Overview of content:
The Balochistan Issue
Human Rights Violations
What now?
All manuals can be downloaded
Upcoming events
Guest writer. MHHRI is aware of the identity of the writer, but due to the nature of the text, the name has been withheld.
Balochistan, a province in Pakistan, experiences drastic human rights violations in the region, and an increasing risk to mental health with a rising suicide crisis, both issues that the government of Pakistan is severely neglecting.
Balochistan has experienced weak governance and institutions with even poorer law enforcement in the region since the history of Pakistan’s independence in 1947, which has developed an unsettled security situation. There is limited access to water supplies, resources and livelihood opportunities for the Baloch. The insurgency movements in the region are one of the strongest causes that bring about many other problems in Balochistan. It is then paramount to address the human rights violations and discriminatory politics in the region and how that brings about trauma and impacts the mental health of the Baloch. The current suicide rates among the Baloch are alarming and need to be addressed.
For those interested in learning more about Balochistan’s history, the heritage of its people, and its geocultural and political context, these readings provide valuable insights. Baluchistan Providence and Bakuchistan i. Geography, History and Ethnography
Human Rights Violations and Mental Health in Balochistan
Balochistan is known for how the Baloch face enforced disappearances after which they are tortured, ill-treated and also extrajudicially killed. Baloch National Movement’s human rights department, Paank, released a report highlighting the alarming rise in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan. Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, a nonprofit organisation, estimates that 7,000 cases of disappearance have been registered with it in the past 20 years. When this large number of families are separated without reason, especially when the main breadwinner of the house is abducted without reason and radio silence, houses are destroyed, leaving the leftover family members in trauma and fear. This is a severe human rights violation, exacerbating mental health issues that people don’t have the privilege to cater to.
Insurgency Movements and Women’s Rights Violations
Violence and terrorism persist and destabilise the region and much of that is caused by the insurgency movements, largely due to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF).
The innocent faces the fallback. Just recently this year, according to the United Nations Security Council, on 7 February 2024, 26 innocent civilians were killed in two attacks in Balochistan on the general election day.
The Baloch Liberation Army is also held responsible for ethnic cleansing by human rights organisations whereas the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concerns over the human rights abuses as well as concern over gross violence against women and girls, such as honour killing and death sentences for teenage girls. Recently, there was a march predominantly led by Baloch women who rose up in unprecedented numbers, breaking away from the culture of “chadar aur char dewaari” which dictates that the most proper place for a woman is to be veiled within the 4 walls of her home. This marks oppression against the innocent and marginalised groups of women, who constantly live in fear, leading to intensifying mental health abuses.
Economic Instability and Poverty
Balochistan is poorly underrepresented in government politics and the national level becuase of the elite tribals that have historically won and exploited the resources for themselves. The CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) was supposed to be developmental and full of opportunities but people condemn it by calling it a “mini-imperialistic venture” by China exploiting all the benefits, while the Baloch remain poor. With the rich natural resources that the province holds, it should be doing well economically, but in fact, Balochistan remains the poorest province.
According to the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), 70% of the population in Balochistan is identified as “multidimensionally poor”. Poverty is the highest cause of mental health suffering. Economic hardship on top of violent years of conflict, terrorist attacks and insurgencies has led the Baloch into widespread trauma. On top of that, there is a lack of facilities and social stigma to treat any mental health issues and thus, the people remain untreated. When basic needs of healthcare, clean water and education are not met, with deteriorating infrastructure that is incapable of hosting psychologists and psychiatrists, the crisis is doomed to worsen. In 2021, around 80 people committed suicide, according to Paank, a non-profit overseeing human rights issues in Balochistan.
When human development is zero and people don’t have the economic stability to survive, taking care of their mental health is not their priority. Balochistan faces a rise in self-harm and suicide is exacerbated also due to climate change which has caused mass floods, sparse agriculture and droughts leading to scarcity of clean water.
According to the UNDP Human Development Report 2021, Balochistan’s growth rate has been 2.1% in the last 3 decades. Along with the poorest province, it has the lowest literacy rate in comparison to other provinces, as well as the highest infant and maternal mortality rate. On top of this extremely inadequate human development, there is a severe lack of proper and efficient educational institutions in Balochistan.
The Pakistan Social and Living Standard Measurement (PSLM) Survey 2019-20 shows that only 47% of the population (21% females, 36% males) finished school, with the highest percentage of out-of-school children. The issue lies the lack of capacity-building initiatives; even those who have good education remain unemployed due to various reasons like as the quota system. An exceptional case is Makran, where the literacy rate is the highest in Balochistan and ranked 8th on the national level as per the 2017 census, however, the law and order situation is still the worst among all other regions in Balochistan and Makran also remains a hotspot for the highest suicide cases.
