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Forgotten Balochistan

Army captain among five martyred as multiple blasts hit Balochistan
Seven blasts rip through Quetta, Kohlu, Turbat, and Hub as restive province encounters fresh wave of terror

QUETTA: Seven blasts in Balochistan on Sunday left five soldiers, including a captain, martyred while 15 others sustained injuries as the country is confronted with a fresh wave of terrorism.

Three of seven blasts took place in Quetta, two took place in Turbat, while one each ripped through Kohlu district's Kahan area and Hub.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that during an intelligence-based clearance operation — which is underway since December 24 — an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded near a "leading party" in Kohlu district's Kahan area.

As a result, five soldiers — Captain Fahad, Lance Naik Imtiaz, Sepoy Asghar, Sepoy Mehran and Sepoy Shamoon — embraced martyrdom, the military's media wing said.

...
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1...e-martyred-as-multiple-blasts-hit-balochistan
 
FLOUR CRISIS PERSISTS IN SUKKUR, PER KG PRICE CROSSES RS130

SUKKUR: Flour crisis has deepened in Sukkur, as the commodity is being sold between Rs130 to 140 per kg in the area, ARY News reported.

According to details, the prices of flour have skyrocketed in Sukkur. The price of flour in the wholesale market has reached Rs120 per kg while the same is being sold between Rs130 to 140 per kg in the open market.

Meanwhile, a 10-kg bag of flour was being sold for Rs1,1300 in the local market, which was being sold at Rs900 few days earlier.

On the other hand, the per kg flour price has reached Rs125 to 130 in Quetta, Balochistan.

The prices of flour touched sky-high in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan while the commodity was not available in most shops across the province.

The price of a 20-kg flour bag has reached Rs2,500. Meanwhile, a 50-kg bag of flour was being sold between Rs6,000 to 6,500 in the local market.

ARY
 
Over 100 arrested as Gwadar unrest grows

QUETTA / GWADAR: As the Balochistan government struck with an iron fist at protesters in Gwadar and imposed an emergency law that prohibits the gathering of five or more people, the demonstrators and their leaders continued to pour into the streets — and get arrested — and more joined in from other towns on Thursday.

The police have rounded up some 100 protesters in the last four days after tensions erupted in the district after months of peaceful protests for basic rights. On Thursday, the provincial government imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code in Gwadar for one month.

The provincial home minister, Ziaullah Langove, has said that the government would not compromise on the writ of the state and would strictly deal with the elements behind “violent protests” and those “using women as human shields to gain sympathies”.

Maulana Hidayatur Rehman, who is leading the protests, said people were simply asking for their basic rights like water, electricity and jobs, and not a motorway or Orange Line.

...
https://www.dawn.com/news/1728969/over-100-arrested-as-gwadar-unrest-grows
 
Some semblance of normalcy returned to Gwadar after five days of unrelenting protests and a shutter-down strike, as shops and business centres started opening on Friday and tra*ffic was restored betw*een the port city and Karachi as well as other areas.

Though bazaars remai*n**ed open in different areas of Gwadar town, the situat*i**on was still tense and peo*ple preferred to stay at home.

The Gwadar deputy commissioner said in statement that life in the port city and other areas of the district was returning to normal, with the cooperation of the people and joint efforts of the government and security forces, who had taken steps to resolve the issue.

DAWN
 
Amnesty International South Asia on Tuesday decried the reported internet shutdown in the port city of Gwadar which came after an emergency law was reportedly imposed as protests arose over illegal fishing.

“Such disruptions are neither necessary nor proportionate, and inhibits the ability of the people of Gwadar to communicate, access information, seek safety and work,” the organisation stated in a series of tweets.

Amnesty International further said that the imposition of section 144 in “the name of public security should not become a pretext for more human rights violations - especially if they prevent people from peacefully protesting”.

It expressed concern that both the reported internet ban and emergency law would serve as a springboard for further crackdown on people’s “fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, right to personal security and freedom from arbitrary detention”.

The organisation called upon authorities in Balochistan to “immediately restore internet services and lift the ban on public gatherings”.

The statement comes shortly after days of protests and clashes, normalcy returned to the port city of Gwadar on Monday, as the port restarted operations, shopkeepers reopened their shops in the main bazaar and the authorities restored mobile phone service.

The Gwadar Rights Movement (GRM) activists have been protesting against the provincial government for more than two months over illegal fishing in the sea and unnecessary check posts. As a result, baton-wielding policemen had been deployed in various parts of the city to maintain order.
 
Can't blame the Baloch people for protesting in such high numbers. Every government has been treating them like filth ever since the country was formed. They have been kept on the margin without much to celebrate. I too would be furious if was a Baloch deprived of almost everything. That said what most Baloch people don't know is Gwadar was originally not a part of Pakistan or Baluchistan. It was in 1958 that it was transferred to Pakistan by Oman.

Even the PTI never mentions the province.
 
Balochistan sends SOS as it runs out of wheat

Despite an SOS sent by the Balochistan government a day earlier, no consignment of wheat reached the province on Sunday.

At a press conference on Saturday night, Food Minister Zamarak Khan Piralizai had said that the food department had run out of its wheat stock and called for help from other provinces and the Centre.

“We are facing a very serious crisis and need 600,000 bags of wheat on an emergency basis,” he said as he sent an SOS to the federal and provincial governments of Punjab and Sindh.

The minister, who was addressing the media after his return from Islamabad, was accompanied by Flour Mills Association president Badaruddin Kakar.

...
https://www.dawn.com/news/1730692/balochistan-sends-sos-as-it-runs-out-of-wheat
 
daytrader said:
Balochistan sends SOS as it runs out of wheat

Despite an SOS sent by the Balochistan government a day earlier, no consignment of wheat reached the province on Sunday.

At a press conference on Saturday night, Food Minister Zamarak Khan Piralizai had said that the food department had run out of its wheat stock and called for help from other provinces and the Centre.

“We are facing a very serious crisis and need 600,000 bags of wheat on an emergency basis,” he said as he sent an SOS to the federal and provincial governments of Punjab and Sindh.

The minister, who was addressing the media after his return from Islamabad, was accompanied by Flour Mills Association president Badaruddin Kakar.

...
https://www.dawn.com/news/1730692/balochistan-sends-sos-as-it-runs-out-of-wheat
Click to expand...

Pakistan houd take care of its citizens before chanting for Kashmir or Palestine.
 
Gwadar movement echoes in Senate
Senators denounce violations of rights; say demands put forth by HDT are fair

The protests and sit-ins led by the Haq Do Tehreek (HDT) in the port city of Gwadar resonated in Senate on Monday, with lawmakers denouncing the rights violations in Balochistan.

For the past year, the port city has been gripped by protests led by Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman, chief of the Haq Do Tehreek, for being denied basic facilities, from healthcare to electricity to clean drinking water.

During the session presided over by Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Mushtaq Ahmed condemned the violation of basic human rights, lamenting that over 18 cases were lodged against the movement's leader whose charter has gained widespread popularity among the masses.

Minister of State for Law and Justice Shahadat Awan on Monday said the responsibility of resolving the Gwadar issues was primarily the provincial government's responsibility after the 18th Amendment of the Constitution.

The minister made these remarks while winding up the discussion on the motion presented by Senator Kamran Murtaza and Mushtaq Ahmed on the recent situation of protests in Gwadar City on alleged illegal trawling in the sea, a high number of security checkpoints operating in and around the city and also trade on Pak-Iran Border purportedly affecting the residents of Gwadar.

Awan said the local issues, other than security or law and order, were related to the provincial government.

...
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2399832/gwadar-movement-echoes-in-senate
 
Raid at minister’s home after bodies found in Barkhan well

After hundreds of Marri tribesmen staged a sit-in inside the Red Zone of the provincial capital, alongside three bodies recovered from a well in the Barkhan area of Balochistan, a police team raided the residence of Provincial Minister for Communication and Works Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran, late on Tuesday night.

The situation, which also led to heated debate on the floor of the provincial assembly, stemmed from the discovery of three bodies late on Monday night – said to be the wife and two sons of one Khan Muhammad Marri.

“These are the bodies of my wife and two sons who were kept in a private jail in Haji Kot for the last four years,” he said, identifying them as his 40-year-old wife Granaz, and sons Muhammad Anwar (22) and Abdul Qadir (15).

