The ongoing conflict in Balochistan represents a humanitarian crisis that urgently demands international attention. Thousands have lost their lives, and millions continue to suffer under the oppression of Pakistan. I urge you to intervene on behalf of the Baloch people’s right to self-determination and dignity.
His Excellency
António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres
Secretary-General, United Nations Organization
405 East, 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10017, United States of America.
Dear Secretary-General,
I would like to draw your kind attention to the protracted and bloody conflict that has been ongoing between the Baloch people and the Pakistani state since 1948.
On March 27, 1948, the Pakistani armed forces occupied Balochistan, violating all existing international laws against colonialism. With the withdrawal of the British from India in 1947, the Baloch state (known at that time as the Khanate of Kalat) declared its independence on June 11, 1947. Initially recognizing Balochistan as an independent country, the Pakistani state threatened the ruler of the Baloch state, the Khan, to merge his state into the newly created religious state of Pakistan. However, the Khan and both houses of the Baloch Parliament rejected the merger of their state with Pakistan. Ultimately, the Pakistani forces invaded the capital, Kalat, and the Khan was forced to sign the accession agreement. This was unacceptable to the Baloch people, who began both political and armed resistance against the occupation of their land. The Baloch conflict with Pakistan is one of the longest conflicts since the Second World War. In the 21st century, it has become a tale of blood and tears, bringing immense devastation to the Baloch in terms of both lives and resources. Compared to all other periods of active hostility between the Baloch and Pakistan, the highest numbers of casualties, disappearances, and population displacement have occurred in the current conflict.
Excellency,
The Baloch are trapped in the vice grip of a religious fundamentalist state, leading to human suffering on a genocidal scale. The protracted conflict has resulted in the murder of thousands and the dislocation of millions of Baloch people. The state is targeting the elite of Baloch society, with many prominent personalities, political activists, intellectuals, journalists, doctors, engineers, and artists being physically eliminated by security forces, proxy death squads, and auxiliary paramilitary units. Pakistan has not only invaded and occupied their land but has also intruded into the Baloch socio- cultural way of life. Their history has been distorted, their language is on the brink of extinction, and a fundamentalist Islamic social outlook is overshadowing their secular beliefs. The Baloch people seek to live in freedom and dignity in their land according to their socio-cultural traditions.
Dear Secretary-General,
The human rights situation in Balochistan has become critical since the beginning of this century. The silence of the international community regarding the plight of millions of Baloch people is a black stain on the conscience of humanity. The Baloch deserve dignity, liberty, prosperity, and peace. The international community must act before it is too late for the Baloch.
The Baloch national struggle is based on interpreting specific rights in international law and conventions, as well as the more general right of all nations to self-determination. The Baloch conflict with Pakistan needs resolution, and the intervention of the international community is imperative in this respect.
Excellency,
The resolution of the protracted conflict between the Baloch and Pakistan lies in creating a polity that recognizes the Baloch’s legitimate national rights. The only peaceful solution to the conflict with Pakistan is to ascertain the Baloch people’s free will by holding a referendum under the auspices of the UN after placing the entire Baloch land under the UN’s mandate for a specified period.
We hope that your intervention will initiate a process leading to the ultimate decolonization of Balochistan and the end of the suffering of the Baloch people.
Thank you in anticipation.
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Tara Chand Baloch
President
Baloch American Congress
