Balochistan: Protests Intensify Over Enforced Disappearances as Families Demand Justice
Pakistani state carnage continues in Balochistan, one killed eight abducted in Kolwah
QUETTA: Pakistani forces attacked several civilian populated areas in Kolwah and Hoshab regions of Balochistan on Monday morning leaving several people dead and abducting many of the residents.
The most hit areas include Balor, Sigik, Kadd e hotel, Azum Bazar, Hamid Bazar and other more than a dozen surrounding villages remain under the siege. The forces have also reportedly expanded the scoop of military attacks to Hoshab and blocked most of the communication line in an effort to hide its crimes against humanity.
Sources told Balochwarna News that Pakistani forces have indiscriminately used gunship helicopters and heavy weapons to bomb the civilian areas and nearby by mountainous regions.
A resident of Hoshab residing in exile said, “The China Pakistan Economic Corridor CPEC passes through Hoshab that’s why the military has been using its full might to evacuate as many villages as it can. People are being expelled and forced to migrate to other areas and they live like refugees on their own homeland. One wonders who is the so called development for?”
Balochistan media sources and Baloch social media activists have confirmed the abduction of eight people during the latest military offensives. The number of abducted people and casualties could rise if and when the military lifts the siege around effected areas and communication networks are restored.
Some of the victims of latest military attacks and enforced-disappearances, so far, have been named as Niamatullah son of Mahmood Khan, 28 years old medical dispenser, Allah Bakhsh son of Murad, Gazir son of Arzi, 48 years old labourer, Alam son of Aziz, 25 years old labourer, Mohammad Hasil son of Gwahram, Akhtar son of Sadiq, Samir son of Nasir and Miro.
Pakistani FC (Frontier Constabulary) claimed to have killed three ‘militants’ – a word coined to describe the Baloch ‘freedom fighters’ – including Akhtar Nadeem Baloch, a leader of Baloch Liberation Front. However, the BLF rejected Pakistani media claims and said that their commander was safe and sound. Balochistan local media has confirmed on Tuesday that Mr Nadeem’s brother Shahid Nadeem was killed during Monday bombing.
Separately, in Tump the Pakistan forces have attacked the house of Shayhaq Jalees Baloch and harassed women and children during the unwarranted attack on Tuesday. Shayhaq is reportedly a leader of Baloch National Liberation Front (BNLF), Pakistani forces abducted Rashid Baloch but according some unconfirmed reports he was later released.
Pakistan has made Balochistan a no-go area for human rights activists and media group, which give them the impunity to continue their carnage without any fear. It has become a common practice of Pakistani forces to bomb Baloch villages, burn houses and abducted or kill dozens of innocent Baloch during each military attack.
Baloch exiled activists have long been saying that the Pakistani state sponsored media is hand in glove with the military and plays a significate role in concealing the military barbarism in Balochistan, the latest military offensive and the silence of Pakistani media is a confirmation of the concerns of Baloch activists.
The Baloch pro-freedom parties and leaders have continuously been urging the international media and human rights organisation to send their fact finding missions to Balochistan and witness Pakistan’s ‘genocidal’ policies against Baloch people.
Some international Human Rights groups and media persons, on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Balochwarna News that they have requested to visit Balochistan but the federal government of Pakistan did not give them permission to go to Balochistan.
Meanwhile, another offensive the Pakistani forces have abducted Dr Zabad Baiyan, a 25 years old medical dispenser from main bazaar of Awaran Balochistan on Monday 1st August.
He was abducted in broad daylight in presence of many eye-witnesses who confirmed that official military vehicles and Army personnel directly approached Mr Baiyan.
According to eye-witness’s account he was blindfolded and his hand were tied behind his back before the military men dragged and put him into their vehicle and drove off.
In 2013 Pakistani forces abducted two brothers of Zabad Qalandrani Baloch from the same place, Omar Baiyan, the eldest brother and Naseer Baiyan the youngest were arrested and disappeared on October 04, 2013, in broad daylight and in front of common public.
Naseer Baloch’s dead body was later found along with his cousin Qadir Bakhsh’s dead body from the three mass graves found in Tootak area of Khuzdar Balochistan in January 2014.
After the discovery of his brother’s dead body Zabad has spoken to BBC Urdu confirming his two brother’s abduction and founding the dead body of Naseer from the mass graves. “I tried to search for the dead body of Omar as well but the bodies were extremely disfigured and unrecognisable,” he had told BBC Urdu.
Local people who first discovered the mass grave said that more than 160 dead bodies were found in those graves whereas Pakistani forces claim to have found 17 dead bodies, among which only two were identified. The government immediately sealed the area and barred media and independent sources from visiting the mass graves. The dead bodies discovered in those mass graves were also hastily buried in the night to prevent any media person or independent medical expert from examining them.
Baloch pro-freedom groups, at the time of discovery of mass graves, said that Tootak area of Khuzdar was the stronghold of Shafiq Mengal one of the heads of Pakistani’s army’s civilian death squads. Many sources from Balochistan say the place for jointly run by Shafeeq and Sanaullah Zehri the current Chief Minister of Balochistan.
Pakistan army has created many death squad comprising of convicted criminals and religious extremist groups to counter the Baloch freedom struggle. The death squad are given free hand and special passes by the military to move freely between military camps and checkpoints whereas a common Baloch will be stopped and searched several times during his travel from one city of Balochistan to another.
Two such death squads are headed by father of Sarfaraz Bugti, the current interior minister of Balochistan and Sanaullah Zehri, the current Chief Minister of Balochistan assembly and president of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz).