Reposted from Baluch Sarmachar | March 12, 2012 | Story

Voice for Baloch Missing Persons rally in front of Karachi Press Club to protest the abduction and killing of Baloch citizens

Karachi: The Voice for Baloch Missing Persons organised a massive protest rally against enforced-disappearances, kill and dump policy, military operation and state [Pakistan] sponsored violence against Baloch women and children during search operations in Balochistan.

Please click for story and links to photos/videos of rally.

The rally set off from the Arts Council and marched towards the Karachi Press Club. Hundreds of Baloch women, children, elders and people from different walks of life joined the rally to express their support for the families of abducted Baloch and to condemn state intimidation against the Baloch nation. The participants of the rally chanted slogans against state atrocities committed against the Baloch people, called for the release of abducted Baloch persons and a halt to on-going military operations in Balochistan. The participants were also carrying pictures of victims of state terrorism, Baloch Martyrs, and enforced disappeared Baloch activists.

Addressing the massive protest demonstration and members of the media, the chairman of Voice of Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), Abdul Qadeer Baloch, said that Pakistan has broken the record of all human rights violations in Balochistan as there was law of jungle and that security forces violated the sanctity of houses, harassed women and children with immunity from the judiciary and the so-called parliament. They abduct Baloch activists from their houses, subject them to brutal and inhumane torture causing their death under-custody and after that they dump their bodies on roadsides or in deserted areas across Balochistan. They pick up people whenever they want and from wherever they can - recently they abducted ten (10 Marri Baloch) persons including three children of same family from Saryab Road Quetta during a raid. The women and children were terrorised and beaten, they also disrespected the Holy Quran during their rampage.

Left: Abdul (Mama) Qadir Baloch, Voice for Baloch Missing Persons Vice President and father of extra-judicially killed Jalil Reki, R: Nasrullah Baloch, President Voice for Baloch Missing Persons

Abdul Qadeer Baloch said the military, armed with sophisticated weapons and backed by gunship helicopters, was carrying out regular offensives in Sui, Dera Bugti and the surrounding areas; several people have been killed and abducted during these brutal military operations. People's houses were burnt and their standing crops have been set on fire by Pakistani security forces.

Qadeer Baloch said despite the government's claims of releasing abducted Baloch activists, the number of abductions and dumping of bullet-ridden bodies has increased. Six bodies of previously abducted Baloch were found in past few days and several have been abducted after the government's announcement of releasing enforced-disappeared Baloch. According the Qadeer Baloch the number of people killed under-custody is over 380 whereas around 14,000 Baloch are still being illegally detained by Pakistani security agencies.

Qadeer Baloch said whenever the judiciary or the government functionaries give statements in support of abducted Baloch, the following days more Baloch will be abducted and killed. "We are very much concerned about the life and wellbeing of 14,000 Baloch who are currently in custody of Pakistani intelligence agencies and military." Few days back the federal interior minister of Pakistan, Rehman Malik, has said "the number of Baloch missing persons is 48" - soon after this statement more than six dead bodies of abducted Baloch were dumped and several people have been abducted. "We fear that most of abducted Baloch have either already been killed under-custody or they will be killed and buried at undisclosed in mass graves", said Qadeer Baloch.

The chairman of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons said that bogus claims of the Pakistani government about the release of abducted Baloch are cruel jokes. The contradictory statements of judiciary and the rulers itself are a proof that they want to expand the kill and dump policy in Balochistan which could become a great human tragedy. Sometime the rulers and security agencies are in denial about abducted Baloch, sometime they say abducted Baloch have been released, sometime they say missing persons will be released and sometime they gave contradicting figures of abducted Baloch persons. "We are continuously getting the dead bodies of our loved ones. If they there are no missing person in the custody of Pakistani security agencies then where do these bodies come from? If only a handful of Baloch have been abducted, then where do over 380 bodies come from, among which over 60's bodies were beyond recognition?" asked Qadeer Baloch.

Qadeer Baloch said the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons and families of missing persons have been protesting from past 699 days, they have protested in Karachi, Islamabad, Quetta and other city of Balochistan. Strongly criticising the media he said that "Unfortunately, during our long struggle the print and electronic has not taken this human tragedy seriously which make them complicit and crime partners [of those who have abducted and killed our loved one]".

He further added that the ISI and security agencies have threatened the members of VBMP and relatives of abducted Baloch with dire consequences, if they do not end their protest. Many members of VBMP have also been target killed and abducted. "One the day the security agencies have sent a message by Abdul Samad Badini, a nephew of Senator Wali Mohammad Badini, to asked us to the end the protest camp in Quetta if we wanted our loved one back alive. He also asked me to either pay 200,000 for the release of Jalil Reki or wait for his dead body to arrive. Similarly they called families of Shaheed Ghaffar Langov Baloch and Sangat Sana Baluch and demanded money. When we refused to pay them the required amount they killed and dumped our beloved sons. We are even receiving threats in Karachi. Our camp has been dismantled twice in Karachi. That is why we fear that along with the abducted persons their relatives might also be abducted or target killed."

