Balochistan: Enforced disappearances and kill and dump are direct response to struggle against occupation: Farzana Majeed Baloch

Speech of Farzana Majeed Baloch at seminar in Karachi titled “‘Baloch Missing persons and the Role of State and Society”

 Respected Panel and the Audience,

Problems of Balochistan, sadly, are too many to be covered just in a few minutes talk. That is why I will focus on the issue of enforced-disappearances in Balochistan. History of disappearances is as old as the history of colonisation of my motherland. It goes back to illegal occupation of Balochistan by British Empire in 1839.  But the worst tragic episode of state enforced disappearances in Balochistan began from 1948 onwards.  It was when the newly formed state of Pakistan invaded independent Balochistan and forcefully annexed it to its territory.

The truth is increasing number of disappeared Baloch political and human rights activists is a reflection of Baloch resistance against colonialism and occupation. Only and only for this reason, Pakistan has carried out five major military operations in Balochistan since 1948. In each of these catastrophic operations thousands of Baloch people including women and children have been killed and hundreds of thousands more were forced to flee their native towns and villages. Among these victims are those many thousands who disappeared without any trace. The inhumane act of disappearances, target killing and kill and dump of Baloch activists by state functionaries continues as I speak before you today.

Our organisation – Voice for Baloch Missing Persons – is the first formal medium that has been raising voice of those have been kidnapped and disappeared by Pakistani security forces. We are the voice of thousands of families from every corner of Balochistan who can’t even afford to travel to a city to lodge an FIR against the abduction and disappearance of their loved ones. This human rights forum was set up in 2009. Most of the members of VBMP have personal experience of their loved ones being disappeared, killed or under the custody of state security forces. Despite our peaceful and democratic struggle, many members of our organisations have also been abducted and killed by the same forces. Family members of Baloch missing persons live in constant harassment and fear of being the next victim of abduction, torture and kill and dump policy.

My brother Zakir Majeed Baloch was the senior vice chairman of Baloch Student Organisation – Azad. He was abducted on 8, June, 2009 from Paringabad area of Mastung, Balochistan. We have not heard of him since then. I have been knocking every door to get justice for my brother and thousands of other Baloch families whose loved ones have also been abducted like my brother. I consider every abducted Baloch as a member of my own family. The VBMP is the voice of every missing Baloch despite their political persuasion and party affiliation. Our aim is to speak for the illegally detained Baloch who have no access to a lawyer and who are deprived of their basic human rights.

Respected ladies and gentlemen,

We have been holding a token hunger strike in front of Quetta and Karachi Press Clubs in support of disappeared persons for almost 2100 days now and our peaceful protest continue till the last missing person is released from the custody of ‘forces of darkness’.

As you’re aware, we organised the longest march anywhere, so far, in defence of human rights. We walked 106 days, about 3,000 kilometres, from Balochistan to Islamabad last year in our effort to create awareness about enforced-disappearances. As we passed across Sindh, we have met several Sindhi families whose loved ones have also been abducted and disappeared by Pakistan state security forces.

Throughout our march we were threatened on many occasions. Several times we came face to face with military personnel who blocked our way and stopped us for many hours. We were threatened to postponed the long march or face the consequences – VBMP leaders and activists to this day continue to receive threats. Many people who hosted us were later disappeared and killed and several are still being haunted.

More than a year has passed from our march but nothing has changed on the ground in Balochistan. The military operations, disappearances and kill and dump are carried out at the same rate and intensity as before. Tortured and mutilated bodies of previously abducted Baloch continue to surface in deserted place and road side in Balochistan. The military continue to raid houses, abducted people and harass women and children. Few days ago they raided house of Shaheed Ghulam Mohammad Baloch and asked for his wife. She wasn’t at home so they left a message for her that she will soon be arrested.

In addition of kill and dump policy the military and FC have now started to kill abducted Baloch in stage encounters. After each operation they throw few bodies of disappeared Baloch and claim that these people were killed during firefight with security forces. If one sees the bodies there are clear torture marks and old wounds which clearly proves that these bodies were of previously disappeared people who have been subjected to inhuman treatment and torture while in custody of security forces.

I must say we have given up expectations of justice from Pakistani institutions including the media and judiciary but we were hoping after our peaceful long march the international human rights organisation, International Community and general public in particular in Punjab will become aware of our plight and raise their voice against disappearances in Balochistan. Issuing couple of statements does not and will not stop the grave violation of human rights in Balochistan. Unless they will take meaningful practical steps, the state of Pakistan will continue its policy of abduction and disappearances. Only independent human rights organisations and outside democratic countries can ensure the safe release of thousands of abducted Baloch from Pakistani hidden prisons.

In the words of Albert Einstein, “The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”

The silence of media, civil society and all conscious people is encouraging the forces of darkness to continue their crimes against humanity in Sindh, Balochistan and KPK. I am aware of the dangers of challenging these forces of darkness and murder of Sabeen’s was probably a message to all of us but we are left with no other option but to raise our voice against the Human Rights Violations including enforced-disappearances. The silence of conscious people is tantamount to murder of rationality, voice of reason and peaceful culture of resistance. Let’s unite against intolerance and irrationality. Let’s be the voice for Sabeen who paid a heavy price for speaking for our right to be free.

Thank you