The UN marks June 4 as ‘International Day of Innocent Children victims of Aggression’ in armed conflict & war. On this day, we talk about the acts of Aggression that Pakistan commits against innocent little children of Balochistan. For those who are not aware, Balochistan was a cluster region of Confederal feudal tribes, that was deceitfully & unlawfully occupied by Pakistan in 1948 after which the region erupted in conflict over its autonomous status.
Pakistan responded through inhumanely to the new-found voice of Balochistan & over the past 72 years has carried out grave Human Rights Violations against Baloch people, including women & Children. To suppress Balochistan’s voice for freedom, Pakistan began torturing Baloch freedom fighters & their family members that included many children.
Pakistan Army formed “Death Squads” in the region for this purpose & these death squads went on a rampage harming little children. About 7 decades later, absolutely nothing has changed for children of Balochistan.
Pakistan continues to target non-combat children of Balochistan, abducting them, inflicting direct violence on them & pushing them into war, with zero accountability for violating the rights of thousands of Balochi children every year. Innocence, childhood, education & rights of children in Balochistan are taken away at gun-point. With their parents’ “enforced disappearances” by Pakistan army, most baloch children grow up orphaned, caught in the cycle of desolation & poverty.
Balochistan’s persecuted children not only suffer mental & emotional abuse due to Pak atrocities but also physical violence. Abduction, killing & sexual violence against Baloch children by Pakistan army continues w no consequences faced by perpetrators.
In Oct 2019, a fact-finding mission by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan noted, ”a 10-12-year-old child, were picked up from Turbat recently. The child is yet to be recovered. In most cases, local police … refuse to lodge a FIR.”
The recent case of Bramsh Baloch is just a tip of the iceberg that is Pakistan’s atrocities on little angels of Balochistan. 4yo Bramsh was shot by bullets by Pak Army Death Squad & her mother killed in front of her eyes. Protests erupted in Turbat, Gwadar, Pasni and other cities of #Balochistan to demand #JusticeForBramsh & to #SaveBalochChildren from Pakistan, on International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression.
However, this is not the end of it. Due to abject poverty that is a direct result of Pakistan’s exploitation of the region & violence on its people, Baloch children are forced into labour & abused by their employers. Already a deprived region, Pakistan has further sold off parts to China under CPEC that has spelt horror for Baloch children who are exploited due to their vulnerability.
The hellish lives of Baloch Children under the brutal colonial occupation of Pakistan is a nightmare that we may never even wish upon an enemy. We request the UN & UNICEF to take action against Pakistan to #SaveBalochChildren.
(The article is a compilation of the thread at @teambharat_)
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