FBM Activists Participate in PTM’s Protest in Finland

Helsinki, Finland: The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) organised a demonstration outside the Finnish Parliament to protest Pakistan’s forced expulsion of Afghan nationals from their ancestral lands.

The rally saw significant participation from members of the Free Balochistan Movement (FBM), who joined the event on PTM’s invitation, underscoring growing solidarity between the two movements.

Speakers at the protest, including PTM leaders Shafiullah Yousafzai, Abdul Bari Barich and Javed Mullahkhil, denounced Pakistan’s decision to deport Afghans, calling it a violation of the Geneva Conventions on Human Rights. They highlighted that Afghans are being driven out of territories that have historically been their own, and labelled the decision as part of a broader campaign of oppression.

Protesters also criticised the historical British partition of Pashtun and Baloch lands, which they say laid the groundwork for continued division and subjugation of Afghan and Baloch people. They urged Afghans to raise their voices against the ongoing fragmentation of their homeland and appealed to international human rights organisations to take immediate notice of Pakistan’s actions.

PTM leaders announced plans to formally submit a memorandum to the Finnish Parliament in opposition to the deportations, and called for increased international pressure on Pakistan to halt what they termed as ethnic cleansing in both Pashtun and Baloch.

FBM representatives, including organiser MB Marri Baloch, central cabinet member Sadiq Raisani Advocate, Ahsan Baloch,r and Mehran Marri Baloch, echoed PTM’s sentiments.

They denounced Pakistan’s continued occupation of Balochistan and criticised the systematic division of both the Baloch and Afghan peoples. Speakers accused the Punjabi-dominated establishment of looting resources and perpetuating violence under the guise of nationalism and counterterrorism.

The speakers described the forced expulsion of Afghans as a “humanitarian tragedy”, and reaffirmed their stance that both the Baloch and Afghan nations reject the artificial borders imposed on them. They vowed to continue their resistance until a unified and independent Balochistan is achieved, and expressed hope that Afghans would also one day reunify their homeland.

The event also highlighted the ongoing crackdown in Iranian-occupied and Pakistani-occupied Balochistan, with FBM leaders stating that only the creation of a United Balochistan can ensure the survival and dignity of the Baloch people. They accused both Punjabi and Iranian regimes of orchestrating genocide against the Baloch, and called on the international community to break its silence.

In a final appeal, speakers urged Afghan youth to resist division and unite against efforts to splinter their homeland. The rally concluded with PTM leader Shafiullah Yousafzai thanking participants and emphasising the importance of continued cooperation between Baloch and Afghan movements to amplify their shared voice on the global stage.