Free Balochistan campaign turns heat on Pak, uses mobile advertising in New York

Photo courtesy: ANI

The World Baloch Organisation (WBO) has moved to top gear in advertising its 'Free Balochistan' campaign and recently ran a mobile drive with prominent signs against Pakistani atrocities in Balochistan, in New York.

Days after it ran its campaign on close to 100 NYC cabs, WBO posted a huge banner on a delivery truck which criss-crossed the city. While the objective of the campaign is to raise awareness amongst New Yorkers about the Baloch cause and about the atrocities committed by Pakistan in the region, the most-recent campaign also raised question marks over China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. "No to CPEC, the China-Pakistan project aims to loot and plunder Balochistan," read the sign.

World #Baloch Organisation (WBO) continues its campaign in New York with trucks carrying adverts with the slogan, "#FreeBalochistan from human rights abuses by Pakistan" pic.twitter.com/lCMirVByG3 — ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2017

It is reported that the NYC campaign will run for a month, during which the WBO will continue to make use of different methods of campaigning to highlight the dire situation in Balochistan. 

In recent months, WBO has upped its scale of campaigning with numerous advertisements across different modes of transportation in London and even in other parts of mainland Europe. 

In October, more than 100 London buses carried adverts that say "Free Balochistan", "Save The Baloch People" and "Stop Enforced Disappearances". Many of the iconic taxis in the city too were painted with 'Free Balochistan' message.

Despite Pakistan's hue and cry over the  'Free Balochistan' advertisements in London, the United Kingdom's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) had shot down suggestions of any action against the campaign. The ASA council had clarified that "the advertiser had a right to express their views, as long as they were in line with the rules in the Advertising Code. "The Council considered that the tagline '#Balochistan"' (and) 'FreeBalochistan' was an invitation to find out more about a particular political cause; and the ad itself did not make any specific claim that threatened the territorial integrity or sovereignty of Pakistan," a letter from the council read.

In November, British High Commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew had expressed his country's inability to control the advertisements about Balochistan in London. "I understand the strength of feeling about adverts in London. The British Government does not and cannot control advertising in the UK. But our own position is clear about the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan, of which Balochistan is and will continue to be an integral part," Saama TV quoted Drew as saying in response to concerns about advertisements about Balochistan in London. 

WBO, meanwhile, remained determined. "Despite attempts by the Pakistan government to censor our advertising campaign, the billboard advertising campaign is going ahead on roadsides all over London," a message from #FreeBalochistan billboard campaign read.

Pakistan has repeatedly tried to block these ad campaigns from appearing on foreign soil. Earlier this year, there was even a diplomatic row of sorts when a 'Free Balochistan' poster was seen on a bus in Geneva. Swiss authorities did not act against the campaign despite Pakistan's protests.

The WBO has repeatedly urged the international community to hold Pakistan accountable for its crimes against humanity in Balochistan including enforced disappearances, extra-judicial killings and torture.

Bhawal Mengal, a member of the WBO who organised the advertisements, has said, "Our campaign aims to highlight the situation in Balochistan which has long been concealed".

(With agency inputs)