“We are very thankful to the Prime Minister of India for raising the voice for Balochistan, for the voiceless people in the region” and added “We are also thankful to the Baloch nation, Bangladesh and Afghanistan for supporting the Indian Prime Minister’s statement regarding violation in Balochistan”.
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Asked whether India will raise the issue of Balochistan at the UNGA or UNHRC, Swarup remained non-committal, saying “India has a strong human rights record at home and we are naturally concerned of gross violations of human rights in the region you have referred to”.
Radio Pakistan reported that Aziz was briefing ambassadors of permanent members of UN Security Council and the European Union in Islamabad on Friday over the “killings and serious human rights violations being committed by the Indian forces in Kashmir”.
He said Baloch people can’t settle for anything less than complete independence from Pakistan.
After PM Narendra Modi’s mention of Balochistan during his Independence day speech, state-run broadcaster Doordarshan did an exclusive interview with Baloch Republican Party chief Nawab Brahamdagh Bugti during which he reiterated that the issue of Balochistan should be raised in the United Nations.
News agency Reuters says that according to a senior official at the meeting in early August, the more hawkish politicians in the room, angered by what they saw as Pakistan’s recent trouble-making in Kashmir, thought differently, and so did the PM.
Balochistan, of the size of France, is Pakistan’s largest Province which has been under “illegal Pakistani occupation for the last seven decades”, he said. “We hope Pakistan will heed worldwide opinion on this issue”, he added.
“Starting from the 1970s the Baloch have been fighting for more autonomy within Pakistan”.
Baloch leader’s grandson, Brahumdagh Bugti thanking PM Narendra Modi had said that he hopes that every Indian citizen will support their struggle.
Stating that his immediate course of action would be to create awareness in the global community, Mr. Bugti, at the same time, also called for military assistance from all countries to be given for the freedom struggle of the Baloch people.
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Nearly 70 people have been killed since the start of the unrest last month following the death of Burhan Wani, who India says was a militant who belonged to the Hizbul Mujahideen group, once the dominant militant group in Kashmir.
