Baloch human rights activist slams Pakistani FM over 1971 Bangladesh genocide remarks

Quetta, Aug 26 (IANS) Leading Baloch human rights defender Mir Yar Baloch has slammed the Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar for attempting to dismiss the question of the 1971 Bangladeshi genocide by reducing it to a matter of “forgiveness in Islam” rather than extending a formal state apology during his official visit to Dhaka over the last weekend.

Mir asserted that such action constitutes a grave insult to the memory of three million Bangladeshi Bengalis who were massacred, and to the sacrifices of those killed by the Pakistani terrorist army during that dark terror chapter of history.

“The world is a witness to the atrocities committed by Pakistan’s military in 1971: the systematic rape of more than 200,000 Bengali women, and the merciless killing of nearly three million innocent people. These heinous crimes, committed by the Pakistani army, fall unequivocally within the framework of war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Mir posted on X.

“Justice demands that the people of Bangladesh, together with committed lawyers, social activists, and leaders, submit a formal petition before the International Court of Justice to prosecute the Pakistani state and its armed forces for these crimes. The Republic of Balochistan stands firmly with the common people of Bangladesh in its call to declare Pakistan a war criminal before the international community,” the post added.

Mir asserted that Pakistan’s army currently continues its “unlawful occupation” of Balochistan, perpetuating war crimes against the Baloch people, plundering the region’s mineral wealth, and systematically undermining its economy.

Highlighting the intolerable role of Pakistan’s “criminal and occupying forces” within Baloch society, the human rights activist stressed that just as the Pakistani armed mercenaries and collaborators tried to ignite internal conflict among Bangladeshis in 1971, it is now arming and financing criminal groups in Balochistan to advance its destructive designs.

“Since its inception, Pakistan has used terrorism as an instrument of foreign policy, particularly against India. Today, the generals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi are looting Balochistan’s resources to fuel their terrorist networks and reinforce their global proxies. More alarmingly, Pakistan has embarked on a long-range missile program capable of striking targets thousands of kilometers away, posing a direct threat to the future security of the United States, Western nations, and the wider world,” Mir emphasised.

“This danger was underscored when Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Asim Munir, openly declared during a speech in the United States that his army has the capacity to “bring down the half of the world,” he added.

Mir urged the international community not to turn a blind eye, saying the time has come to hold Pakistan accountable for its war crimes, its decades of state-sponsored terrorism, and its ongoing campaign of repression and genocide.

–IANS

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