Baloch campaign at Times Square in US

WASHINGTON: About half a dozen large billboards hash-tagged #Freebalochistan have come up around the iconic Times Square in New York City, drawing attention to rampant human rights abuses by the Pakistan government in its restive southwestern province.

Similar billboards and signs mounted on trucks and about 100 taxis have been driven around New York, especially in front of the consulates of Pakistan and China, said the World Baloch Organisation, which is behind the campaign.

The slogans include “#Freebalochistan from human rights abuses” and “Raise your voice against human rights abuses in #Balochistan by Pakistan Army”.

Referring to the China-paki- stan Economic Corridor that goes up to Gwadar port in Balochistan, one of the signs read, “No to CPEC, the China-pakistan project that aims to loot and plunder Balochistan.”

The signs will stay up through the New Year’s Eve celebrations, when around a million revelers pack Times Square and adjoining areas for the ball-drop that is aired live around the world, taking the campaign to a new high after a feisty debut in London, where the Pakistan government resorted to several steps to stop it.

“Our aim is to reach out to the American public and make them aware of the worsening situation in Balochistan, which has long been ignored by the international community mainly due to Pakistan’s desperate efforts to stop the truth from reaching the international community,” said Mir Javed Mengal of the World Baloch Organisation.