London: Baloch group protests outside UK PM's residence, slams Pakistan over Balochistan crisis

London: The Baloch National Movement (BNM) has organised a protest outside the official residence of the UK Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street in London to highlight what it described as the worsening human rights crisis in Balochistan.

What are the demands of the BNM?

The BNM demonstration focused particularly on alleged enforced disappearances of Baloch women, children, and young girls, which the group has blamed on the Pakistan Army. The Baloch protesters assembled near the British Prime Minister's residence, raising slogans calling for justice, accountability, and international involvement. 

The BNM protestors said such actions mark a serious moral decline in the ongoing Balochistan conflict, adding that enforced disappearances and collective punishment continue without restraint. During the protest, the BNM demonstrators demanded the immediate and safe return of Mahjabeen Baloch, Nasreena Baloch, Farzana Baloch, Hani Baloch, and Hairnasa, who were reportedly detained by the Pakistan Army from different parts of Balochistan and are currently missing.

Addressing the crowd, BNM leaders alleged that enforced disappearances are a key method used by the Pakistan military to deal with the Baloch movement.

What were the concerns raised?

The demonstrators also expressed concerns over the arrests of leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC). They claimed that peaceful activists have been falsely charged, unlawfully detained, and kept in prison despite being granted bail. 

The BNM blamed the state institutions in Pakistan of misusing their authority to suppress dissent.
BYC leaders, including Dr Mahrang Baloch, Bebo Baloch, Gul Zadi Baloch, Bebgar Baloch, and Sibghatullah Baloch, were praised for leading a mass campaign against enforced disappearances.
The demonstrators alleged that instead of addressing these concerns, authorities have arrested the leaders and subjected them to coordinated media campaigns and online harassment, including unethical attacks against Baloch women.

BNM leaders stated that all those mentioned are being held illegally. Speakers at the protest included senior BNM figures, UK chapter officials, and human rights activists. They appealed to international organisations, including Amnesty International, to investigate the alleged violations and intensify pressure on Pakistan.

What did the BNM say on Pakistan’s claim over Balochistan?

The BNM leaders rejected Pakistan's claim over Balochistan, arguing that the region is under oppressive control and that Pakistan's parliamentary system fails to represent the Baloch people. They dismissed the provincial government as ineffective and lacking legitimacy, asserting that justice for Balochistan cannot be achieved within the existing system.

BNM urged the British government to move beyond what it called diplomatic silence and take concrete action. The group called for the recovery of all forcibly disappeared individuals, international sanctions over alleged state violence, and global recognition of what it termed systematic crimes against the Baloch people.