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Inside Balochistan's Forgotten Conflict

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Inside Balochistan's Forgotten Conflict Inside Balochistan’s Forgotten Conflict Understanding Pakistan’s Repressive Policies & Human Rights Violations 1 2 Balochistan’s Forgotten Conflict Pakistan’s Repressive Policies & Human Rights Violations 3 4 Balochistan’s Forgotten Conflict Overview: I. Balochistan: An Introduction 07 II. Human Rights Violations in Balochistan 09 III. Enforced Disappearances 14 IV. Political Assassinations and Targeted Killings 28 V. Mass Killings 38 VI. Abduction, Arrests & Detentions 39 VII. Displaced Baloch 45 VIII. Restrictions on Freedom of Expression 48 IX. Restrictions on Freedom of Association 53 X. Gender-Based Human Rights Violations 56 XI. The Neglected Region 59 XII. Development & Militarization 65 5 Balochistan’s Forgotten Conflict 6 Balochistan’s Forgotten Conflict Balochistan: An Introduction Balochistan is divided between Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. It strategically bridges the Middle East and Southwest Asia to Central Asia and South Asia, and forms the closest oceanic frontage for the land-locked countries of Central Asia. Balochistan is the largest among Pakistan's four provinces, comprising 43 per cent of land area. Around 13 million people inhabit Balochistan (both in Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan). Despite being the richest province in terms of energy and mineral resources, Balochistan remains one of the most under- developed and impoverished regions. The Baloch therefore have long been demanding the national right to self- determination and control over their land and resources. Although the Balochistan crisis pre- dates General Parvez Musharraf’s military regime, it still remains unaddressed. The denial of the fundamental right to self-determination has been a major cause of the ongoing conflict. Pakistani intelligence and security forces are using brute and suppressive policies to silence moderate Baloch nationalists. However, the military is providing comfortable support to pro-Taliban elements to reside, regroup, recruit and plan attacks against NATO forces in Afghanistan with which Balochistan shares a long border. 7 Balochistan’s Forgotten Conflict 8 Balochistan’s Forgotten Conflict Human Rights Violations 9 Balochistan’s Forgotten Conflict Human Rights Violations in Balochistan: Human rights situation in Balochistan continues to deteriorate. The Pakistani authorities continuously suppress, violate and subdue the Baloch people’s right to self-determination and development. Grave human rights violations have been documented by reputable organizations during the on-going military operation (2004-2010) against moderate Baloch nationalists in Balochistan. These include indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force against civilians, target killings, displacement and disappearances of political activists and journalists. Security forces in Balochistan have committed hundreds of unlawful killings 1. Islamabad is using brute force and intimidation, harassment, arrests; torture is a common practice by the military and intelligence agencies against dissident Baloch. Peaceful protestors have been suppressed, political representatives are being killed with frequency, activists are detained unlawfully, and freedom of expression and assembly is totally restricted. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Balochistan office chief Zahoor Ahmed Shahwani said in a public meeting that “The Commission has evidence that several human rights violations are taking place here and prisoners jailed by the Anti-Terrorist Force are being treated shockingly” He further added: “The number of extra-judicial arrests 1 http://www.hrcp-web.org/images/publication/balochistan%2520report/pdf/balochistan_report.pdf 10 Balochistan’s Forgotten Conflict (disappearances) of political activists is increasing, but the government is silent over such violation. Nothing is being done to dispense justice to the victims’ relatives 2.” A climate of political repression: Balochistan’s crisis is a political problem which could only be resolved through dialogue. By using brute force, the government of Pakistan has been trying to bulldoze provincial autonomy. Hundreds of Balochs are being detained without having undergone fair trials at court. Arbitrary arrest, illegal detention and torture: A fact-finding team of the HRCP, which visited Balochistan in December 2005 - January 2006, reported disappearances, torture, and other rights violations by the security forces. Political leaders and party activists were often the targets. According to a report released on 12 December 2006 by the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), around 4,000 Baloch youths, mainly political activists were in custody of Pakistani intelligence agencies. They were allegedly tortured by electric shocks, cigarette and candle burns, blows to sensitive parts of the body and various other methods. The report further alleged that torture cells and illegal detention centres were run by the intelligence agencies. Although the government has reportedly admitted that a few Baloch have been detained, it has refused to give the exact figure of those detained and their whereabouts. 