BNM's Press Conference: May 2022 Review of Human Rights situation in Balochistan

You can download the Urdu version of this detailed report here

Information and Culture Secretary of Baloch National Movement Qazi Dad Muhammad Rehan and Human Rights Secretary Dr Nazir Noor presented the report of May 2022 on the human rights situation in Balochistan in a joint press conference.

According to this report, after the ‘Fidayee’ attack by Shari Baloch at Karachi University, there has been a rapid surge in enforced disappearances of Balochs, not just within Balochistan, but also in other cities of Pakistan. Incidents of abduction and torture of ordinary Balochs on sneaking suspicions by Pakistan’s military has reached an all-time high.

“In the month of May 2022, 61 Balochs were forcibly disappeared by Pakistan’s armed forces. 22 of them were released after being brutally tortured, while 39 are still missing of whom 3 Balochs are from Kharan district of Balochistan, 5 from Shaal, 7 from Awaran, 7 from Kech and 3 from Khuzdar. Yet one person arrested from Harnai, 6 from Lasbela, 1 from Gwadar, 2 from Mastung, and 1 from Noshke district are still missing. The highest number of these missing balochs, 20, were forcibly disappeared by Pakistan’s military from Karachi, the capital city of Sindh. Furthermore, One A Baloch student in Rawalpindi (Punjab, Pakistan) was also reported to be forcibly disappeared. Two dead bodies of Balochs were found in Kohlu, one in Panjgur, one in Lasbela, and one in Hyderabad (Sindh). A corpse found in Hyderabad was identified as Imam Bakhsh son of Kalukhan of Sibi who was known to be a sympathizer and supporter of Baloch National Liberation Movement. He was assassinated by Pakistan’s army after his abduction Human Rights Secretary Dr. Nazir Noor added in the monthly report compiled by the Baloch National Movement's Human Rights Department Paank.

Nazir said that last month, a family from Kirk Dal Gichk area of district Panjgur, including an infant baby and two women, Shah Bibi and Shahzadi, were extrajudicially detained by FC South's Major Junaid Mushtaq in an army camp. It was said in the press conference that in May, Pakistan’s military forces carried out conspicuous acts of violence and brutality against the Baloch people. On 24th May 2022, members and supporters of human rights’ organisations “The Baloch Solidarity Committee (Yakjehtee)” and “The Voice for Baloch Missing Person” were prevented, arrested and tortured by the police for their peaceful protest in front of Karachi Press Club.

Cholera deaths recorded in the last month in Pirkoh Derabugti district were also part of the report. In Pirkoh area of Dera Bugti district, a cholera outbreak occurred due to dearth of clean drinking water, and blatant negligence of government authorities in addressing the problem has resulted in dozens deaths. As per reports, the water shortage in Pirkoh is getting worse since a large number of people have been displaced and lost their jobs, while the govenment authorities on other hand are busy making criminal attempts to cover up the crisis by issuing mendacious and misleading statements in the media.

The media was told at the press conference that two women named Habiba Pirjan and Zalia d/o Muhammad Hayat were also reported to be arrested by Pakistani army from different places in May. Both of them were arrested on the bases of false information given to the military authorities that these women intent to carry out a suicide attack like Shari Baloch. As a result, Pakistan’s military authorities forcibly disappeared them. It is a matter of concern that despite Zalia's detention, Pakistan's airport security issued a fake threat alert to all airports with pictures of her, declaring Zalia a potential fugitive suicide bomber. After these two cases came to light, the role of Pakistan’s intelligence agencies has become clearer that they carry out enforced disappearances on the basis of baseless information and mere suspicion. Exploiting this illegitimate role of these institutions even further, some people in the society are passing on false information to these authorities in order to settle their personal grugdes with ordinary Balochs and their families.

They said that these belligerent violations of human rights by Pakistan’s state institutions have created a humanitarian crisis in Balochistan. Baloch genocide and collective punishment of Balochs is in its peak. All segments of Baloch society are affected by this state-initiated mechanism of collective punishment. It is a well-documented fact that Pakistan’s military has been committing serious war crimes in Balochistan such as extrajudicial and illegal detention and killing of Balochs at least for the last two decades. Now this horrific policy has been changed in order to include the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of the police along with other agencies which are affiliated with the army. The fact of the matter is that Balochs are being kidnapped and killed by Pakistan’s army, but in order to save the army from direct indictment, extrajudicial killings, raids and encounters are being carried out by the CTD in the grab of fraudulent legality. So, the police and the local administration are doing their best in order to cover up for the army, but given the record of Pakistan’s army in these matters it’s obvious that they cannot hide their war crimes no matter how hard they try.

“In May, FIRs were registered against kidnapped Baloch women on serious charges such as the Terrorism Act. This recent wave of enforced disappearances has also troubled a large number of Balochs living in Karachi. The forcible disappearances of more than a dozen of ordinary and working class Balochs from Karachi took place in only one month of May. Pakistan’s establishment is deliberately trying to create a rift and hatred among Balochs of Karachi and the rest of Balochistan who are connected by blood realtions by sowing fear and misunderinding in their hearts and minds, Dr.Nazir Noor said to media.”

He appealed to human rights organizations The following facts show Pakistan's war crimes in Balochistan. There is an alarming need for human rights activists and organisations to put pressure on powerful states across the globe to hold Pakistan accountable for its serious human rights violations in Balochistan.