Press Release 12/10/2024

Free Balochistan Movement Raises Awareness Among Major UK Political Parties During Their Annual Conferences

LONDON: The Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) recently conducted a month-long political awareness campaign aimed at engaging major political parties in the United Kingdom.
The campaign began on August 30 in Edinburgh, Scotland, coinciding with the Scottish National Party (SNP) annual conference.

FBM activists raised awareness about the situation in occupied Balochistan and the ongoing human rights violations. They briefed SNP members, delegates, Members of Parliament, Members of the Scottish Parliament, and ministers of the Scottish Government on the consequences of Balochistan’s occupation and the abuses perpetrated by Iran and Pakistan.

Leaflets were distributed, and attendees were encouraged to sign a petition supporting Balochistan’s independence and national liberation. This segment of the campaign concluded on September 2.

On September 14, FBM activists continued their efforts in Brighton, targeting officials, delegates, MPs, and members of the Liberal Democrats. During this phase, leaflets were distributed, and Parliament members were informed about Balochistan’s historical status and its ongoing national struggle against occupation of Balochistan by Iran and Pakistan. Notable figures engaged during this phase included former Liberal Democrat leaders Lord Sir Vince Cable and Tim Farron, who received briefings on Balochistan’s statehood and the human rights violations occurring there. The campaign in Brighton concluded on September 17.
On September 22, FBM activists took their campaign to Liverpool, raising awareness among Labour Party members, delegates, MPs, and Peers. The Labour Party, currently in government, was a key focus during this phase. Thousands of leaflets were distributed, and FBM activists briefed the UK Attorney General, ministers from Foreign Affairs, the EU Ambassador, and other high-ranking British and international delegates about Balochistan’s national struggle. The Liverpool campaign lasted four days, informing hundreds of individuals about the Baloch cause.

From September 29 to October 2, FBM activists campaigned in Birmingham, engaging members of the Conservative Party, the official opposition in the British Parliament. Party members and delegates were briefed on the Baloch national struggle and Iran and Pakistan’s state atrocities against Baloch people.

Led by FBM’s Foreign Affairs Department, the campaign featured a leaflet titled Balochistan: A Country in Pieces, A Nation in Resistance, which provided a brief history of Balochistan’s independence, its partition by the British Empire, and its subsequent occupation by Iran and Pakistan. The leaflet included a timeline of events and highlighted recent human rights violations committed by both Iran and Pakistan against the Baloch people.

The campaign was a success, with many activists from all major political parties stepping out of their meetings to engage with FBM members and gain a deeper understanding of the situation. Members of all political parties expressed solidarity with the Baloch nation and pledged their support for Balochistan’s national independence movement.

The head of the FBM Foreign Affairs Department said, “We will continue our efforts to inform the international community about the Baloch national struggle for independence, and we strive to expose Iran and Pakistan’s state brutalities and atrocities against the Baloch nation at every forum and venue available to us.”