Marri, who was once employed as a security guard with a provincial minister, alleged that his wife and sons were being held in the private jail of Sardar Khetran, adding that five more of his children, including his 13-year-old daughter, were still languishing there.

However, Sardar Khetran denied the allegation and termed it a conspiracy. It was an attempt to defame and remove him as the tribal head of the Khetran tribe, the minister said.

He said that the bodies were recovered one and a half kilometres away from his native village while he was not in Barkhan and had been in Quetta for more than a week.

“I have not kept anyone in pri*son and such allegations are al*ways levelled whenever elections are near,” Sardar Khetran said, accusing one of his own sons, Inam Shah, of opposing him.

However, Inam Shah denied his father’s allegations and confirmed that the three people whose bodies were recovered from the well had been kept in his father’s “private jail”.

Late on Tuesday night, a large contingent of police and security personnel headed by SSP Muhammad Asif cordoned off Sardar Khetran’s bungalow and guest house in the Patel Bagh area and conducted a search along with women police officials.

Every room, basement and guest house was searched. However, no arrest was reported until going to press. Sardar Khetran was not present during the search operation, either.

...
https://www.dawn.com/news/1738485/raid-at-ministers-home-after-bodies-found-in-barkhan-well
 
^ The search operation was staged. The place shown to be the minister's residence was actually the living quarters of his servants.
 
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Danish schools to be set up in remote Balochistan areas: PM
The PM observed that teachers training in the country was not up to the mark

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday stressed that optimum resources and efforts should be utilised to introduce modern modes of education, including digitisation initiatives, besides imparting the latest training to teachers.

He was addressing the launching ceremony of Teleschool Pakistan App and Google for Education and Digital Continuous Professional Development initiative to further revolutionise the formal education medium in Pakistan.

The prime minister observed that teachers training in the country was not up to the mark, which was unfortunate and cited his experience in the Punjab province.

He said that he had directed for steps to improve the quality of about 40 training centres in the province during his tenure as the chief minister.

The prime minister said that they would also establish a network of Danish schools in the far-flung areas of Balochistan for which huge investments would be made.

He also urged that the educational requirements of the orphaned children should be taken care of. He said imparting the latest education to the young generations should be the goal of life for them.

...
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1052665-danish-schools-to-be-set-up-in-remote-balochistan-areas-pm
 
daytrader said:
Danish schools to be set up in remote Balochistan areas: PM
The PM observed that teachers training in the country was not up to the mark

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday stressed that optimum resources and efforts should be utilised to introduce modern modes of education, including digitisation initiatives, besides imparting the latest training to teachers.

He was addressing the launching ceremony of Teleschool Pakistan App and Google for Education and Digital Continuous Professional Development initiative to further revolutionise the formal education medium in Pakistan.

The prime minister observed that teachers training in the country was not up to the mark, which was unfortunate and cited his experience in the Punjab province.

He said that he had directed for steps to improve the quality of about 40 training centres in the province during his tenure as the chief minister.

The prime minister said that they would also establish a network of Danish schools in the far-flung areas of Balochistan for which huge investments would be made.

He also urged that the educational requirements of the orphaned children should be taken care of. He said imparting the latest education to the young generations should be the goal of life for them.

...
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1052665-danish-schools-to-be-set-up-in-remote-balochistan-areas-pm
Click to expand...

What is a Danish School?
 
Baloch activists decry televised interviews of woman arrested for alleged BLF links

Despite being behind bars, Mahil Baloch continues to appear in the media, making confessional statements.

The 27-year-old single mother of two, who belongs to the Gumazi area of Kech district, was arrested by the Counterterrorism Depar*tment (CTD) of Balochistan in March this year.

Authorities accused her of being a member of the banned Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) and alleged that she was planning a suicide attack.

But unusually for such a case, the under-custody Mahil has recently been interviewed by a number of media outlets. After the interviews aired, Baloch activists took to social media, terming it a “media trial”.

In conversations with Dawn, Baloch activists, parliamentarians and rights workers assert that Mahil is being paraded on TV and derided in a bid to rebuke her community, especially women activists, who have been quite vocal about the human rights situation prevailing in Balochistan.

In a report recently released by its fact-finding mission, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan observed “a palpable sense of anger among ordinary citizens, many of whom went so far as to refer to Balochistan as a ‘colony’ of the state during meetings with the organisation”.

