Rana Sanaullah Heckled with ‘Shut Up’ Over Remarks on Balochistan

LAHORE, Pakistan: The Asma Jahangir Conference, being held at Faletti’s Hotel Lahore, descended into chaos on Sunday after controversial remarks by Pakistan’s former Interior Minister and current adviser to the Prime Minister, Rana Sanaullah, on Balochistan and enforced disappearances triggered widespread outrage among participants.

According to attendees, Rana Sanaullah not only angered a large section of the audience but also upset several key speakers and prominent conference participants. Tensions escalated during his live speech when a woman from the audience shouted “shut up,” visibly rattling him and further inflaming the atmosphere in the hall.

In his address, Rana Sanaullah attempted to justify enforced disappearances in Balochistan, claiming that missing persons were linked to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). He argued that individuals associated with the BLA had “sacrificed their own human rights,” and therefore enforced disappearances in the province were necessary. Drawing a controversial analogy, he remarked, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg? If there is terrorism, there will be enforced disappearances as well.”

These statements sparked a strong backlash from conference participants, many of whom demanded that Rana Sanaullah leave the hall. When he refused to retract or soften his position, the situation deteriorated further.

Prominent social activist Sheema Kermani, Sami Deen Baloch of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, and more than half of the attendees staged a walkout in protest. After exiting the hall, demonstrators chanted slogans demanding the release of Dr Mahrang Baloch.

Speaking on the occasion, Asma Jahangir’s niece said that allowing individuals like Rana Sanaullah to attend a conference named after Asma Jahangir and make such remarks amounted to maligning her legacy and causing pain to her memory.

Participants stressed that justifying enforced disappearances at a conference dedicated to human rights was unacceptable. They said that such remarks not only rub salt into the wounds of affected families but also stand in direct contradiction to Asma Jahangir’s principles and lifelong struggle for justice.

Meanwhile, Baloch pro-freedom activists said Rana Sanaullah’s comments echoed recent statements by Pakistan’s Army Chief, as well as remarks by the army-backed Chief Minister of Balochistan, Sarfaraz Bugti. Activists pointed out that both officials have recently issued warnings suggesting that families and relatives of pro-freedom activists would face punishment if they failed to report the activities of their loved ones.

However, activists argue that these statements starkly contradict the authorities’ own stance when it comes to enforced disappearances in Balochistan. They note that families who attempt to report the disappearance of their relatives routinely face police refusal to register First Information Reports (FIRs), highlighting what they describe as a glaring double standard.

The controversy has once again brought the issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan into sharp focus.