Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC)

BHRC Letter to UN Secretary General

Mr. Ban Ki-moon

The Secretary General

United Nations Organization

New York 10017

Subject: UN probe demanded into the Cold-blooded murder of the Baloch leaders

Dear Mr. Secretary General,

We would like to draw your attention to the cold-blooded murders of Baloch political activists Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Sher Mohammad Baloch and Lala Muneer Baloch by the Pakistani Military Intelligence Agency (MI) and Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). They were picked up by the members of Military Intelligence on 3rd April, 2009 from the office of their solicitor in Turbat, Balochistan. The Baloch leaders were blind folded and taken to an unknown destination. They were tortured whilst under detention, shot and the next day they were thrown from a military helicopter 20 miles away from Turbat.

Ghulam Mohammad, Sher Mohammad and Lala Muneer were among the well- known political leaders in Balochistan and have steadfastly worked at the forefront of the political mobilization for the genuine rights of the Baloch people. During 2007 they were arrested by the security agencies, tortured, kept in solitary confinement for months without trial before being released.

Mr. Secretary General,

Balochistan is under a brutal military operation for the last five years in which thousands of innocent men, women and children have been mercilessly killed, hundreds of thousands have been displaced and thousands are missing. A large number of prominent Baloch social, intellectual and political figures have been targeted and eliminated by the state security agencies of Pakistan. The state establishment of Pakistan has always remained very keen to silence the voice of reason raised for the lawful rights of the Baloch people.

Crude military force has been the only mode of action adopted by almost every Pakistani Government in dealing with the Baloch demand for national rights. Extra- judicial killings of the Baloch by the army, paramilitary and state intelligence agencies, harassment, kidnapping and inhuman torture of the Baloch political activists and intellectuals during the sustained military campaigns have been permanent features of the state and Baloch conflict. Graphic details of human rights violation in Balochistan have been published by different non-governmental organizations and international humanitarian institutions. Some of the reports are mentioned below:

1. USSD Country Report on Human Rights Practices, Pakistan 2007 11/03/08
2. Amnesty International Annual report, May 2008
3. International Crisis Group: Pakistan: The Worsening Conflict In Balochistan 14/09/06
4. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan fact finding mission, "Conflict in Balochistan" 2005-2006
5. Balochistan Dossier by Balochistan National Party June 2006
6. Asia Pacific Human Rights Network Report 19/09/06
7. Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, Pakistan: Displacement ongoing in a number of regions 15th May, 2008

Mr. Secretary General,

In face of the heinous crimes being committed by the Pakistani security forces in Balochistan, the silence of the international community is incomprehensible. The Baloch are facing systematic genocide. It is high time for the international community to rise and act before it is too late for Baloch people. We believe that Baloch people need urgent help from the UN.

We, therefore, demand justice for the Baloch people. Failing to do so will mean letting down a people who are being minced under the powerful jaws of the military establishment of a recognized rogue state. We hope that the Secretary General may kindly take a personal interest in pushing for a thorough and independent international investigation into the cold-blooded murder of the Baloch political leaders and other abuses of international human rights and humanitarian laws by the Pakistani Army in Balochistan. We firmly believe that no individual or state should be above International Law. Those who are responsible for grave violation of human rights must be held accountable.

The Baloch expectations and demands from the international community are realistic and simple.

1. We demand that the UN should establish a fact finding mission to investigate the extra-judicial killings of Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Sher Mohammad Baloch and Lala Muneer Baloch.
2. We demand that the perpetrators of the crimes against humanity in Balochistan should be brought to justice by initiating cases against them in the international court of justice in The Hague.

Yours faithfully,

Muhammad Akbar Baluch

Executive President

Baloch Human Rights Council