This situation, the HRCP cautioned, should serve as a wake-up call for the state authorities.

Shakeela Naveed Dehwar, an MPA from BNP-M, has been outspoken inside and outside the Balochistan Assembly on issues confronting women in her province. There is a trace of indignation in her voice while discussing Mahil’s case with Dawn.

“She is a poor lady, who has been deliberately brought on media to give a bad name to women activism in the province because women are at the forefront in Balochistan in the protests to recover the missing persons,” she said.

However, Babar Yousafzai, spokesperson for the Balochistan chief minister, told Dawn: “After gathering intelligence, our law enforcers arrested Mahil Baloch because she was a potential suicide bomber, who wanted to carry out a suicide attack in Quetta. She has confessed to be so not only in the video but also before a court of law.”

“After being interrogated, she also confessed that her husband was associated with the BLF, which is why she was hired too after being brainwashed,” Mr Yousafzai claimed.

...
https://www.dawn.com/news/1748941
 
Six cops martyred in Jacobabad operation to recover kidnap victim
Six cops of the Balochistan Police were killed and three injured in Jacobabad during an operation to recover a kidnapped victim

Six cops of the Balochistan Police were killed and three injured in Jacobabad during an operation to recover a kidnapped victim. The operation however continues with police reinforcements being rushed from nearby areas.

According to police, Furqan Soomro was kidnapped on Tuesday from Usta Muhammad, Sindh, following which the Jaffarabad Police of Balochistan undertook an operation.

The police acted on information that the kidnapped victim was kept in the Jagir area of Mouladad Police Station of Jacobabad.

As the police reached the hideout, they were attacked by the criminal gang following which six policemen, Sub-Inspector Tayyab Hussain Umrani, HC Syed Khadim Ali Shah, Constable Syed Riaz Shah, Constable Mohd Usman, Constable Abdul Wahab and Constable Nisar Ahmed of Anti-Terrorism Force (ATF), were martyred while Altaf Husain and Hussain Ali were critically injured.

Till the filing of the report, the exchange of firing continued. Police reinforcements have been called from Jaffarabad, Usta Mohd and Jacobabad. The dead and injured policemen were shifted to the Jacobabad Institute of Medical Sciences.

The News Pk
 
WORLD BANK APPROVES $21 MILLION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IN BALOCHISTAN

World Bank has granted approval for a substantial amount of $21 million to aid the rehabilitation and recovery of areas that have been severely affected by floods in Balochistan, ARY News reported on Friday.

The allocated funds will primarily be utilized to enhance the water drainage infrastructure in Balochistan. By improving the existing infrastructure, the region’s ability to effectively manage water resources and mitigate the risks associated with floods will be significantly enhanced.

The press release further emphasizes that the improved infrastructure will play a vital role in reducing the vulnerability to flood-related damages.

It is pertinent to mention here that, last year, a devastated flood hit Pakistan in which more than 322 people lost their life alone in Balochistan province, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reported.

According to the PDMA, over 500,000 cattle have been reported dead, and 185,000 homes have been damaged amid the calamity. 65,000 homes were completely demolished while 120,000 were partially damaged, the PDMA told.

...
https://arynews.tv/world-bank-approves-21-million-for-infrastructure-in-balochistan/
 
Sit-in against Turbat ‘killings’ enters fifth day

QUETTA: The sit-in against the alleged extrajudicial killing of Balaach Mola Bakhsh entered the fifth day on Monday as no headway was made in talks between protesters and authorities.

All shops remained closed due to a shutter down strike as family members, along with supporters of the Baloch Yakjehti Council (BYC) and political parties, held sit-ins at the D-Baloch China-Pakistan Economic Corridor road linking Turbat to Karachi and other areas, suspending all kinds of traffic.

The family members are holding the sit-in with the victim’s body.

The FIR into the killing, ordered by the Turbat session judge on Friday, has yet to be registered.

Baloch Yakjehti Council leaders and victim’s family members alleged that Najma Baloch, Mr Bakhsh’s sister, was taken to an unknown place by officials of the Kech District Council chairman’s office for talks.

“There was no contact as her mobile phone remained silent for many hours,” they alleged and added that on her return, Ms Baloch claimed that authorities were pressuring her to call off the sit-in and bury her brother.

