BNM stages protest in Seattle, urges US to defend Baloch Rights against Pakistan

Seattle [US], October 3 (ANI): The Baloch National Movement (BNM) held a protest in Seattle in the US state of Washington, urging the United States to review its relations and assistance to Pakistan and make any future support conditional on respect for human rights in Balochistan. The protesters carried posters on September 27, highlighting the human rights violations, military operations, and bombardments in Balochistan by the Pakistani authorities. Speakers at the protest said that Baloch civilians were losing their lives due to Pakistani military operations and bombardments. They also appealed to the American public to raise their voices against the human rights violations and violence in Balochistan by the Pakistani authorities. They also said that the assistance provided to Pakistan through US taxpayers' funds was indirectly being used to support the Pakistani military operations in the region. The speakers urged the US government to review its relations with Pakistan and reconsider the assistance it provides, calling for any such support to be linked to respect for human rights. They also called on the international community to help address the brutal human rights violations in Balochistan and protect the fundamental rights of the Baloch people. The protest was part of BNM's international campaign to highlight the human rights situation in Balochistan. The organisation has also held programmes in Geneva and New York, including protests, conferences and awareness campaigns focused on alleged enforced disappearances and other rights-related concerns. Meanwhile, Pakistan has recorded an 83 per cent increase in violence-linked fatalities during the third quarter of 2026, reversing a declining trend seen in the first two quarters of the year. Citing a report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Dawn reported that there were at least 1,415 violence-linked fatalities and 558 injuries among civilians, security personnel and outlaws across 385 incidents. It stated that Balochistan emerged as Pakistan's worst-hit region during the quarter, accounting for nearly 59 per cent of the national fatalities. The province recorded 829 deaths, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 556 fatalities, accounting for more than 39 per cent of the national total. (ANI)