A brief report on enforced disappearances, extra judicial killings and grave human rights violations in Balochistan

Composed by Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP)

1: This year in many parts of Baluchistan operations were conducted, and in some areas it is still going on. Many deputations came from the operation hit areas to report abductions and enforced disappearances by paramilitary troops. Security forces have already thrown the mutilated bodies of numerous missing Balochs.

In District Noshki during an operation four mutilated bodies were found. According to the claim of security forces they were the insurgents killed in the combat among these bodies one was recognized as a previously abducted Baloch who was arrested with his brother six months earlier and his whereabouts remained unknown until the Noshki operation. In a change of policy the Pakistani security forces have started to dump the bodies of previously abducted Baloch during operation claiming that they were militants killed during battle. Whereas VBMP have them listed as missing from past several years.
In district Kalat adjacent areas Johan, Sheshar and Kabo during military operations eight mutilated bodies were thrown by military, two out of these eight corpses were recognized as previously missing persons. According to their family, they were taken away from their homes remaining six mutilated corpses were beyond recognitions because their faces were burnt with acids clearly to conceal their identity. It is believed that these might have also been the dead bodies of the enforced disappeared Baloch persons. Later on they were buried by the residence of Johan.

Besides the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons has also been receiving the news of dumping of the bodies in many areas by the security personal. A similar incident was witnessed by the local people in District Noshki. Where, during night time security forces were dumping a body in a local graveyard. In the morning, the families of missing Baloch dug up the grave, but the body was in a condition not to be identified so they buried it back.

2: Voice for Baloch Missing Persons has visisted many areas of Balochistan and talked to the families of the missing Baloch. The VBMP team was told that their beloved ones were forcibly taken away and they went to register First Information Report (FIR) but the Station House Officer (SHO) did not register their FIR. In return the families were threatened not to plea in court or protest otherwise they would torture their dear ones and their families also may meet the same fate.

Moreover, the families said that some influential people came to them and asked them to be quiet so that their dear ones will be released. In addition to it government institutions have been intimidating the authorities of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons as well. They are also being scrutinized by the security authorities, there for working openly have become challenging for the VBMP.

Beside it in many areas the missing persons’ families have complained that eye witnesses who had recorded their statements at various police stations under the CRPC section 161, now refusing to accept their previous given statements, for example they are denying even their statements given in judicial commission. It happens because states institutions are using different medium to harass and threaten them. Hence fearing for their life the eye witnesses deny their statements.

3: A delegation of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons also met the Chief Minister Balochistan in ongoing year. During this meeting the representatives of the VBMP reminded the CM that he had said that if his party came in power, he would solve the issue of missing persons and the dumping of mutilated bodies on the priority biases. Yet, in his government, why state’s intuitions have been consistently committing the violation of human rights and the breach of law and constitution. In reply CM also confessed that his government has failed in stopping the illegal acts of state institutions. Additionally federal government has also failed to take the issue of enforced disappearances seriously.

4: Voice for Baloch Missing Persons submitted an application regarding the mutilated bodies that all the mutilated bodies which are being dumped are of those who were forcibly abducted. Many dumped bodies are found to be in such a horrific condition that it is impossible to ascertain their identity, and from the government side there have been no proper arrangements for the identification of the decomposed dumped bodies. Neither DNA tests are conducted of these dead bodies, nor any obituaries regarding the discovery of mutilated bodies are published in newspapers, nor are the morgues in government hospitals proactive for the preservation of the decomposed bodies. In civil hospital Quetta there are only fourteen freezers, which are insufficient. In other parts of Balochistan, there is no any viable morgue.

VBMP pleaded in its application to the Supreme Court that it is a humanitarian issue, because they could be someone’s father, brother or husband. So state at least has to provide proper mechanism to identify the mutilated bodies. So, that their families can identify their dear ones and give them proper and dignified burial. This also help the families to get rid of life long torture they have been suffering waiting to hear the news of their loved ones.

On the plea of VBMP the Supreme Court passed a verdict and instructed all the provincial governments of Pakistan to collect the bio data of the mutilated bodies for their identification. DNA tests, finger prints, publication of obituary in print media and electronic media should be carried out, furthermore the court ordered to make all the morgues active to keep the dead bodies preserved till the identification and their families should be informed by the respective police stations regularly.

But the orders of Supreme Court have not been implemented, they remain empty slogans and statements on papers. Some families of missing persons approached the VBMP and said that mutilated bodies found in Noshki, were suspected to be the bodies of their dear loved ones, so a delegation of VBMP met CM Balochistan and home secretary and gave them application regarding the mutilated bodies found from Noshki, and requested that DNA tests must be conducted. For the past three months no DNA test regarding the mutilated bodies has been conducted by concerned authorities.

5: In Supreme Court and in High Court as well the case of missing persons are not progressing.

In 2012, the Voice for Blaoch Missing Persons had submitted a case of missing persons in Supreme Court. At initial stage court took same practical steps, but after that there was no hearing of the case. There for voice for Baloch Missing Persons made a plea for urgent proceedings of the cases. In Supreme Court after seven months six hearings were held on the plea of voice for Baloch Missing Persons.

On 15th March 2015, during the hearing double bench of Supreme Court comprising two judges assured the chairman of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons that chief justice of Supreme Court has confirmed that in last days of March Supreme Court’s larger bench will hear the cases of the missing persons. But until now there have been no hearings of any of the cases.

6: The VBMP appealed to the government, judicial commission and Supreme Court regarding the discovery of mass graves found in Tutak area of Khuzdar. VBMP also emphasized on the issuance of NOC to the human rights activist. HRCP made an application to the home secretary for the issuance of NOC asking that they should be allowed to examine the mass graves. On the submission of application in context with issuance in the Supreme Court the VBMP favored HRCP’s application. Supreme Court ordered Balochistan Home Secretary to issue NOC for HRCP and also provide security. Despite the directions of Supreme Court of Pakistan the NOC was not issued to HRCP.

Moreover the representatives of human rights from many countries and international journalists also met the representatives of the VBMP and complained that whenever they requested the federal government for issuing of the NOC to visit and analyze the human rights violations in Balochistan. Officially they were not permitted to visit the mass graves discovered in Balochistan, and they were also prevented to examine the process of missing person’s cases and dumping of the mutilated bodies.

These all concerns were also expressed by the VBMP to national and international representatives of human rights organizations and also pleaded these organizations that they should urge the government of Pakistan to issue NOC for the observation of mass graves and take notice of human rights violations in Balochistan. But nothing seemed to work so far and Balochistan remains a no go area for Human Rights Activists international from both national and international bodies.

We appeal to the United Nations, international community and human rights organizations that they should visit the affected areas in Balochistan where security forces have violated the human rights; they should themselves witness the ground realities and play their effective role.