London's transport authority to remove 'Free Baloch' adverts

from busesBy Aditi KhannaLondon, Nov 15 (PTI) The public transport authority inLondon today announced that it will remove all "Free Baloch"adver...

from busesBy Aditi KhannaLondon, Nov 15 (PTI) The public transport authority inLondon today announced that it will remove all "Free Baloch"advertisements from the city's buses as they breach itsguidelines, days after it was launched to raise awarenessagainst alleged human rights abuses in the restive province bythe Pakistan government.

Transport for London (TfL) said the advertisements, partof an awareness drive by the World Baloch Organisationlaunched last week, had been accepted in error by a partnerorganisation.

"This advert does not comply with our advertisingguidelines. It was accepted in error by our advertisingpartner and was not referred to us for our consideration. Wehave instructed that all such adverts must be removedimmediately," a TfL spokesperson said.

Activists campaigning for an independent Balochistan inthe UK launched the bus phase of an advertising drivefollowing similar adverts on London's taxis and billboards tohighlight alleged human rights abuses by the Pakistangovernment.

Pakistan had expressed concern over the appearance of"Free Balochistan" advertisements and on November 3 summonedthe British High Commissioner in Islamabad to protest over theslogans displayed on London cabs.

Slogans such as "Free Balochistan", "Save The BalochPeople" and "Stop Enforced Disappearances" were removed fromtaxis recently and the organisation is working with TfL tomodify the wordings to meet "Clause H" of its advertisingguideline which forbids sensitive or controversial campaigns.

"By the time each of the adverts from 100 buses isremoved, our message would have made a mark," said BhawalMengal, spokesperson for the World Baloch Organisation whobelieves TfL's reaction against the adverts is a result ofpressure from the Pakistani government.

"This is a peaceful advertising campaign. Pakistan'saggressive reaction is a bare-faced attempt to intimidate theUK government and Baloch human rights defenders," he said.

The advertising campaign has been backed by British humanrights campaigner Peter Tatchell who said Pakistan's attemptsto prevent them were anti-democratic.

"Pakistan is seeking to impose on the UK the samecensorship about Balochistan that it imposes inside Pakistan.

This is an outrageous bid to subvert our democratic traditionof allowing the free exchange of ideas," said Tatchell.

Baloch people argue that they are ethnically andculturally different from the rest of Pakistan and have beencampaigning for an independent nation for years.

Pakistan dismisses any notion of a "free Balochistan" asan attack on its sovereignty.

"Balochistan was previously a British protectorate thatwas granted independence in 1947. It was forcefully annexed byPakistan in 1948 and has been militarily occupied ever since.

The people of Balochistan have been denied the right to self-determination, contrary to the UN Charter," said NoordinMengal, a member of the World Baloch Organisation.

The organisation describes itself as a non-violent anddemocratic international membership organisation dedicated todefending the Baloch peoples' political, social and culturalrights.

It said that it will continue to "peacefully" speak outagainst human rights violations in Balochistan. PTI AK MRJ AKJMRJ.

This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.

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