BNP condemns “unjustified threats” to ICRC

The Baloch Hal News

QUETTA: The Balochistan National Party (BNP) has, in a press release issued here on Thursday, condemned what it called the the recent and “unjustified threats” issued to the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) and other international organizations in Balochistan.

The statement said,  “ we fully support the efforts of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to assist the oppressed and needy people of Balochistan and condemn the recent threats against its office in Quetta. The ICRC is a respected neutral and independent humanitarian organisation which has made considerable efforts to expand its activities in Balochistan over the past three years despite serious difficulties.”

The release added that  BNP believed that some elements, within the government, were discouraging international organizations presence in Balochistan. “There is a conspiracy hatched by the certain elements and anti-Baloch forces to prevent all international relief organization to the conflict-stricken Baloch people,” said the press release.

“The state agencies are creating trouble for the foreign organizations by using the name of the Baloch nationalists. The withdrawal of ICRC and UN organization will only serves Islamabad’s objective to ruthlessly suppress, enforce disappear and plunder Baloch wealth. However, the cases of enforced disappearances, targeted killings, suppressive military and Para-military presence has been increased many fold in Balochistan during the so-called democratic regime, but the Baloch people cannot and should not hold responsible international organizations for the Islamabad’s anti-Baloch policies,” it noted.

The BNP statement said even though the international community and organizations had been helping people of Balochistan,  it was the time it played a more pro-active role, pressing government of Pakistan to respect Baloch people’s human right and abide by the international conventions and human rights treaties.

BNP believes that ICRC presence in Balochistan is even more important at this difficult time, and the threats against it do not merely jeopardise its work there, but tarnish the Baloch Nationalist cause, the press release concluded.