After London, ‘Free Balochistan’ posters now pop up in New York

WASHINGTON: A month after appearing on London buses, “Free Balochistan” posters have started appearing in New York as part of a campaign by Baloch nationalists against Pakistan’s alleged human rights abuses in the province.

The World Baloch Organization (WBO), which is behind the posters, launched the “#Freebalochistan” campaign in New York last week to spread awareness about abuses such as “enforced disappearances, torture and summary executions”.

The campaign began with posters atop New York’s ubiquitous yellow taxis. It has since begun mobile advertising, with trucks driving around the city with posters saying “#Freebalochistan from human rights abuses” and “Raise your voice against human rights abuses in #Balochistan by Pakistan Army”.

The trucks drove around the consulates of Pakistan and China, WBO said in a statement. One of the signs also read “No to CPEC”, referring to the multi-billion dollar China-pakistan Economic Corridor, which will connect Xinjiang in China’s west to the Gwadar port in Balochistan.

Unlike in London, Pakistan has so far not tried to stop the campaign in New York. GUATEMALA CITY: Guatemala is to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, President Jimmy Morales said on Sunday, following US President Donald Trump’s controversial lead on the holy city.

After speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Morales wrote to Guatemalans on his Facebook page that “one of the most important topics was the return of Guatemala’s embassy to Jerusalem,” from Tel Aviv where it is currently located.

“For this reason I am informing you that I have given instructions to the foreign ministry that it start the necessary respective coordination to make this happen,” Morales wrote.

Guatemala’s leader made the announcement on Christmas Eve, three days after two-thirds of UN member states rejected Trump’s decision to have the United States recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

In all, 128 nations voted to maintain the international consensus that Jerusalem’s status can only be decided through peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

Only eight countries stood with the United States in voting no to the resolution held in the UN General Assembly, among them Guatemala — reliant on US funding to improve security in its gang-ridden territories.