Baloch human rights activist Aomar Karim will begin a three-day peaceful hunger strike outside the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), opposite 10 Downing Street in London, from July 1 to July 3. The protest aims to draw international attention to alleged human rights violations in Pakistan's Balochistan region.
Key Demands and Focus of the Protest
The demonstration highlights longstanding concerns over enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and the treatment of Baloch political activists and human rights defenders. A central issue is the recent life sentences given to Baloch Yakjehti Committee leaders Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Shahji, which Karim and supporters describe as politically motivated.
Karim is urging the UK government to issue a clear public statement condemning these life sentences and to call for all charges against the two leaders and other detained Baloch human rights defenders to be withdrawn. He also appealed to the international community to take stronger action against what he described as serious and ongoing human rights violations in Balochistan.
Allegations Against Pakistani Institutions
In a statement issued before the protest, Karim alleged that Pakistan's state institutions, including its military, political leadership, and judiciary, were responsible for grave injustices against the Baloch people. He called on democratic governments and international human rights organisations to help end enforced disappearances, ensure accountability for alleged abuses, and press Pakistan to release all Baloch political prisoners.
According to Karim, while several diplomatic and legal measures could be pursued to encourage Pakistan to meet its international human rights obligations, the UK should begin by publicly condemning the imprisonment of Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Shahji.
Call for Solidarity and Concluding Rally
Karim has invited members of the UK's Baloch community, Members of Parliament, journalists, lawyers, trade unionists, students, political activists, human rights organisations, and the wider public to visit the protest site and show solidarity. The hunger strike will conclude on July 3 with a rally outside the FCDO at 5:30 pm, aimed at amplifying calls for international attention to the situation in Balochistan.
