A simmering nationalist insurgency in balochistan flared into a separatist struggle following the august 2006 killing of 79yearold baloch leader nawab akbar bugti. Issue of missing persons discussed, army spokesman maj gen asif ghafoor said in a. The commission of inquiry on enforced disappearances received 6,372 missing persons cases between 2011 and september 30. The question arises as to who is behind this heinous crime of paradoxical disappearances from balochistan. Details given by a balochistan based organization, voice for baloch missing persons vbmp reveal that there are around 295 people who have still not returned to. No commission or minister or judge can ask a general or even a second lieutenant to release them.
Lashkari raisani vows to raise voice for missing persons. Why does pakistan ban books on balochistan its time the world knows about missing people of balochistan baloch freedom fighters must step up their efforts to free balochistan khan of kalat is the last symbol of a dead system. Pakistani forces abducted 480 people, killed 26 and torched over 500 properties in month of march 2017 pakistan forces military, fc, intelligence, and paramilitary have abducted 480, killed 26 including women and children and torched at least 500 pro. In balochistan, a resourcerich province of pakistan, thousands of innocent civilians, suspected militants and activists are missing. Families of missing baluch march for justice pakistan. By 2006, balochistan accounted for an overwhelming majority of persons reported. He all but absolved the state of its role in the missing persons phenomenon and said foreign spy agencies illegally apprehend people and then pin the blame on the interservices intelligence isi and military intelligence mi.
Not just the 8th of june but every day is a missing person day in balochistan because every day hundreds of baloch persons are disappearing. The criminalization of enforced disappearance in south asia. The most prominent case that balochistan has seen in the last decade has been that of missing persons. Balochistan carnegie endowment for international peace. The commission of inquiry on enforced disappearances coied has wholly failed to address entrenched impunity, leaving victims and their. Silencing the lone voice on balochistans missing persons.
Asked how he could verify the whereabouts of 14,000 people, azeem said. Families of missing baluch march for justice pakistan news. This report presents a brief background of the conflict that is reason of human rights. Pakistan army dg ispr missing persons shia balochistan ptm. At a press conference in quetta press club mr baloch said that the supreme court discharged the cases of 197 missing person from balochistan on the. The missing persons of balochistan asia an indepth look. A moving account of enforced disappearances in baluchistan. In the period 20022005 it is estimated that 4000 people were detained in the province, of these only 200 were taken to court and the rest have been held incommunicado. Asad mengal and ahmad shah kurd went missing in 1974. Later he did the same in front of karachi and islamabad press clubs.
Even when one of these missing persons was released and he later said he had been in the illegal custody of the army, the army simply denied that and the case was closed. The provincial government of balochistan is taking serious measures to resolve the issue of missing persons with consultations with all stakeholders and according to the law, said balochistan minister for information zahood ahmed buledi on sunday. Pm directs balochistan principal secretary to ascertain. The fate of these abducted people is in the hands of the army and the army alone. Pakistans response to enforced disappearances in balochistan. Ivbmp international voice for baloch missing persons.
International voice for baloch missing persons a appeal. The missing persons of balochistan asia an indepth. Oct 12, 2017 the most prominent case that balochistan has seen in the last decade has been that of missing persons. Balochistan, where there are ongoing movements for selfdetermination and greater provincial autonomy, as well as in sindh, against people belonging to or perceived to be sympathetic with nationalist groups. If there is a referendum in balochistan, people will vote. As many as 12 missing persons have returned to their homes in various areas of balochistan during the last one week, voice for baloch missing persons vbmp chairman nasrullah baloch confirmed to. Mar 09, 20 621 missing persons takes into account only punjabi migrants to baluchistan and 23,000 missing person takes into account only local baluch who went missing. According to voice for baloch missing persons vbmp around 528 baloch have gone missing from 2001 to 2017 a senior pakistani provincial security official claims that missing person figures are exaggerated, that in balochistan, insurgents, immigrants who fled to europe and even those who have been killed in military operations are declared as missing persons.
Enforced disappearances by pakistan security forces in. It has gained central importance because it has become intrinsically linked with the current insurgency in balochistan and. Balochistan s home minister mir zia lango on monday said that he was given a list of 400 missing persons, out of which 300 people have been recovered and sent home with the help of the federal government. During the protest, pamphlets on missing baloch were distributed and locals were informed. A brief report on enforced disappearances, extra judicial killings and. Basheer ahmed was released after three years of detention from khuzdar district of balochistan on monday. Human rights in balochistan amnesty international usa. Torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. Hrcbs report to the special committee on international.
Maryam urges govt, agencies to allay grievances of missing. Pakistani premier meets with the families of baloch missing. The provincial government has sent a list of 849 missing persons to the interior ministry and the army, a private tv channel quoted balochistan chief minister nawab aslam raisani as saying. The authorities are reluctant to bring these people to court. The bnm germany protests in solidarity with the families.
The bullet ridden bodies of missing persons, most allegedly bearing torture. Whereas indiscriminate exploitation of balochistan s natural resources by pakistan without caring for the welfare of its people has provided the balochis a very strong ideological foundation to. The fight to find the disappeared in restive balochistan. Baloch seek answers from pakistan as more disappear in. Vbmp, a group consists of the family members of missing persons in balochistan has said many times that number of forcibly disappeared persons are rising day by day and too many of the disappeared persons are killed by security forces. Balochistan s home minister mir zia lango on monday said that he was given a list of 400 missing persons, out of which 300 people have been recovered and sent home with the help of. The bnm germany protests in solidarity with the families of. Today, thousands of baloch are missing, mass graves have been discovered in balochistan. A story you dont want to hear about, and definitely talk about. Balochistan chief minister submits list of 849 missing persons to interior ministry. Jan 28, 2020 300 missing persons recovered in balochistan, says ziaullah longove pakistan for more on the story, follow the link to baaghi tv. The baloch nation still not aware of the fate of thousands of other missing persons who were abducted in the 70s and the following decades of baloch resistance for freedom.