The participants have, however, refused to call off the sit-in until the FIR was registered and a judicial inquiry was announced into the alleged extrajudicial killing of Mr Bakhsh in CTD custody.

“We will not come under any pressure to end the protest,” vowed BYC leaders.

They announced a complete shutter down and wheel jam strike across Makran division on Tuesday (today) and urged traders and transporters to observe the strike.

DAWN
 
QUETTA: The Grand Tribal Jirga of Balochistan has appealed to the disgruntled Baloch to join the mainstream and play their role in the development of the country while emphasizing the resolution of all mutual conflicts for sustainable peace in the province.

The Grand Jirga held here on Wednesday was presided over by Caretaker Chief Minister of Balochistan Mir Ali Mardan Khan Domki.

Addressing the Jirga, Domki said Balochistan is in the grip of long-standing tribal disputes, but efforts can be accelerated to end them through trustworthy people.

He said, “I would like to request all the reliable people to take a personal interest in resolving these issues of tribal conflicts in Balochistan and accelerate efforts for the peaceful settlement of disputes between local tribes.”

He urged the tribal elders to talk to the angry Balochs to come and play their role in the construction and development of the province and the country.

Ali Mardan said, “There is no room for any kind of concession and leniency on the integrity and survival of the country.

It should be understood that the state was always ready to defend the country and no one was allowed to destroy the peace of the country.”

Minister of Home and Tribal Affairs Mir Zubair Khan Jamali welcomed all the tribal leaders and highlighted the main aims of the Jirga. He also welcomed the people who joined the national stream and were associated with the anti state activities for a long time but today they are convinced it has nothing to do except destruction.

Speaking at the Jirga, Tribal leader Nawab Muhammad Khan Shahwani said for the resolution of tribal conflicts in the province, the help of commissioners, deputy commissioners and administrative officers was needed.

He said regional reconciliation committees should be formed in this regard to ensure the promotion of peace by resolving local-level conflicts so it will have positive effects.

Former federal minister and tribal leader Sardar Umar Khan Gorgaij said steps should be taken to resolve the conflicts between different tribes in the province.

Caretaker Minister for Sports Nawabzada Mir Jamal Khan Raisani said, “Pakistan is the country that we earned through immense sacrifices rendered by our forefathers.” He said that we are all one and have to forget the conflicts for the development of Pakistan.

Caretaker Provincial Law Mir Amanullah Khan Kanrani said that lasting peace can be established in Balochistan by establishing justice and the rule of law.

A former militant, Gulzar Imam Shambay said that after fifteen years of armed struggle, I have concluded that the solution to Balochistan’s problems is only through peace dialogue.

arynews.tv

Grand Jirga invites disgruntled Baloch to join mainstream

QUETTA: The Grand Tribal Jirga of Balochistan has appealed to the disgruntled Baloch to join the mainstream and play their role in the development of the
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
One killed, three injured in bomb blast in Balochistan’s Sohbatpur

DERA MURAD JAMALI: One person was killed and three others, including two police personnel, were injured in a bomb blast in Balochistan’s Sohbatpur district on Thursday.

Police officials said the blast took place in Hussainabad area of the district in which a camp of labourers of a construction company was targeted. The company is constructing a road in the area.

Soon after the blast, police and personnel of other security forces rushed to the site and shifted the injured to the district hospital where one of them succumbed to his injuries. He was identified as Saddam Hussain Khosa who received multiple injuries in the powerful blast.

The injured included police constables Usman Ali and Mehtab Ali and labourer Dahib Khan Jigrani.

“The condition of three injured is stated to be serious who were shifted to Larkana in Sindh for treatment,” SP Sohbatpur Khadim Hussain told Dawn, adding that unknown miscreants used a time bomb which went off near the camp of labourers.

Further investigation was in progress, he added.

Security forces launched a search operation in the area to arrest the elements involved in the bomb attack. No one has claimed responsibility for the blast so far.
​
www.dawn.com

One killed, three injured in bomb blast in Balochistan’s Sohbatpur

Police say blast took place in Hussainabad area in which a camp of labourers of a construction company was targeted.
www.dawn.com
 
In a tragic turn of events, an accident occurred in the coal mine region of Muslim Bagh, Quetta, Balochistan. The incident transpired on Sunday when two miners got trapped in a shaft, triggering a swift and formidable rescue operation. The rescue efforts are spearheaded by PDMA Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Jahanzeb Khan, who immediately deployed rescue teams to the site of the accident.

