Baloch hold protest against China
LONDON: Activists seeking a free Balochistan, who began a weeklong protest outside the Chinese embassy in central London early on Monday, have described the $46- billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor( CPEC) as a “corridor of death ”.
The protest will culminate in a demonstration outside the embassy on October 1 and the handing over of a memorandum stating that China is not welcome in Balochistan, which, the activists said, was “occupied by Pakistan”.
“It (CPEC) will cause destruction in Balochistan. The protest is against Chinese and Pakistani expansionist designs in Balochistan ,” Mehrab, an aide of the Khan of Kalat, told Hindustan Times on Monday. The Khan of Kalat, the head of the family that once ruled the erstwhile princely state of Kalat, is at the fore front of a campaign against rights violations in the southwestern Pakistani province.
There will be a small, 24-hour presence of activists outside the embassy until 2pm of October 1 - China’s national day - when a large number of people are expected at the demonstration, he said. The activists held placards that said “China: Hands Off Balochistan” and“CPEC is the Corridor of Death ”.