Pakistan army sets up special assistance cell on missing persons. Feb 28, 2014 families of missing baluch march for justice. Enforced disappearances by pakistan human rights watch. In 2008, the interior minister, rehman malik, mentioned at least 1,100 victims, but in january 2011, balochistan home minister, zafrullah zehri, said that only 55 persons were missing. The chairman of voice for baloch missing persons, nasrullah baloch, said on tuesday that pakistan supreme court has discharged the case of 197 disappeared persons from balochistan. The pandemic year made worse by continued army atrocities.
Even the disappeared persons of the current times starting from musharrafs era has surpassed 20,000 baloch including some of the brightest minds of balochistan. On 26 october 20 the voice for baloch missing persons announced a long march from quetta to karachi to make their voice heard. They did detailed interviews with leaders of voice for baloch missing persons and families of the victims. Giving the people a chance introduction balochistan is pakistans largest province in terms of territory and also its least populated. Mar 19, 2021 pakistani prime minister imran khan met with a threemember representative committee of the families of the baloch missing persons on thursday in islamabad.
Balochistan govt taking steps to resolve missing persons. The voice for baloch missing persons vbmp is a nongovernmental organization which represents family members of people who have been subject to enforced disappearance in pakistans province of balochistan. The criminalization of enforced disappearance in south asia 5 introduction and executive summary this report analyzes states obligations under international law to ensure acts of enforced disappearance constitute a distinct, autonomous offence under national law. The missing persons issue is a burning issue of public importance. In june 3, 2012, prime minister syed yusuf raza gilani on saturday directed the balochistan chief minister to take special measures to trace the missing persons.
International voice for baloch missing persons home facebook. Mar 18, 2021 prime minister imran khan today met with a threemember representative committee of family members of balochistan s missing persons. Thousands vanish without a trace in pakistans restive balochistan. Oct 26, 2020 he also raised the issue of the baloch missing persons and said that pakistan cannot be called a modern democracy until this issue is resolved. According to the list issued by nacta, the state of pakistan has declared all these organizations as banned proscribed terrorist organizations. The voice of missing persons of balochistan came into limelight in 2009 when mama qadeer, the vice chairman of voice for baloch missing persons vbmp started a hunger strike in front of the quetta press club.
It was attended by a large number of baloch community living in germany. Its time the world knows about missing people of balochistan. Jul 28, 2011 in november 2009, interior minister rehman malik said at a press conference that 1,100 missing persons had been registered in balochistan and asserted that the federal government and provincial. Qadeer claims that more than 21,000 people are missing from various parts of balochistan, with more than 6,000 confirmed dead in the militarys operation in balochistan. Sep 23, 2019 the hrcp started noticing this issue in 2004 when the number of missing persons from balochistan rose sharply.
Five missing persons have been released in different cities of balochistan according to the details received by the balochistan post, five missing persons have been released in khuzdar, turbat and dera bugti areas of balochistan on tuesday. The commission had closed 4,140 of those inquiries, while 2,232 remained open. Commission of inquiry on enforced disappearances has. Twenty people, who were victims of enforced disappearances in balochistan, has finally returned home to their families, over the last few days. International voice for baloch missing persons ivbmp. The most harrowing of all the human rights violations in balochistan are enforced disappearances. Balochistan has not been a stranger to separatist insurgencies since pakistan gained independence from the british in 1947. Jul 03, 2019 as many as 12 missing persons have returned to their homes in various areas of balochistan during the last one week, voice for baloch missing persons vbmp chairman nasrullah baloch confirmed to. The pm asked his ministers to ascertain the status of the missing persons and assured the family members that they will be kept informed on the matter. In balochistan, not a day goes by without a baloch being forcibly disappeared. Background notes on the voice for baloch missing persons march. Dec 10, 2018 he is being punished for his sympathies for the families of missing persons, he said.
A man named mama qadeer baloch whose son jaleel reiki went missing in 2010 started a rigorous campaign for missing persons against the state of pakistan. Locals say the missing individuals have been abducted by. Has balochistans government recovered 300 missing persons. According to the voice for the baloch missing persons. Feb 23, 2021 missing persons organization had submitted a list of 400 people the balochistan home minister said the organization of missing persons had given a list of 400 missing persons to the government. One hundred and fiftynine bodies were recovered from tutaks mass graves. Human rights violations in balochistan military wiki fandom. There are a number of nogo areas in balochistan, where nobody has access, but people are missing from those places too. Pakistani activists from balochistan have demanded islamabad return hundreds of missing persons allegedly abducted by security agents. At a press conference in quetta press club mr baloch said that the supreme court discharged the cases of 197 missing person from balochistan on the instructions read more. This statement on the part of the minister has come few days after the.
We are trying for the recovery of remaining people, mr. Federal minister for human rights shireen mazari shared the update on her official twitter account, adding that the prime minister has tasked the principal secretary to promptly ascertain the exact status of the missing persons. Jun 25, 2017 ivbmp appeals for bilal ahmed baloch release on 31st august 2018 pakistan army abducted bilal ahmed baloch without any legal procedure and court order in noshkay and disappeared him, a female human rights activist at voice for baloch missing persons camp informed public through social media. The families of missing persons on saturday ended their 10 days long sitin on the assurance of federal. The central spokesman of the baloch national movement said that a protest was held in berlin, the capital of germany, in solidarity with the protesting families of baloch missing persons who were forcibly disappeared by pakistan.
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