The Baloch National Movement (BNM) has strongly criticized the Pakistani military for engaging in what it calls a “baseless propaganda campaign” against its leadership. The BNM’s condemnation comes amidst its opposition to Islamabad’s preferential trade status under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), citing severe human rights violations in Balochistan. The rights body accuses the Pakistani Army of committing grave crimes against humanity, including media trials and spreading disinformation through a “fifth-generation warfare doctrine.”
The BNM alleges that the aim of this propaganda is not only to tarnish the image of the Baloch movement on social media but also to create obstacles for peaceful political activists within and outside Pakistan. The party asserts that the Pakistan Army’s agents have been involved in serious crimes, such as attempted assassinations, against political opponents, including BNM members and associates in neighboring and Western countries.
According to the BNM, its leader Naseem Baloch, falsely accused by Major General Ahmed Sharif of ISPR of involvement in armed activities, advocates for the Baloch freedom struggle through non-violent political means. The party vehemently denies the allegations of involvement in any violent activities against its leader.
The BNM highlights the incongruity of Pakistan enjoying GSP+ privileges while persistently violating human rights, leading to the party’s campaign across Europe to raise awareness on this issue. As the campaign gains momentum, the Pakistani Army and state institutions escalate their propaganda against the BNM to disrupt these efforts.
The BNM urges European institutions to recognize Pakistan’s tactics of physically harming peaceful political activists and tarnishing their reputations through disinformation campaigns. The party emphasizes that Pakistan habitually portrays victims as criminals and the oppressed as oppressors. It asserts that the Baloch people will not be misled by such tactics and views Pakistan’s actions as harassment, vowing to continue speaking out against injustices at all levels.
