Logo

Logo

Pro-Balochistan supporters raise slogans during Imran Khan’s address in US

Imran Khan was addressing a gathering of Pakistani- Americans when a group of young pro-Balochs got up from their seats and started raising slogans.

Pro-Balochistan supporters raise slogans during Imran Khan’s address in US

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan (Photo: IANS)

During the address of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan at an indoor stadium in Washington, a group of Baloch people started raising slogans against Pakistan in favour of an independent Balochistan on Monday.

Imran Khan was addressing a gathering of Pakistani- Americans when a group of young pro-Balochs got up from their seats and started raising slogans.

Balochs who have been living in the US raised their voice against alleged atrocities, disappearances and human rights violations in Balochistan by Pakistani security forces.

Advertisement

The Baloch have been running a mobile billboard campaign urging US President Donald Trump to help end “enforced disappearances” in Pakistan.

The three Baloch youths, who were raising anti-Pakistan slogans, were far away from the main podium, where Khan was giving his speech.

A few supporters of Imran Khan were seen pushing them from behind and asking them to leave the arena.

A group of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) supporters also raised slogans against Imran Khan and Pakistan and alleged that Mohajirs are being subjected to grave human rights violations in Karachi and in other parts of the country. They alleged that the Pakistan army and ISI were indulging in atrocities against Mohajirs in Pakistan.

MQM founder leader Altaf Hussain is now seeking the right to self-determination.

During his meeting with Trump, Imran Khan said, “I would emphasise that a military solution was not possible in Afghanistan and I had maintained that always”, according to an IANS report

Khan further said that his country had lagged behind the world in development because of cronyism and corruption. Except for Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who were charismatic, there was a leadership vacuum because leaders were foisted on either because of family ties or because of the military in the case of Nawaz Sharif.

On Friday, a US Congressional report stated that the security assistance to Pakistan will remain suspended pending “decisive and irreversible” on action against terrorist groups.

Last year in November, Donald Trump tweeted that Pakistan receives billions of dollars in US aid but the country’s leaders “do nothing for us.”

In response to Trump, Imran Khan had then said, “Pak has suffered enough fighting US’s war. Now we will do what is best for our people and our interests.”

Khan is currently on a three-day visit to the US and met President Donald Trump earlier on Monday.

During a September 2018 visit to Islamabad amidst talks of a “reset” of bilateral ties, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed hope that the US could find common ground with Pakistan’s new leadership. But mutual distrust was seen to be pervasive in the relationship and American leverage was much reduced.

This is the first high-level visit by a Pakistani prime minister to the White House during the Trump administration.

Advertisement