Pakistan’s plot to assassinate activists residing abroad needs to be taken seriously. BNM

The spokesman for the Baloch National Movement (BNM) in its response to the revelation of a plot to assassinate a few people, including Waqas Goraya, a Dutch-based blogger, social media activist and Pakistani military critic, and Baloch activists said, “It is a good progress against Pakistani terrorism. The Netherlands, and the international community must fully investigate all aspects of the plot.”

He said Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism command unit had coordinated with Dutch authorities and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to investigate the assassination plot and the investigations led to the arrest of Gohar Mohammad Khan, a Pakistani national based in the UK. Gohar Khan later admitted that he had planned to assassinate Waqas Goraya.

“The failed plot is a wake-up call for all those who have fled Pakistani atrocities and taken refuge in other countries. We also have been informed from other sources that it [Pakistan] is targeting other activists besides Waqas Goraya, including Baloch activists.”

He said that Muhammad Gohar Khan and his accomplices are important evidence of Pakistani terrorism and they should not only be punished in accordance with international law but also all the motives behind it should be brought to light.

The BNM spokesman noted further saying “We strongly believe that high level Pakistani institutions are involved. Waqas Goraya was abducted by Pakistani spy agency and involuntary disappeared for several weeks and subjected to mental and physical torture. He was punished for his activities on social media particularly his stance on the Pakistani army and the situation in Balochistan.”

The spokesman said the arrest in the aftermath of the incident was evidence that Pakistan was directly involved in the assassination of renowned Baloch journalist and intellectual Sajid Hussain in Sweden and BNM leader Karima Baloch in Canada last year. Therefore, Gohar Khan will be considered an employee of Pakistani spy institutions. In this context, the investigation into the martyrdom of Sajid Hussain and Banuk Karima Baloch should also be extended. On the other hand, Baloch, Pashtun and Sindhi leaders and activists have sought political asylum in Western countries, escaping kidnappings, violence and death in Pakistan. When the whole Pakistani machinery can be put behind a renowned critic and a social media activist, we can easily judge that other activists may face a more serious danger. The international community must take direct action.

He said that a confessional video statement of former Pakistani President and Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf was also on record who did not hesitate to urge in the media to kill political opponents abroad. If action had been taken against General Musharraf at that time, the Baloch nation would not have been so much affected by Pakistani terrorism.

The spokesman said that the current Pakistani Prime Minister had openly talked about the assassination of Altaf Hussain, a political refugee and MQM leader in London. A death threat from a head of state clearly falls into the category of terrorism. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) should include this video of General Pervez Musharraf and the current statement of Imran Khan and the confession of Gohar Mohammad Khan arrested in London in the investigation and bring Pakistan before the International Court of Justice so that the nationalist political activists and others could be safe from the Pakistani spy network and murder.

He remarked that these cases were not a problem of a single person and attempted murder of a few people living in other countries but fell under the category of global terrorism. Therefore, the responsible world powers should play a role in protecting other potential political and social activists by filing a case against Pakistan in the International Court of Justice.