Aug 06, 2018

Hakkpaan and BHRO Publish Report on Enforced Disappearances in Balochistan


The Human Rights Council of Balochistan and Baloch Human Rights Organisation have published their bi-annual report on the state of human rights in the Balochistan territory occupied by Pakistan. Focusing on the period between January and June 2018, the report lists an alarming number of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings perpetrated by Pakistani security forces against Baloch activists and civilians alike. 541 enforced disappearances and 135 extrajudicial killings have been documented, with the NGOs stating the real number is likely far higher. Activists are being silenced for daring to speak out for the rights of Baloch people, while Baloch villagers are being tortured and threatened with death if they do not leave their homes and relocate to new villages and towns, where are left to live in poverty and squalor. The report states many refuse to speak about their experiences both as a result of their trauma and due to fear of reprisals.

The current human rights situation in Balochistan, where enforced disappearances and other human rights abuses are carried out in broad daylight, is symptomatic of larger trends in Pakistan. The nearby Sindh region, for example, is witness to similar violations against the ethnic Sindhi people, who are also victims of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. The power of Pakistan’s military over the country and its occupied territories shows little chance of receding, even with the recent General Elections. The brutal policies being carried out in Balochistan are therefore part of a larger strategy aimed at repressing and marginalising minorities by the Pakistani government.

Overall, UNPO condemns Pakistan’s systematic oppression of the Baloch and Sindh people, and calls on the international community to pay greater attention to the ongoing human rights violations they endure. UNPO also wishes to draw attention to the region of West Balochistan; part of the Islamic Republic of Iran, its people are also subject to enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and arbitrary arrests by the Tehran regime.

 

The full report can be found here.