Beirut: Baloch rights activist Mahrang Baloch has raised concerns over the silence of the international community on the atrocities faced by the Baloch community in Pakistan. She expressed concerns during a conference, highlighting the issues faced by young people in the Middle East and North Africa due to repeated wars and clashes which concluded in Beirut, Lebanon on Sunday.

The event titled 'The Middle East and North Africa Youth Conference' (MENAYC) witnessed the participation of several young activists from around the world and over 80 delegates from 14 countries.

In her video message, Mahrang Baloch stated, "We, the Baloch people, are facing horrific genocide even in the 21st century, and we deeply regret the world's silence on our plight. For seven decades, the youth, mothers, sisters, and daughters of our land have endured the worst tragedies of war."

"Around the world, people are raising their voices for oppressed people, but the greatest shock for us is that no human rights organization has spoken up for us, nor have anti-war advocates addressed our genocide. Today, when discussing the suffering of the Baloch people, the issue of enforced disappearances stands out. I say with utmost conviction that Balochistan is the region with the highest number of enforced disappearances in the world," she added.

In her video statement, Mahrang Baloch accused the Pakistani army and secret agencies of orchestrating the incidents of enforced disappearances. She also mentioned that the worst affected among the Baloch community are the youth as they are frequently abducted as they freely speak their mind and voice their concerns against the administration.

In her statement, Baloch activist said " This number has grown to thousands over the past two decades. Many Baloch youth have been missing for years, with state institutions not even informing their families whether their loved ones are alive or dead. This terror extends beyond the youth, to teachers, journalists, poets, intellectuals, artists, women, children, and older people."

"The pain of enforced disappearances in Balochistan is unimaginable and beyond words. We have girls who have never seen their fathers, and they forcibly disappeared at birth, and have grown up without them. We have hundreds of women whose husbands have forcibly disappeared, even after 10 years, they do not know if they are still married or widowed, as the state refuses to disclose whether their husbands are alive or dead," she added.

Mahrang Baloch said that her father has also been a victim of enforced disappearance. Sharing her pain, Baloch said, "When my father was first subjected to enforced disappearances, I was only 13 years old. I, along with my siblings, protested for a safe release, but instead, I received the mutilated body of my beloved father. He was killed, his mutilated and severely tortured body was dumped in a remote forest."

Sharing details regarding her participation at the event, Mahrang Baloch in a post on X stated, "My Video Talk: I am deeply honoured to have been invited to the 'Middle East and North Africa Youth Conference' in Beirut, Lebanon. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend due to prior commitments. However, I recorded a video message which I shared with courageous young voices across North Africa and the Middle East, who, like the Baloch, are confronted with systemic wars and crises that tragically escalate to the level of genocide. Thanks for having me."

(With Inputs From International Agencies)