has forcibly invaded and illegally annexed Balochistan. Ever since the Punjabi rulers of Pakistan have carried out five major military offensives in Balochistan to counter the Baloch resistance for national liberation.

“One of these major military attacks against Baloch people was during 1973 – 77. About 90,000 Punjabi Islamic mercenaries were dispatched to Balochistan where they were confronted with 60,000 Baloch partisans. It is estimated that the Pakistani army has killed about 15,000 to 25,000 Baloch people during this time and lost thousands of its soldiers as well. In the course of this period, the Baloch Sarmachars (freedom fighters) managed to liberate Balochistan from Pakistan for a short period but then Pakistan sought help from the Shah of Iran to help it defeat the Baloch freedom struggle. The nexus of Iran and Pakistan weakened and temporarily dispersed the Baloch liberation forces. The Baloch aspirations for freedom, however, never faded away and desire for national freedom continued to grow.

“In early 2000 the Baloch people once again reignited the flame of free Balochistan. Since then the Pakistani security forces have killed thousands of Baloch people including women, children and elderly. Tens of thousands of Baloch political and human rights activists have been abducted and disappeared. A number of mass graves were discovered in different regions of Balochistan including three mass graves in Tootak, Khuzdar in January 2014, which contained the decomposed dead bodies of more than hundred people only three of whom were identified as previously abducted Baloch activists. The rest of the dead bodies were buried in a hurry without any formal identification and the site where graves were found was sealed by the army for public access.

“Therefore, 27 March is marked as one of the darkest days in Baloch history. The Baloch nation, like the rest of free nations, wants to be free from any form of colonization and subjugation. The Baloch people have proved throughout their history that they are secular people who value humanity, justice, freedom democracy. They have proved that they would never stop their struggle for freedom and equality and they will continue their struggle to victory.”