2 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\05\29\story_29-5-2006_pg7_26 11 Balochistan’s Forgotten Conflict Some of the political leaders and activists arrested include Sajid Tareen, acting chief of Balochistan National Party (BNP) who was detained by police under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO) from the Quetta Press Club premises on 1 December 2006; Gulam Mohammad Baloch, chairman of Baloch National Movement, and Sher Mohammad Baloch, a central leader of the Jamhoori Watan Party, who were arrested on 3 December 2006 by law enforcement agencies while trying to organize a public meeting near Juna Masjid, Shah Latif Bhitai Road to condemn the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti; 26 members of the Balochistan National Party (Mengal), the Jamhoori Watan Party and the National Party who were arrested by police from their houses in Killi Qamrani suburb in Quetta on 3 March 2005 for opposing the construction of large projects in Balochistan; and 13 leaders and activists of the Pukhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) who were arrested by the University Town police under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance during strike observed by the Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement in Peshawar on 31 March 2005. The relatives of the nationalist leaders and political workers of Balochistan also suffered violations of their rights by security agencies. 12 Balochistan’s Forgotten Conflict 13 Balochistan’s Forgotten Conflict Enforced Disappearances 14 Human Rights Balochistan’s Forgotten Conflict Enforced Disappearances: The problem of forced disappearances has been significant in Pakistan. The forced disappearance of political opponents by State intelligence services continues in spite of the end to Musharaf’s military rule. The state agencies’ alleged involvement in cases of disappearance drew attention to a new form of criminal assault on citizen rights to liberty and due protection of the law 3. Since the Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) ascent to power and restoration of the much talked-about judiciary, no credible and serious efforts have been made to address the grave human rights violation inflicted upon the ethnic Baloch population by the state authorities. Pakistan’s notorious Inter- Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI) agencies are largely responsible for the slow motion genocide (killing and disappearance) of more than On Pakistan’s Independence Day, 14 August 2010, the family members 4,000 Baloch political activists since 2001. of missing persons protesting on Quetta streets. In the early period of the PPP’s government only few people resurfaced but during the same period, about 52 persons went missing. Since the elections in February 2008, not much has improved for the “disappeared” or for their families in Pakistan. 3 HRCP 2005 reporte- page 6, http://hrcp-web.org/HRCP%20AR%202005.pdf 15 Balochistan’s Forgotten Conflict The country is beset by grave and widespread human rights violations by various State-agencies and institutions, notably by the notorious ISI and the military. Thousands of persons are missing as the result of forced disappearances committed all across the country, in particular in conflict- affected areas, such as Balochistan province. On 28 July 2010, a division bench of the Balochistan High Court consisting of Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Muhammad Noor Miskanzai expressed serious concern over media reports of the killing of two young missing persons, 25 year old Ashfaq Ahmed Mullahzai and 30 year old Muhammad Farooq Mengal. “We are extremely perturbed with the deaths of Ashfaq Ahmed and Muhammad Farooq Mengal and the same are of great concern.” On 6 August 2010, the bodies of previously disappeared Ghulam Qadir Marri and Bahar Khan Bangulzai from Killi Khali area of Brewery Road Quetta were found. Baig Muhammad Bangulzai, Bahar Khan’s father, had filed a petition in the Balochistan High Court saying that his son was whisked away by security personnel on 31 June 2010. Ghulam Qadir Marri, detained twice before but released after severe torture, was a teacher at the Girl’s Primary School, New Kahan, and had been arrested a month earlier. Nasrullah Baloch, Chairman of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, says, “We have received six dead bodies of missing persons within a short span of two weeks and the issue of missing persons is obtaining a new dimension as they are being killed.” 16 Balochistan’s Forgotten Conflict Particularly Baloch nationalists are
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