Baloch activists hold protest in London against enforced disappearance of women in Balochistan

Activists of Baloch National Movement (BNM) on Monday held protests outside 10 Downing Street, the residence of British Prime Minister, to raise the issue of enforced disappearances in Pakistan`s southwestern province of Balochistan.

The activists said that hundreds of Baloch women and children have been abducted by the Pakistan military in Balochistan.

On May 14, Hani Gul Baloch, a student of medicine in Karachi, was abducted along with her fiance, Naseem Baloch. She was kept in military torture cells where she was tormented for three months.

Upon her release, she was expelled by the Hamdard Medical University.

"Pakistan`s intelligence agencies recently adopted a new policy of abducting Baloch women and children to pressurise the Baloch political activists, who are fighting against the injustices committed by the Pakistani military establishment in Balochistan," Hammal Haider Baloch, Foreign spokesperson of BNM said during the protest.

He added, "The situation is becoming worse. Now, we have information that there are more than 100 Baloch women who have been abducted by the Pakistani security forces. They are missing. We have reports that Pakistani intelligence agencies are abducting Baloch women and keeping them in secret torture cells that too in a very grim situation."

The protesters said that they wanted to inform the British Prime Minister`s office regarding the worst human rights situation in Balochistan.

Hakeem Baloch, President of BNM (UK), said in his address, "We wish to make the world aware of the fact that the Pakistani Army is abducting Baloch women. Recently, they abducted women from Awaran, Dera Bugti and Bolan and various other parts of Makran. They are also abducting Baloch women from Karachi. We want to let the world know that they must take action against such inhuman acts of Pakistan."

He added, "Pakistan is losing its power in Balochistan because the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is not working in Balochistan. And, now to put pressure on the Baloch political activists and their leaders, they are abducting our women. We want the world to understand the problem of Baloch people and support them."

The Baloch activists have further initiated a social media campaign with hashtag #SaveBalochWomen to raise the issue on the global platform.