Quetta, Feb 5 (IANS) Baloch National Movement (BNM) Chairman Naseem Baloch has accused Pakistan of falsely labelling the Baloch freedom struggle as “terrorism” to conceal its own failures, emphasising that it is a legitimate resistance by an indigenous people against “colonial occupation”.

In an interview with Afghanistan’s Rana TV, Naseem said, “We want the world to clearly understand the difference between terrorism and a freedom movement. The Baloch struggle is not terrorism. It is a legitimate movement of an indigenous people resisting colonial occupation. Pakistan routinely labels our resistance as terrorism to conceal its own failures. Sometimes they blame India, sometimes Afghanistan, sometimes Iran — this is a repeated propaganda tactic. The truth is simple: Pakistan is trying to misrepresent a genuine freedom struggle,” he stated.

Responding to a question on the current human rights situation in Balochistan, the BNP Chairman described the situation in the province as “catastrophic”.

Citing a report by Paank, the BNM’s Human Rights Department, Naseem said that in 2025 alone, the rights body documented over 1,000 cases of enforced disappearances — an average of four to five people every day — and more than 200 extrajudicial killings.

Highlighting the atrocities across Balochistan, he further said, “We have discovered mass graves in Panjgur, Khuzdar, Dera Bugti, and Tootak. In Tootak alone, 169 bodies were recovered, most unidentified. This is nothing short of genocide.”

Addressing the question about the increasingly visible role of women in the Baloch resistance, Naseem noted that when repression reaches an extreme point, even those who traditionally avoid conflict are forced to act.

“Baloch women — mothers, sisters, wives — came onto the streets because their loved ones were disappeared or killed. Figures like Karima Baloch, Mahrang Baloch, and Sammi Deen Baloch represent this awakening. Many of these women come from victim families. Yet even peaceful activism has been met with arrests and imprisonment. When every democratic space is closed, people are pushed toward harsher forms of resistance,” he stated.

When asked about the role of the international community on the issue of Balochistan, Naseem emphasised that it has not done enough. He stated that while global attention shifts from one crisis to another—Palestine, Syria, Ukraine—Balochistan remains under a “media blackout”.

“We have raised these issues at the United Nations, the European Union, and international human rights forums. Some statements are made, some letters are written—but real pressure is missing,” he mentioned.

In a message to the global community, Naseem said through Rana TV, “We want to convey this message to the world, to friends, and to all people: if the international community does not intervene, Pakistan will continue to behave as a ruthless and lawless state.”

–IANS

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