Balochistan: Pakistan army sexually assaulted two Baloch girls

QUETTA: Baloch social media activists and news portals reporting on Balochistan issue have reported two cases of sexual assault on Baloch girls by the Pakistani army. One of the victims has, for the first time, spoken publically.

According to details, Pakistan army personnel abducted a teenage Baloch girl from her school in Maashi area of district Awaran Balochistan about a month ago.

Her school was occupied by Pakistan army after the earthquake in Awaran in 2013 and the military remains at the school to date. Pakistani forces have taken over several educational institutions across Balochistan and continue to use them as their base and torture centres.

The Pakistan army have threatened the girl’s family with dire consequences in case of reporting the issue or speaking about it publically.

In the second report a Baloch resident of Gwadar, currently studying in Karachi, has come forward with more graphic details of the Pakistani intelligence agencies assault against her and her fiancé.

Hani Gull daughter of Mohammad Arif spoke of her ordeal publically at the protest camp of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP).

She said she was abducted along with her fiancé Mohammad Naseem from Karachi about four months ago by Pakistan ISI and other security forces. Hani Gul said she was released after three months her fiancé is still in the custody of Pakistani forces.

Sources reported that Mohammad Naseem son of Mohammad Karim is an ex-central committee member of Baloch Republican Student Organisation (BRSO) and he was abducted on 14 May 2019 from Defence area near Iqra University in Karachi.

The BRSO’s General Secretary Aftab Ahmad son of Khair Mohammad was also abducted along with Naseem. However, Aftab Ahamd has been released two months ago.

During the press conference, Hani Gull revealed that she was also abducted that night with her fiancé and his friend.

She said, “At the time of my release I tried to get my fiancé released as well but they refused to let him go. They forcibly released me alone.”

She went on to say, “We are tortured, brutalised and assaulted. The abductors were officials of ISI and intelligence agencies, I recognise their face and if I see them I can recognise and identify them.”

She said in the detention the Pakistani officials attempted to forces them to confess that they affiliated with an armed resistance group but ‘we are not affiliated with any such groups,’ she reiterated.

“Why we Baloch cannot be students or study like any other students in peace. On one hand Pakistanis say Baloch should pick up pen and study instead of picking up arms and fight, but on the other hand, they snatch our pen and books from us and put us behind bars. Why are they brutalising the Baloch people? Are Baloch also a human being?’ She added.

She said before Pakistani forces have been abducting Baloch men but they started abducting Baloch women and girls. ‘I am a female and you have abducted me. What is my crime, why have I been arrested and illegally detained? she asked.

During her press conference, she said that they [Pakistan state] are talking about Kashmir and ‘human rights violations in Kashmir’ but they cannot see what is happening in Balochistan.

Previously, there have been similar reports about the Pakistani army, FC, ISI and other forces mistreatment and misbehaviour against Baloch women during offensives on the houses of Baloch people.