Baloch leader urges Norway to question Pakistan officials over rights abuses in Balochistan

Paris [France], February 8 (ANI): Baloch National Movement (BNM) Chairman Naseem Baluch has raised serious concerns over the proposed visit of Pakistan's former caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar and Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti to Oslo, Norway, scheduled from February 15 to 17.
In a social media post, Dr Naseem Baluch said the visit, described as an engagement with Norwegian officials and civil society to "brief" them on the situation in Balochistan, should not be treated as routine diplomatic outreach.
According to Baluch, both Anwar ul Haq Kakar and Sarfaraz Bugti are "widely responsible" for grave human rights violations in Balochistan, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, collective punishment, and policies that Baloch human rights defenders and international observers have described as crimes against humanity and acts of genocide.
Baluch also highlighted what he described as their documented links to Shafeeq Mengal, a pro-state militia leader allegedly operating armed death squads with the backing of Pakistan's military. He stated that Shafeeq Mengal has repeatedly been named in connection with the Tootak mass graves, where more than 169 mutilated bodies of allegedly disappeared Baloch persons were discovered, as well as the systematic targeting of Baloch civilians and activists.
The BNM chairman further alleged that Mengal has been linked to sectarian violence, including suicide attacks against Shia Muslims and their places of worship.
In his post, Baluch said that despite these allegations, no meaningful accountability has taken place in Pakistan. Instead, he claimed that individuals implicated in such abuses continue to enjoy political power, military patronage, and unrestricted international travel.
Calling on Norway to uphold its reputation as a defender of human rights and international law, Baluch urged the Norwegian government, parliamentarians, media, and civil society to question the visiting Pakistani officials on enforced disappearances, mass graves, and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan.
He also demanded explanations regarding alleged links between state authorities and armed militias and asked why perpetrators continue to enjoy impunity while families of victims are denied truth and justice.
Baluch stressed that Norwegian institutions should engage directly with Baloch victims, families of the disappeared, and independent human rights defenders, warning that diplomatic engagement must not come at the cost of silence in the face of what he described as mass suffering.
"Balochistan does not need propaganda briefings; it needs accountability, international scrutiny, and justice," Baluch said, adding that Norway must "stand on the right side of history." (ANI)