Baloch activists accuse Pakistani state of 'systematic genocide'

BYC alleges systematic genocide in Balochistan

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has accused the Pakistani state of carrying out what it called a deliberate and systematic campaign of genocide against the Baloch people, urging the international community to urgently respond to what it described as serious human rights abuses, according to The Balochistan Post.

In a pamphlet cited by The Balochistan Post, the group said the right to life is universal and that denying this right to an entire people on the basis of ethnicity, language or identity meets the international definition of genocide. The BYC argued that genocide should not be viewed as isolated acts but as a structured policy aimed at eliminating a people in whole or in part, in line with United Nations definitions.

The organisation claimed that acts constituting “full genocide” include mass executions, extreme physical and mental abuse, economic strangulation, famine, denial of healthcare, forced sterilisation and the removal of children from their communities. It added that “partial genocide” is evident in the targeting of students, scholars, activists and women, as well as enforced disappearances and efforts to suppress language and cultural identity.

The pamphlet stated that the presence of armed conflict in Balochistan does not provide Pakistan with any legal or moral justification for such actions. It pointed to what it described as daily killings, the recovery of bodies after abductions, reports of mass graves and custodial torture as evidence of widespread violence.

Beyond physical harm, the BYC accused the authorities of weaponising economic measures. According to The Balochistan Post, the group said home raids, harassment at checkpoints, employment barriers, restrictions on border trade, land seizures and forced displacement have worsened poverty and food insecurity across the province.

The organisation also warned of grave environmental and health consequences. It alleged that uranium-related activities in Koh-e-Sulaiman, nuclear operations in Khuzdar and past nuclear tests in Chagai and Kharan have contributed to sharp increases in cancer and other serious illnesses. The group said inadequate healthcare has led to thousands of preventable deaths each year, describing this as a “silent” form of extermination.

Describing its struggle as one of survival, the BYC called on the Baloch people to safeguard their culture and language, avoid cooperation with state security forces and document alleged abuses for international audiences, The Balochistan Post reported.