What now?
Balochistan remains trapped in a cycle of poverty, underdevelopment, and conflict, severely impacting the well-being of its people. Despite its natural wealth, the province’s socio-political challenges have left its population in dire need of stability, human development, and mental health support. A serious economic development strategy, psychosocial healthcare interventions are dire in the region; but also genuine political representation, human rights protections, and robust social support systems for the people to live in peace.
Baloch cultural heritage must be given dignity, and that can be done by placing high importance on zero tolerance of human rights violations, discriminatory politics, lack of capacity building and invalidation of traumatic experiences of the Baloch families that still wait to hear about their loved ones.
Further Lecture About Baloch People and Human Rights
Balochistan remains trapped in a cycle of poverty, underdevelopment, and conflict, severely impacting the well-being of its people.
Unmasking the Dark Realities: Racism, Xenophobia, Human...
2023UN
In the world’s quest for justice, equality, and human rights, there are instances that demand our immediate attention and collective action. The plight of the Baloch population in Pakistan stands as a stark reminder of the pressing need to addr...
The disappeared of Balochistan
2020Amnesty International
Enforced disappearances targeting students, activists, journalists and human rights defenders continue relentlessly in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan.
The 5th BNM Balochistan International Conference in Gen...
2024 Islam Murad Baloch
This conference saw the participation of hundreds of BNM activists and prominent human rights defenders, all united in raising awareness about the ongoing human rights violations and the Baloch people’s struggle for liberation.
HeRAMS Balochistan Baseline Report
2021World Health Organization
Non-communicable disease and mental health services. This is the sixth report of the HeRAMS Balochistan Baseline Report 2021 series focusing on the availability of noncommunicable disease and mental health services. It is a continuation of the first ...
Balochistan Human Rights Group
BHRG is an independent and non-profit human rights organization that works to fill the information gaps which exists due to lack of access to Balochistan and it relies on strong research tools and documents and effective communication methods.
All our gender-based violence manuals can be downloaded for free from the MHHRI website
Three gender-based violence manuals have been developed to support helpers working with women, boys and men, and children who have experienced sexual violence.
These manuals are available in multiple languages, enabling survivors and helpers to access the content in their preferred language while maintaining consistent headlines and numbering. This multilingual approach facilitates teaching when participants and trainers speak different languages. Each manual includes a toolbox of grounding exercises that survivors can use on their own, to manage emotions or in collaboration with a helper. Additionally, helpers can use these exercises for their own self-care.
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Upcoming events
International Council of Psychologists
Conference with a focus on learning, networking, and building collaborations. Conference Theme: Human Rights, Dignity & Justice – Social Inclusion and Migration. Rotterdam Netherlands, April 3,4 2025.
17th Annual Muslim Mental Health Conference
Building Resilience Through Resistance and Collective Care. April 11th -12th, 2025, Detroit, Michigan US.
The 13th Nordic conference on child abuse and neglect.
“Resilience and Trauma – Responsibility and Hope”, and addresses Detection, Interventions and Challenges, for Children and Youth with Traumatic Experiences. Copenhagen, Denmark, May 25 – 28, 2025.
IASP 33rd World Congress
The International Association for Suicide Prevention to prevent suicide and suicidal behaviour. Vienna, Austria June 10-13 2025.
18th biennial conference of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.
New Approaches for Healing and Recovery in Times of Global Uncertainty and Extreme Stress. Tbilisi, Georgia, June 12-15 2025.
Summer School in Cinema, Human Rights and Advocacy.
Summer school – video advocacy for human rights and social change, in context with the Venice International Film Festival. Application Deadline 30 April 2025, Venice, Italy.
European Conference on Domestic Violence.
The conference series for individuals working to address domestic violence in Europe. September 3-5, Barcelona, Spain.
Frontiers in Traumatic Stress
The ISTSS Annual Meeting provides an inter-disciplinary forum to share research, clinical strategies, public policy related to trauma. September 17 – 20, 2025, Baltimore MD, US.
13th European Conference on Mental Health.
ECMH is an annual event for mental health professionals, service users, researchers and everybody interested in the field. Antwerp, Belgium, Sep 10 – Friday Sep 12, 2025
North American Refugee Conference.
Addressing all aspects of refugee health. September 11-13, 2025, at Niagara Falls, Canada.
The European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health
Network of European societies and platforms of global health and tropical medicine. Hamburg, Germany 29 September – 2 October 2025
24th Nordic Conference on Trauma Treatment
For professionals working with trauma-affected refugees. Copenhagen, Denmark November 20- 21, 2025.
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