Baloch, Sindhi leaders hold joint protest against CPEC in London

TIL Desk/World/London-Baloch and Sindhi leaders held a joint protest against the ongoing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Balochistan outside the Chinese Embassy in London. This is a first such joint protest by the activists belonging to different organisations for a common purpose of ceasing CPEC activities and preventing gross human rights violations.

The umbrella protest includes the Sindhi Baloch Forum (SBF), the World Sindhi Congress (WSC), the Baloch National Movement (BNM), the Baloch Republican Party (BRP), the Baloch Human Rights Council UK (BHRC-UK), the Baloch Students and Youth Association (BSYA) and the Baloch Students organisation. The protest was attended by activists and nationalist leaders who shouted slogans against Pakistan security agencies for committing gross human rights violations in the name of a economic pact.

A Baloch activist, Hakeem Wadela, told, “We are protesting outside the Chinese embassy against the CPEC. Pakistan wants to forcefully impose the CPEC on Balochistan. We are being shown as a minority community…whatever we are doing…it’s for our basic rights.” They claimed that thousands of people were displaced to facilitate a wide array of projects under the CPEC without a proper plan of rehabilitation or providing any compensation.