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Noordin Mengal: Civilian rule simply a cosmetic change that emboldened Pakistan's military to intensify atrocities against the Baloch

Noordin Mengal UN Demo March 2012

Noordin Mengal, a Baloch representative at the UN Human Rights Council and an activist who has highlighted the Baloch human rights issues at international forums has said that the Baloch nation's future lies in an independent Balochistan and said that there is is no alternative solution. He said that the very foundations of Balochistan's relationship with the artificial and rogue state of Pakistan was based on an injustice as it was occupied and forcibly incorporated into Pakistan on 27 March 1948. Mengal said that the Baloch are no longer bothered about providing a historical, political, cultural and economic justification for its separation and independence from Pakistan as they consider the ongoing genocide enough justification.

Speaking at an event held at the 19th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the grandson of veteran Baloch leaders Sardar Attaullah Mengal and Nawab Khair Baksh Marri said that the situation in Balochistan has only worsened after Pakistan's ostensible transition to civilian rule. He said that the so-called transition to civilian rule was simply a cosmetic change and a facade which only emboldened the military to intensify its atrocities against the Baloch as it was no longer at the forefront and therefore did not receive the blame, as it did during Musharraf's regime.

He added that the Baloch have suffered regardless of whether there have been so-called civilian governments or military dictatorships in Pakistan. He said that the fact is that Pakistan is a democracy only as much as the army allows it to be. He said that the army calls the shots and has ruled Pakistan since its inception--it always has, and it always will.

Mengal said that Pakistan's political parties, whether they be in the opposition or in the government, have collectively contributed to the plight of the Baloch and have submitted to the will of the Pakistani military. He said that they care only about feasting on Baloch wealth rather than standing up for the rights of the downtrodden Baloch. He said that not one of them dares to displease the dominant army by speaking up for the Baloch.

Noordin Mengal said that the people of Pakistani-occupied Balochistan have been victims of repeated military operations and atrocities by the Pakistan army since Balochistan was occupied and forcibly annexed on 27th March 1948. He said that Pakistan has repeatedly attempted to subdue the Baloch freedom movement.

He said that thousands have been subjected to enforced disappearance in Balochistan at the hands of the Pakistan army. Since July 2010, over 300 mutilated bodies of those subjected to enforced disappearances have surfaced, including academics, journalists, lawyers, political activists and human rights defenders. The army is desperately struggling to hamper political consciousness and awareness. Even singers who sing revolutionary songs have been disappeared, killed and have had acid poured down their throats.

Mengal provided graphic details of the brutal torture the people undergo in the custody of the Pakistani military before being killed and dumped. He said that targeted killings are openly being carried out by the military and the intelligence agencies.

Mengal said that the people of occupied Balochistan have in reality never even been a part of the of Pakistan as the very foundation of Balochistan's relation with Pakistan was based on injustice.

He said that for decades since Balochistan's forcible annexation, the Baloch have given a historical, political, cultural and economic justification for its independence from Pakistan, but today, the Baloch are no longer bothered about providing reasons and justifications as they consider the ongoing genocide adequate justification for their separation and independence.

He said that it would be impossible for Pakistan to perpetuate its artificial existence without Balochistan.

Pakistan has been carrying out a systematic genocide of the Baloch nation.

Military operations conducted by the Pakistan army in Balochistan have resulted in the killings of thousands of Baloch people, including women and children, especially in the districts of Kohlu and Dera Bugti, and have caused mass displacements.

The Pakistan army is fearful of the Baloch becoming the masters of their own homeland and is desperately striving to maintain its illegal occupation and suppress the voice of the people at all costs.

Mengal said that after the February 8th congressional hearing in the US and the introduction of House Concurrent Resolution 104, which he welcomed, Pakistan has intensified its operations against the Baloch people. Out of frustration, only a week earlier, the military tortured and dumped the mutilated bodies of ten Baloch men, whereas three Baloch youth were shot dead in broad daylight. On February 29, two Baloch students, 19 year-old Abdul Waheed Baloch and 21 year-old Salman Baloch were gunned down in Khuzdar. The two were on their way home when they were intercepted and martyred by gunmen of a death squad of the Pakistan Army. Abdul Waheed was the younger brother of Kabir Baloch, who went missing on 27 March 2009 and is still in the custody of the Pakistan army. Abdul Waheed would have been 20 years old the next day, the 1st of March.

Mengal added that Bilal Bangulzai, the nephew of Khuda Rahim Bangulzai, was shot dead in Quetta when he resisted an attempted to abduct him and said that two of Bilal's friends were taken away.

He said that two mutilated bodies were found from Chaghai and Mastung, one was so disfigured that he could not be identified whereas the other was identified as Takkari Rahim Dad Nichari. The bullet-ridden bodies of Mohammad Hassan, Fateh Mohammad Marri and Abdul Rehman were also found on 2nd March. The body of Abdul Ghaffar Bangulzai who was abducted on February 13 was also found.

He added that In the Pirkoh area of Dera Bugti, the bodies of four members of the BRP who were disappeared on 1st March were found and identified as Zahro, Lanbo, Mangal and Rahim Baksh.

Noordin Mengal also spoke about the ordeal of Nasir Dagarzai Baloch who was first disappeared on January 23rd 2011 along with his friends Rasool Baksh, Abid Saleem and Mehrab Baloch. The young men were shot and dumped in the Panjgoor area four days later, but Nasir Dagarzai survived despite being badly wounded and lived to tell his ordeal to those close to him. Nasir was later re-abducted and killed so that he could not reveal what the Pakistani military did to him. Noordin Mengal told the shocked audience of the gruesome, painful and brutal torture faced by the four young men at the hands of the Pakistani military in custody. Mengal gave a very detailed, moving and graphic narration to the audience at the UN. He said Nasir Dagarzai's horrific experience illustrates the pain and suffering of the many Balochs who have been martyred and those who are still languishing in the secret torture camps of the Pakistan army.

Noordin Mengal UN Demo March 2012

Mengal said that the Baloch have reached a point of no return and understand that they have no future in Pakistan: "The Baloch nation's future lies in an independent Balochistan. There is no other solution. We have come to this conclusion after 65 years of false promises, deception, atrocities and bloodshed. The fact is that in reality the Baloch have never even been a part of the artificial state of Pakistan as the very foundation of Balochistan's relation with Pakistan was based on injustice."

He questioned how anyone can even imagine the Baloch getting their rights or any sort of justice in Pakistan when this is the case. He said that Pakistan considers each day of its occupation of Balochistan as a bonus and it continues to kill the Baloch and usurp their wealth. He said that the secular Baloch people have resisted the occupation of their homeland since day one and will continue to do so till national salvation and independence.

Mengal strongly condemned the killing of defenseless women and children by the Pakistani army and intelligence agencies. He said that the recent cowardly killings of Zamur Bugti and her 13-year old daughter, Jaana, in Karachi is yet another example of Pakistani state terrorism and further justifies the Baloch struggle against the oppressor for salvation.

"As we speak, an aged mother years for the return of her abducted son, a child is orphaned, a wife becomes a widow and a son of the soil suffers from inhumane torture at the hands of the oppressor for demanding his God-given rights", he said.

Mengal appealed to the international community and United Nations to immediately intervene in Balochistan. "I ask the international community, is it still too early for you to raise your voice for the Baloch?"

Addressing the international community and UN, he said, "Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and create a new ending."

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