Press Release
Toronto,
April 12: Baloch Human Rights Council (Canada) while condemning the recent
state-backed attack on the offices of a Balochistan-based newspaper, Daily
Tawar, described the precarious situation in Balochistan as a ‘killing field’
of human rights. The process of electing a parliament in any democratic society
is a freedom of expression and rights exercised by the civil society – the
state policy of silencing the Baloch media at this critical instant is an open
statement of war on freedom of expression and the rights of a people.
Elaborating
on the escalating human rights crisis in Balochistan, BHRC stated that since
the takeover of caretaker governments in Islamabad and Quetta – there has been
a continuous rise in the enforced disappearances, killing and dumping of the
missing persons, target-killing of political activists, and attacks on villages
resulting in destruction of property and deaths of local populace.
Furthermore,
on March 15, 2013 the Federal Ministry of Interior issued a notification of ban
on BSO-Azad, a secular, nationalist organization striving for Baloch rights and
freedom from Pakistani occupation.
Abdul
Razzak Baloch, a reporter for Daily Tawar was illegally abducted by Pakistani
security agencies on March 24, 2013 from Karachi. Mr. Baloch also was
politically affiliated with Baloch National Movement, an organization striving
for the independence of Balochistan. To date his whereabouts are unknown.
Balochistan-based,
Voice for Baloch Missing Persons and Baloch Human Rights Organization has
reported that 17 Baloch youths have been illegally abducted in the last three
days. The list also includes two brothers; Rehmatullah Marri, 14, and Sanwal
Marri, 16, students of grade 6 and 7 respectively. Report further states that
an elderly, 82 year-old Nehal Khan Bugti and his son were taken away during an
offensive in Dera Bugti by the Pakistani army.
Abdul
Mutalib of Baloch Republican Party was abducted by security forces on April 7,
2013 from Panjgur and 4 other members of BRP were taken away from Noshki,
including Shehak Baloch and Zakaria. Reportedly, 4 bullet-riddled bodies of
missing persons have been discovered in the last 24 hours from Awaran and
Kharan areas of Balochistan.
To
sum up the overall situation in Balochistan, the European Union has decided not
to send observers to the conflict-ridden Balochistan to monitor the upcoming
elections because of security reasons and the risk factors involved.
BHRC
statement concluded that the 5-year track record of the previous government and
human rights violations under the caretaker Prime Minister on the eve of
elections is a proof that the Pakistani establishment and its army is
determined to continue a policy of genocide, enforced disappearances,
extra-judicial killings, sectarianism, Talibanization, and targeted-killings
of civilians in Balochistan with impunity.
The level of patronage provided by the state security agencies in constructing
and facilitating Taliban-linked private death squads in Balochistan to crush the Baloch nationalist struggle is now
self-evident.
Zaffar
Baloch,
President,
BHRC (Canada)
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