Baloch Americans stage protest in front of White House to decry killing of their leader
http://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2016/02/14/baloch-americans-stage-protest-in-front-of-white-house-to-decry-killing-of-their-leader/
Dr. Mannan Baloch was assassinated in Balochistan on January 30.
By Sreekanth A Nair
Dr. Mannan Baloch addressing a public gathering in Dasht, Balochistan, in August 2014. Photo via Twitter
Baloch Americans staged a protest in front of the White House in Washington, D.C., on February 12 to condemn the murder of its Secretary General, Dr. Mannan Baloch, by the Pakistani army in the restive province of Balochistan.
Dr. Baloch, his three colleagues, and a nephew were murdered in a military operation by Pakistan Army’s Special Forces in the early hours of January 30th in Balochistan.
The protest was organized by Baloch National Movement (BNM) and led by Nabi Bakhsh, Deputy Convener of BNM- North America; Abdul Qadeer Baloch, Vice President of the Voice for Baloch Missing Person (VBMP); Waheed Baloch, former Chairman of the Baloch Student Organization (BSO); and Abdulah Baloch, a human right activist.
Speakers strongly condemned the extra-judicial killing of Dr. Baloch and his colleagues in execution style in the Mastung area of Balochistan.
The protestors demanded strong actions against the Pakistani state. They alleged that Pakistan has been carrying out a policy of genocide against the Baloch nation. They also called for a free and independent Balochistan that can guarantee peace and stability in the region, plagued by religious extremism and terrorism perpetrated by the Pakistani army.
Dr. Baloch was highly popular for his work dedicated to the Internally Dislocated Persons (IDPs) displaced to the different parts of Balochistan in the aftermath of the catastrophic earthquake that hit the Awaran and Makuran regions in September 2013 and also due to aerial bombardments by the Pakistani helicopter gunships on civilian villages.
He also worked actively to mobilize masses against the Pakistani occupation forces’ policy of unlawful abduction of Baloch civilians in Balochistan. There are more than 20,000 cases of enforced disappearances in Balochistan.
The protesters appealed to the UN to bring home the Baloch missing persons.
Born in 1968 in Mashkay and graduated from Bolan Medical College, Quetta, in 1999, Dr. Mannan Baloch had served as a medical officer in different parts of the region before he resigned from the post.
The BNM observed a three-day strike in the region following the murder of the leader.
Ghulam Mohammed Baloch, a former president of BNM, was also killed by Pakistan military in April 2009.
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