The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a strong statement in response to a demand by United Nations experts calling for the release of Baloch human rights defenders, calling the press release lacking in ‘balance and proportionality’.
Addressing a weekly press briefing in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said that the statement by UN experts seemed to be based on ‘selective and unverified media reports’.
“It is imperative that public statements of this nature adhere to principles of objectivity, avoid selective criticism, reflect factual accuracy, and acknowledge the full context of the situation,” Khan said.
Khan said that the comments were “downplaying civilian casualties inflicted by terrorist attacks while disregarding the crimes committed by miscreants who deliberately disrupt public services, obstruct freedom of movement, and create an atmosphere of insecurity.”
“Any credible assessment must recognize that these elements are not mere protesters but active participants in a broader campaign of lawlessness and violence. Their abuses of law and human rights violations cannot be ignored,” Khan added.
The spokesman went on to add that the protestors were ‘operating in collusion with terrorists’ and were hiding behind a ‘façade’ of grievances.
Khan added the protestors have coordinated efforts with terrorists including setting up roadblocks to hamper state response during terrorist attacks. He cited the ‘unlawful storming’ of the District Hospital in Quetta as an example of the nexus between protestors and terrorists. The spokesman added that the protestors had seized five bodies of terrorists eliminated in the Jaffar Express operation. He added that three bodies were later retrieved.
“Legal proceedings against these individuals are being conducted strictly in accordance with the law of the land,” adding that statements such as the one by UN experts amount to interference in sub judice matters.
“Furthermore, this pattern of selective and disproportionate focus by the UN machinery serves no constructive purpose. Instead, it inadvertently emboldens extremist elements,” Khan said.
“The Government is duty-bound to protect the lives and security of its people, particularly in areas where innocent civilians bear the brunt of foreign-sponsored terrorism,” Khan said, adding that the government’s measures against protestors are consistent with international law.
On Wednesday, a group of independent UN rights experts issued a statement which expressed concerns over arrests of Baloch rights protestors. The statement added that the actions against Baloch rights groups including the Baloch Yakjehti Committee have intensified after the Jaffar Express attack.
“We understand the deeply traumatic impact of the 11 March terrorist attack, and we express our deepest sympathy to the victims of this attacks, yet a response which relies on arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and violent crackdowns on freedom of assembly cannot alleviate that trauma,” the statement added.
The statement called for immediate release of Mahrang Baloch, Sammi Deen Baloch and other activists and urged the government ‘address conditions conducive to terrorism, in line with the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.’
