The unjust decision of Swiss government

By Riaz Naseer Baloch

The Baloch nation is facing human rights violations and abuses since the forcible and illegal occupation of Balochistan by Pakistan on 27 March 1948. There has been variation in the Pakistani military and ‘democratic government’ atrocities in Balochistan but from past 15 years Pakistani forces barbaric acts have intensified and worsened.

Pakistan has kept a total media blackout in Balochistan and misguided and misinformed about what’s happening in Balochistan. So far, no international human rights delegation or NGO’s have not visited Balochistan. Neither has issued any comprehensive report about ongoing human rights violations in Balochistan. The international media relies on reports from Pakistan state-run media and hence end reporting the Pakistani state narrative about Balochistan conflict.  It seems humanity ends for Pakistan where the borders of Balochistan begins.

Nowadays Pakistani as well as international media houses are in a race on economic grounds. How they can focus on Balochistan issues where they can neither get any money nor TRP’s. If today world acknowledges Balochistan situation and human rights violation it is only due to Baloch Political and Human Rights activists and social media campaign by Baloch activists worldwide.

Baloch political parties have also turned to social media amid media blackout and prejudice of Pakistani state-run media. The Baloch Republican Party (BRP) is one of the leading Baloch political and democratic parties lead by Brahumdagh Bugti. The BRP as a political platform has organised Baloch Political workers in Balochistan and out of Balochistan to enhance their political role for the Baloch cause.

The BRP president Brahumdagh Bugti has been the leader of the party after his grandfather late Nawab Akbar Bugti was martyred by occupying Pakistan forces on 26 August 2006. Brahumdagh Bugti already lost his grandfather, sister and niece at the hands of Pakistani forces. Thousands of his tribesman are still living without any help as IDPs. He raised his voice for people of Balochistan which irked Pakistan and its army, and they have started propaganda war against him. Unfortunately, despite all these hardships, a democratic country refused his political asylum application. We never thought a democratic country like Switzerland will act so irresponsibly on false allegations by the Pakistani government.

Pakistan is afraid of Baloch leader Brahumdagh Bugti’s political campaigning because BRP has been effectively exposing Pakistani atrocities and Pakistan’s true face globally. Brahumdagh Bugti is the voice for thousands of voiceless Baloch peoples suffering from Pakistani forces extrajudicial killing and enforced disappearances on daily basis in Balochistan. Pakistani army carries out Baloch genocide with full impunity. Pakistan is continuously abducting, torturing and killing Baloch people under its ‘kill and dump’ policy in Balochistan.

I don’t know whether the Swiss government is aware of Pakistan’s open support of terrorist Jihadist organisations including the Taliban. Recently, Pakistani courts have ordered the release of a UN and US designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed who heads the internationally banned terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Tayyiba. His has the full backing of Pakistan intelligence agencies and army.

The ISI’s criminal gangs and religious extremist groups have formed death squads which have been heavily investing in Balochistan to radicalise the Baloch youth in the name of Islam. They are trying to brainwash people of Balochistan in the name of so-called rehabilitation and humanitarian works in remote areas of Balochistan. Hafiz Saeed has spread his network across Balochistan his proxies and Jihadists fighters try to penetrate into Balochistan to protect CPEC (China Pakistan economic corridor). The world community must take immediate action against Pakistan and its notorious terrorist organizations as Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Taliban, Haqqani Network and other religious groups active in Pakistan.

The rejection of Brahumdagh Bugti’s asylum application is against the principle of UN refugee convention of 1951. The articles 32 and 33 of the convention clearly prohibit refoulment. The decision is also the violation of the International Human Rights article 5 of UDHR and ICCPR. Maybe the Swiss refused Mr Bugti’s asylum because he is not a billionaire as Pakistani military Generals to flood Swiss banks with stolen money. The Swiss government must review its unjust decision and grant Bugti asylum, who stands for our rights.

Riaz Naseer Baloch can be reached at Shambezae@yahoo.com and his Twitter handle is: @shambezae