Baloch, Sindhi activists stage protest against Pak,China in UK

From Aditi Khanna London, Aug 29 (PTI) Dozens of UK-based Baloch and Sindhiprotesters gathered outside the Chinese embassy here today andheld a protest against Pakistan and China over the twocountries’ USD 46 billion economic corridor and "gross humanrights violations". The protest in London follows a similar demonstration inLeipzig, Germany, last week demanding Pakistan to cease plansfor the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Balochistanand against what the protesters describe as "gross humanrights violations" in the region. "Pakistan wants to forcefully impose the CPEC onBalochistan. We are being shown as a minority community andbeing displaced from our land," said a protester, who was partof the Baloch Students and Youth Association (BSYA). Other groups involved in the protest included Baloch HumanRights Council UK (BHRC-UK) and the World Sindhi Congress andthey chose the Chinese embassy with the aim of raising widerinternational support for their cause. "Pakistan’s security agencies have intensified theiroperations in Balochistan and Sindh to brutally implement theChina-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), ruthlessly committinggross human rights violations while doing so," BHRC-UK said instatement. "The Baloch ethnic population perceives the corridorproject as a plan to convert them into a minority in their ownhomeland, and have openly opposed it on every level…Balochsand Sindhis firmly believe that CPEC will further intensifyand strengthen their subjugation," it said. The protesters waved placards reading ‘Hands offBalochistan’ and ‘Balochistan Zindabad, Pakistan Murdabad’ andshouted slogans in praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi forraising the issue recently. PTI AK ASK AKJASK