Human Rights Violation in Balochistan by Pakistan and Iran

By: Shakil Abdul Sattar

Human rights are the rights granted to all individuals, without any discrimination of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion or any other political, social and economic status. Basically and in the very initial age of history, these rights were the right to life, property and freedom, as John Locke named them the natural rights of human beings. With the passage of time, the rights of human beings increased. The United Nations has further compartmentalised the social, political, economic and religious rights. In today’s world, they include the rights to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education etc.

State and other entities provide such rights to all individuals without any discrimination. If anyone is deprived of these fundamental rights by any coercive authority, even the state, is known as the violation of human rights. Even though theoretically man enjoys certain fundamental rights in the state, practically, some states fail to respect their rights by either state or non-state actors inside State’s jurisdiction. In fact, some states enslave and suppress other nations by depriving them of basic rights of life.

In addition to the supra-mentioned points, Baloch is a nation in the South Asian region who have been enslaved by regional artificial and religious states like Iran and Pakistan. Balochistan, where Baloch lives, has been an independent State for centuries ago. It has been occupied by British Empire, after a catastrophic war between British forces and Khan of Kalat Mir Mehrab Khan, on 13 November 1839 when Mir along with his forces embraced martyrdom. The British enslaved the nation. Baloch fought against imperialists to regain their independence. Finally, they achieved their destination and on 11 August 1947, Balochistan became an independent State. In retrospect, the British divided Balochistan into three parts between Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan by creating artificial lines, the Goldsmith Line and Durand Line.

The enslaved nations enjoy no rights. The Baloch are deprived of political, economic, social, educational, cultural, religious and fundamental rights. Subjugators are ruining the Baloch affairs with an Iron fist and continue to mislead the international community about the Baloch peoples’ struggle for their freedom. Their resources are being looted and plundered. Neither Iran nor Pakistan allows Baloch to talk and walk freely in their own motherland.

Mr, Peter Tatchell, while discussing the historical background and forcible subjugation of Balochistan by Pakistan, writes, “The region has been under military occupation ever since 1948, after the Kalat state (which made up part of what is now Balochistan) acceded to Pakistan under pressure from the Muslim League and threats from the government in Islamabad, just nine months after the long-autonomous principality secured its independence from Britain. The Kalat state’s parliament voted against incorporation into Pakistan. The people never agreed to give up their independence. They were not allowed a referendum. Sixty-plus years of rebellion have followed. It shows that the Baloch were deprived of their rights of self-determination.”

Furthermore, Peter pointed out how Pakistan violated the rights of Baloch citizens. He stipulates, “The torture of Baloch rights campaigners remains routine. Promises of military de-escalation are contradicted by continued army incursions and
airstrikes, which have resulted in many civilian casualties, and by the shooting death of peaceful Baloch protesters.”

Even though many have raised their voice against such atrocious violations, Pakistani authorities did not stop. As Peter Tatchell further noted, “These crimes against humanity are still happening in Balochistan, despite Pakistan’s ostensible transition to democratic government. They are well documented by Pakistani and international human rights groups, including the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Human Rights Watch, the Asian Human Rights Commission, the International Crisis Group and Amnesty International.”

He further mentions that thousands of Baloch have been killed, disappeared, tortured by Pakistani state agencies. Some of them are released but the majority of them have been killed and dumped while thousands are still missing and no one knows their whereabouts.

Heart touchingly, the women and children have also been kidnapped and killed. Many of them have been raped by Pakistani military personnel.

On the other hand, Iran is also involved in human rights violations in the Western part of Balochistan (the part of Balochistan occupied by Iran). The killing and execution of Baloch, for petty crimes and baseless allegations, is common there. Socially people are deprived to name their children with Balochi names. They cannot perform their religious obligations, as the majority of Baloch are Sunni and Iran with its Shia regime wants to crush them. On the economic field after every two or three days Baloch, either living in the Eastern or Western part of Balochistan, are shot dead by the Iranian Army. These innocent Baloch are the ones who are working to transport rice, oil, mangoes, and other commodities by their private-owned vehicles.

Baloch are systematically kept backward so that they cannot get a proper education. In many villages, there is only one school and there is no transport system in place so the pupils have to walk for hours to reach school. like the Eastern part of Balochistan, the western part (occupied by Iran) are lack all the basic and fundamental facilities for the inhabitants of Balochistan.

More dangerously, whosoever raises his or her voice against such violation will be executed by IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps). Women are deprived of their basic rights and girls cannot make it to higher education due to Iran’s discriminatory education system. Additionally, women are stopped to visit and celebrate any special events. They are not allowed to participate in playing, singing, or dancing, even they are not free to wear what they want. In short, women are not considered human beings by Iranian officials in western-occupied Balochistan.

Iran, like Pakistan, has also continued the policy of disappearing, torturing, killing and dumping Baloch youths, children, elderly, and women. The so-called Islamic forces of the Iranian army and criminal gangs working on IRGS’s payroll rape the Baloch women in Balochistan. If any victim raises their voice she will be either killed or deterred that “if you won’t be silent your family members, like brothers, children, father, husband will be targeted.”

To sum up, the international organisation and human rights activists should send their fact-finding teams to Balochistan (both areas western and eastern parts) to find out and witness the gross human rights violation by Pakistan and Iran. The civilised world has a dogmatic view of Pakistan and Iran that both religious states are involved in world terrorism. The only solution to stop both evils is to support the Baloch Liberation Movement. Once Balochistan becomes independent, Neither Pakistan nor Iran can further threaten the world. Because an independent Balochistan will not only promote regional peace and security but will also join hands with the international community to work for world peace. Independent Balochistan will also be a reason to stop the rhetoric policies of Pakistan, China and Iran the three axes of evil in South Asia.