The Baloch National Movement has called for a re-evaluation of Islamabad’s preferential trade status under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus in light of the grave human rights abuses in Pakistan.
Attending a conference at the European Parliament in Brussels, Chairman of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), Naseem Baloch, has stated that in recent years, Pakistan’s security establishment has intensified its campaign of repression in Balochistan. He said, peaceful political leaders, students, human rights defenders, and political activists have been targeted with a level of ferocity meant to silence an entire generation. He said in the last three months 234 new cases of enforced disappearance were recorded.
Women such as Nasreena Baloch and Mahjabeen Baloch, abducted earlier this year, remain missing. He said that this is not just a narrative invented by political movements, but has also been documented by UN working groups, Amnesty International, front-line defenders, and major international media organisations.
The Baloch leader further added that while Balochistan bears the deepest wounds, other marginalised nations — Pashtuns, Sindhis, Christians, Ahmadis, Hindus, and the people of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir face similar patterns of enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, and political repression.
Emphasising the pivotal role of the European Union, Naseem stated that Pakistan continues to benefit from Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus, a mechanism designed to promote compliance with human rights, labour standards, and good governance, yet Pakistan has systematically violated these conditions.
