Pakistani State institutions are whisking away youngsters as the Baloch genocide

BALOCHISTAN – Various politicians and civil society members have expressed deep concern over the incidents of extra-judicial detentions, disappearances and recovery of mutilated bodies in Balochistan. The Voice for Baloch Missing Persons organised a session, “The role of democratic political parties and civil society in curbing the extra judicial killings,’ here at the Press Club Tuesday. Addressing the session, VBMP chairman Nasrullah Baloch said the ideal of peace and prosperity could not be materialised in Balochistan as long as the Baloch people are kept under illegal detention. As many as 700 people have been subjected to extra-judicial killings and their mutilated bodies were thrown at barren places, he said. He alleged the state institutions are whisking away youngsters as the Baloch genocide is still underway. “As per the international laws, nobody could be deprived of his liberty and cannot be whisked away forcibly,” he said and added that the VBMP is a non-political party which has been protesting over the emergence of mutilated bodies and enforced disappearances for the last four years. He said, “We have knocked the doors of every forum for justice and recovery of our beloved ones.” He said the Supreme Court has repeatedly issued orders regarding the missing persons but nothing has been done in this regard. Nasrullah Baloch said neither the missing persons are being brought on the scene nor any action is being taken against the security personnel involved in this connection. He said that peace could not be established without resolving the missing persons issue, adding that now the responsibility rested on the shoulders of all the political parties, members of civil society and media. He said all the stakeholders should play their effective role for the recovery of missing persons, bring the victim families out of mental agony. He said that as many as 700 bodies have been found so far and the number of missing persons is in thousands; however, the complete documented record of 2,600 missing people has been prepared on the organisational level. Talking to media via telephone, Baloch National Front leader Dr Manan strongly condemned the extrajudicial killings of Baloch political activists and their enforced disappearances. He said that the occupying forces are creating hurdles but such tactics could not deter the Baloch people from their struggle of national liberty. Pakistan Human Rights Commission member Shams Mandokhel expressed his concerns over the situation, saying that it had been their stance since day one that extra-judicial arresting of the people and throwing their bodies is the worst violation of human rights and if this practice is not abandoned it would yield the worst results. He said they had formed a fact-finding mission for the recovery of missing persons which visited the far-flung areas to meet with the victim families. He urged that if the missing persons are guilty of any crime, they should be tried in the court of laws. Former MPA Shah Zaman Rind said that unfortunately the rule of law had never been accepted in the country and added the situation would have been different if the laws were implemented in true letter and spirit. [Courtesy by: The News]