Protest against killings in fake encounters in Balochistan

BONN: The Baloch National Movement in Germany's Bonn organised a protest on Saturday against the rising number of fake encounters in Balochistan by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD).

During the demonstration, the participants distributed pamphlets on fake encounter of forcibly disappeared persons in Balochistan and made locals aware of the atrocities committed by the Pakistan Army and other law enforcement agencies.

Speaking to the participants Shar Hassan, the joint Secretary of the Baloch National Movement Germany Chapter said that Pakistan had killed 9 innocent people in fake encounters and claimed that they were the members of Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). But the facts are that they were the Baloch missing persons who were previously abducted by Pakistani security forces and kept in torture cells. All those were forcibly disappeared from their house and are now killed in a fake encounter.

He further added that these innocent people were killed by CTD which is actually created by the Pakistan Army in order to kill the innocent people in the name of encounter in order to justify their killing. These acts of Pakistan are should look like war crimes and it is the responsibility of international organizations and states to hold Pakistan accountable for heinous war crimes in Balochistan.

Imran Hakeem, the General Secretary of Baloch National Movement Netherlands also join the demonstration and addressed the participants, he said, "Pakistan Army is committing the genocide of Baloch people. They are killing Baloch shepherds, students, doctors and engineers. Last week Pakistan Army killed 9 Baloch missing persons and threw their dead bodies at Ziarat. Today those countries and bodies that are supporting Pakistan with financial aid, need to redraw their policies toward Pakistan. Because Pakistan is using these economic aids to kill innocent people in Balochistan."

Baloch National Movement member Ahmed Baloch said that Balochs are being abducted without any warrant, being tortured inhumanely and killing the enforcedly disappeared Baloch in a fake encounter and claiming them as terrorists had become a new norm.

Badal Baloch, the Unit secretary of BNM-NRW said, "Pakistan is a terrorist state that kills innocent people in fake encounters and has taken the right of protest and agitation away from the people of Balochistan. When women and children of Baloch Missing Persons peacefully protest they get arrested, humiliated."

The media management of BRP, Jalil Baloch said, the so-called counter-terrorism department is killing innocent Baloch people who had been whisked away by a Pakistani spy agency five years or ten years ago. The security killed them in a fake encounter and dumped their bodies and showed them as militants. It is the responsibility of international organizations to stop providing financial aid to Pakistan and the EU should remove Pakistan GP plus status."

Amjid Baloch, a member of Baloch National Movement Germany, said that the killing of Baloch elders and young is not a new phenomenon in Balochistan. But World needs to pay attention to the Baloch genocide at the hands of the Pakistan Army.

Earlier, a pro-Baloch rights committee condemned the killing of missing persons reportedly in fake encounters in the Ziarat district of northern Balochistan.

Condemning the act, Baloch Yakjehti Committee-Karachi expressed its grief.

"Enforced disappearance is a crime in itself and putting a missing person to death by framing a false case as a terrorist is a crime as well as a gross violation of human rights that is reprehensible," the committee tweeted in Urdu.

"Baloch Yakjehti Committee (Karachi) also supports the Twitter campaign organized by BYC Shaal. We urge every individual to raise their voice against the fake encounter of Baloch Missing Persons. This tactic is a form of Baloch genocide and we highly condemn it," the committee said on its Twitter handle.

Innocent Baloch is killed in fake encounters and their mutilated bodies are found in remote places, according to several reports.

Recently, nine persons who were killed in fake encounters in Ziarat were first forcefully made to disappear.

An annual report of the Human Rights Council of Balochistan, which is an organisation that documents human rights violations in the province, has said that students remained the main target of these kidnappings both in Balochistan as well as in other provinces of Pakistan.