27 March 2026
During the 61st session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Baloch National Movement is organising an international human rights event focused on Balochistan and on broader questions of political rights, international responsibility and human rights violations. The gathering brings together politicians, academics, journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders in a forum clearly aimed at gaining international visibility.
Balochistan at the centre in Geneva
The core of this news lies in the substance of the event. The Baloch National Movement is bringing Balochistan to Geneva precisely while the Human Rights Council is in session. In doing so, the organisation is placing the situation in the region before an international forum where rights violations, enforced disappearances, political pressure and public accountability are central issues.
The composition of the event points in that direction. Names from Baloch organisations, international advocacy, journalism, academia and human rights work are being brought together around one clear purpose. That gives the event a weight that goes beyond an ordinary gathering. This is a targeted intervention in an international human rights setting.
A broad group of speakers
The event features Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa, senior fellow at King’s College London, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, chairman of BNP, and Dr. Naseem Baloch, chairman of BNM. Merce Monje, secretary general of UNPO, and Manzoor Pashteen, leader of PTM and human rights defender, are also part of the panel.
Also speaking are Sherbaz Khan, representative of the Workers Party Gilgit Baltistan, Andy Vermaut, human rights activist, journalist and chairman of PostVersa, Gary Cartwright, publisher and editor of EU Today and former adviser to British Members of the European Parliament, and Dr. Naseer Dashti, writer, political analyst and executive chairman of the Baloch Human Rights Council.
The line-up also includes Saqlain Imam, former BBC journalist in London, Ana Lorena, member of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and human rights lawyer, Hidayat Bhutto, Sindhi politician and organiser at the World Sindhi Congress, and Hatim Baloch, human rights defender and coordinator at PAANK BNM. Salim Baloch and Mahra Baloch will serve as moderators.
Human rights violations as the background
The available information does not set out the full programme in detail, but the central thread is clear. The presence of BNM, PAANK BNM, the Baloch Human Rights Council, UNPO and a member of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances makes it clear that the human rights situation in Balochistan occupies a central place in the event.
In that way, the Baloch National Movement is putting forward an issue that has long drawn attention in international human rights circles. The event places that issue in Geneva within a broader framework of political rights, enforced disappearances, international scrutiny and public pressure. The composition of the panel shows that the organisers are not holding a purely regional discussion, but are clearly placing Balochistan within an international rights context.
Geneva as a political forum
The fact that this event is taking place during the 61st session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva gives it added significance. Geneva remains a place where states, NGOs, activists and international institutions come together around human rights issues. By holding an event there, BNM increases the visibility of its message and of the themes it wants to put on the table.
That choice of Geneva is meaningful in itself. The event is not just about bringing names together, but about keeping an issue with international implications visible in a forum where pressure can be built and where rights-related concerns can be voiced at an international level.
Belgian presence on an international stage
For Belgium, the presence of Andy Vermaut stands out in particular. He is taking part as a human rights activist, journalist and chairman of PostVersa in a panel that also includes academics, politicians, rights defenders and international voices from different countries. This gives a Belgian voice a place in an event that seeks to draw attention to Balochistan during the Human Rights Council session.
That also gives the event an added dimension for Belgian readers. It shows that the discussion on Balochistan is not limited to one region, but is finding resonance within broader European and international networks.
An event with a broad substantive scope
What makes this event notable is the breadth of its participants. Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa brings academic expertise. Sardar Akhtar Mengal and Hidayat Bhutto bring political experience. Merce Monje and Ana Lorena are rooted in international and legal rights structures. Gary Cartwright and Saqlain Imam add a journalistic perspective. Dr. Naseem Baloch, Dr. Naseer Dashti, Hatim Baloch, Salim Baloch and Mahra Baloch place Balochistan directly at the centre of the discussion.
This creates an event that does not revolve around one single discipline, but brings together different voices around one substantive purpose. That is precisely what gives the gathering political and human rights relevance.
Sources:
Baloch National Movement
Event “BNM Geneva Conference during the 61st session of the Human Rights Council”
EU Review