Geneva [Switzerland], March 24 (ANI): At the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Japanese human rights activist Shun Fujiki sharply criticised Pakistan over alleged abuses in Balochistan.
In an oral statement, Fujiki asked delegates to “imagine Baloch mothers desperately searching” for missing relatives, depicting a climate of fear and uncertainty. He said that in 2025 more than 1,200 enforced disappearances were recorded in Balochistan, including women and at least 75 students, and that over 1,000 people remain missing amid ongoing reports of torture, extrajudicial killings and unlawful detentions.
Fujiki accused Pakistani authorities of facilitating unchecked exploitation of Balochistan’s natural resources, asserting that despite large copper and gold reserves, local communities remain impoverished while outside interests reap disproportionate benefits. He also raised alarm about the displacement of indigenous communities without consent, calling such actions violations of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The continued detention of activist Dr Mahrang Baloch, reportedly held for more than a year after a peaceful protest, was cited as an example of state repression. Describing the situation as “a crisis of dignity and justice,” Fujiki questioned international inaction and warned against allowing “an entire people to fade into silence.”
He urged the UNHRC to take concrete measures, including launching independent fact-finding missions in key areas such as Reko Diq, pressing Pakistan to ratify international conventions on enforced disappearances and indigenous rights, and conditioning international funding on verified community consent, local employment guarantees and measurable poverty reduction.
The address ended with a stark reminder: “Justice delayed is justice denied,” as calls mounted for global intervention over what was described as a worsening humanitarian situation in Balochistan. (ANI)
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