Balochistan: VBMP Leader Highlights State Repression Against Baloch People
QUETTA: Mama Qadeer Baloch, a prominent Baloch human rights activist and Vice chairman of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, has condemned the ongoing state repression in Balochistan, describing how victims of enforced disappearances are being killed in bomb explosions after being forcibly abducted. He also criticized the government’s response to attacks in Zehri, asserting that the state’s failure to prevent these attacks is being shifted onto the local population.
Speaking at the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons’ (VBMP) protest camp in Shaal (Quetta), where the hunger strike has now reached its 5,700th day, Mama Qadeer highlighted the increasing number of enforced disappearances and military operations in the region.
He pointed out that, in Zehri, the attackers who struck state interests remained in the area for eight hours, while the state’s security forces failed to respond effectively. Despite this failure, he argued, the authorities have retaliated against the public, arresting innocent people and subjecting them to forced disappearances.
“The state’s failure in Zehri is clear, yet the anger is being misdirected towards the public. Many individuals have been arrested and forcibly disappeared, while Levies personnel have been dismissed from their jobs as punishment,” said Mama Qadeer. “This is an unjust and biased action. The Levies, who are Baloch, were dismissed harshly, while other forces, who have been trained and equipped to deal with such situations, are given additional resources and rewards after every failure.”
Mama Qadeer also expressed hope for the ongoing international discourse surrounding enforced disappearances, praising the recent Global Congress on Enforced Disappearances organized by UN human rights bodies. He stated that the international focus on the issue has brought hope to the families of missing Baloch people, encouraging them to continue their struggle for justice.
“The United Nations must adopt a firm stance on this issue and ensure that those responsible for enforced disappearances are held accountable at the global level,” he urged.
Further, Mama Qadeer stressed that the root causes of the Baloch issue including enforced disappearances, military operations, and political repression cannot be solved through force.
He emphasised the need for the Baloch people to be granted all their basic rights. “The Baloch nation must be granted their rights, including their fundamental human rights. Denying these rights is only worsening the situation and leading to widespread human rights violations in Balochistan,” he concluded.
As the token hunger strike continues and calls for justice grow louder, the situation in Balochistan remains unchanged, with activists and families of the missing people demanding accountability from both the Pakistani government and international bodies.