Further addressing the rally Qadeer Baloch said "Through this massive rally and demonstration I urge the claimant of human rights including amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, European Union, United Nations and other humanitarian organisations take serous notice of the plight of Baloch Nation because Pakistan has crossed all limits of human rights in Balochistan. The state neither follow International Laws not does it respect the UN charter that is why it is violating all International humanitarian laws and committing genocide of Baloch people. The silence of International community and ignoring Pakistani crimes against humanity is giving more energy to the state to continue its barbaric acts in Balochistan.

"We appeal to the United Nations, US, UK EU, International Human Rights Organisations, International Media and International Court of Justice to understand the gravity of this human tragedy in Balochistan and immediately urge Pakistan to stop the genocide of Baloch people, release all abducted Baloch and abide by International laws."

Additional reporting:

Pakistani Concentrations Camps in Baluchistan have Appalled the Civilized World - BSO Azad
News of the Release of Ten Missing Persons are a Lie, 10 more Abducted from Quetta, and 2 from Dera Bugti; 42 People have been Abducted this Month,the Number of Baluch Missing Persons Reaches 14,385 - VBMP

Voice of Baloch Missing Persons hold protest in front of Karachi Press Club for a total of 698 days

Karachi,10th March 2012; The families of the Abduct & Dump victims and Baluch Missing Persons continued their token hunger strike for a six hundred and ninety eighth day against the forced disappearances of Baluch citizens at the hands of Pakistani spy agencies. The missing include: Zakir Majeed, Sana Sangat, Doctor Deen Muhammad, Ali Asghar Bangulzai, Ghafoor Baluch, Mushtaq Rodeini, Sami Mengal, Hafiz Syed Abdul Rehman, Shams Baluch, Saifullah Ababaki, Waleed Afzal, Nabeel Baluch, Zakir Baluch, Ali Baluch, Haji Sahib Khan Abdul Ghaffar, Attullah Baluch, Mehrullah Langove, Kabir Baluch, Banok Zarina Marri, Niaz Muhammad Bangulzai, Naseem Afzal, Samiullah Langove, Fazal-ur-Rahman Baluch, Asif Jhakrani, Sabir Baluch, Arz Muhammad, Safar Khan Marri, Doctor Akbar Marri, Munir Mirwani, Advocate Muhammad Ramzan, Mazar Khan, Altaf Bugti, Raheem Baluch, Iqbal Baluch, Doctor Wazeer Marri, Abdul Ghani Sillachi, Ehsan Arjemandi.

On Saturday, March 10th, representatives of the BSO-Azad visited the protesting families at their camp outside the Karachi Press Club to show their solidarity. The representatives told the aggrieved families that members of the civilized world have started taking notice of the gross human rights violations perpetrated by the Pakistani government, and that the civilized world is appalled by the presence of state-run concentration camps. The chairperson of the Voice for Baluch Missing Persons, Mr. Qadeer Baluch, commenting on the situation said that the so-called Pakistani democratic government had announced a week ago that ten Baluch missing persons had been released, but their actions proved their claims false.

Just recently Pakistani agencies abducted Muhammad Raziq Bugti and Abdul Jabbar Bugti from Dera Bugti and Wajid Baluch from Turbat.

The Pakistani army also killed four Bugti tribesmen in Dera Bugti, whose names are Zaro Bugti, Danyo Bugti, Mangal Bugti and Raheem Bugti.

The Pakistani Frontier Corp abducted ten people from the house of Habib Khan Marri from Saryab, Shal. All abductees belong to the same family. Their names are: Ameer Khan Marri son of (s/o) Gul Khan Marri, Bahadur Khan Marri s/o Mir Khan Marri, Blakh Shair Marri s/o Ameer Khan Marri, Shahid Marri s/o Ameer Khan Marri, Azad Khan Marri s/o Habib Khan Marri, Gul Mir Marri s/o Doran Marri , Lal Shad Marri s/o Doran Marri, Doran Marri s/o Lal Shad Marri, Mazar Khan Marri s/o Habib Khan Marri.

Qadeer Baluch said that in the first two weeks of March alone the number of people abducted from Shal, Dera Bugti, Turbat and elsewhere in Baluchistan has reached forty two, whereas Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik has blatantly lied by claiming that only one hundred and forty two people having gone missing in Baluchistan since 2001.

Mr. Qadeer Baluch said that according to the VBMP's records, the total number of missing persons has now reached 14,385 persons. Anyone who doubts this figure can visit the Baluch missing persons camp outside the Karachi Press Club and see the lists for himself.