The rescue teams have dedicated their resources and efforts to extract the miners from the precarious situation. Rescue officer Zohar Baloch, acting as the liaison between the rescue team and the media, has been providing regular updates on the progress of the operation. The primary focus of the team remains the safe extraction of the miners.

The incident serves as a stark reminder of the inherent dangers associated with the mining profession. Miners often find themselves in high-risk situations, with accidents such as collapses and entrapments being frequent occurrences in the industry. Despite safety measures, miners often face a daily battle against potential hazards.

The incident in Muslim Bagh underscores the urgent need for stricter safety regulations and measures within the mining industry. Ensuring the safety of miners should be paramount, and steps should be taken to mitigate risks and prevent such incidents in the future.

Source: BNN

bnnbreaking.com

Miners Trapped in Balochistan Mine: A Race Against Time for Rescue Operations - BNN Breaking

A coal mine accident in Quetta, Balochistan has trapped two miners, prompting a swift rescue operation. The incident highlights the dangers inherent in mining and the need for stricter safety measures.
bnnbreaking.com bnnbreaking.com
 
I feel really sorry for the miners and their families in this sad situation.My thoughts are with everyone involved, and I hope the rescue goes well.
 
Quetta sit-in continues as talks break down

QUETTA: Negotiations between leaders of a long march from Turbat and the local administration did not produce any results on Tuesday as participants continued their sit-in on Sariab Road in the Kachi Baig area of the provincial capital.

Hundreds of protesters, including family members of Balach Mola Bakhsh, have been protesting for the last two weeks against his killing in what the government claimed to be a CTD operation in Turbat.

They also threatened to take their protest to the Red Zone of the provincial capital if their demands are not accepted.

Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai and senior officials of the Quetta administration, including Quetta commissioner Hamza Shafqaat, deputy commissioner Saad Bin Asad and others visited the sit-in and held talks with leaders of the long march, where they said that the marchers’ main demands had been accepted by the government, which included the registration of an FIR against CTD officials and an inquiry into the “extra-judicial” killing.

Mr Achakzai also told the protesters that they had the right to protest in any area of Quetta, except the Red Zone.

“The administration will not allow the entry of protesters to the Red Zone, which is a sensitive area and there are threats of terrorist attacks,” Mr Achakzai said, adding that the government was taking steps to resolve the issue through talks.

...
www.dawn.com

Quetta sit-in continues as talks break down

Protesters threaten to take their protest to the Red Zone of the provincial capital if their demands are not accepted.
www.dawn.com
 
Balach’s killing protest grows as Kohlu stays shut

QUETTA: Hundreds of political workers, human rights defenders and members of civil society along with the family of Balach Mola Bakhsh after a long journey reached Kohlu, where a complete strike was observed on the call of Baloch Yakjehti Council (BYC) to protest against his alleged extrajudicial killing on Saturday.

The BYC leaders had decided to travel from Quetta to Islamabad along with other protesters to stage a sit-in in front of the Supreme Court building after the local administration and security forces did not permit them to enter the Balochistan’s capital on their way to Red Zone area. Heavy contingent of law enforcement agencies had been deployed while roads were blocked with heavy trucks and hurdles to cordon off the area.

After ending their protest in Quetta, they left for Islamabad via Kohlu-Barkhan and Dera Ghazi Khan on Friday evening.

A large number of people expressing their solidarity with the family of Mr Bakhsh joined the marchers in Kohlu where bazaars, markets and business centres remained shut while traffic remained thin.

Addressing the marchers in Kohlu town before leaving for Barkhan, leaders said the process of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings was unconstitutional and violated basic human rights.

They stressed the extrajudicial killing had revived the just struggle of the Baloch people against oppression.

They lamented many youngsters were being victimised by the unjust practices of the counterterrorism department of police. They urged the state to stop unconstitutional practices and give the Baloch people the right to live and have authority over their land and resources.

www.dawn.com

Balach’s killing protest grows as Kohlu stays shut

Demonstrators leave for Islamabad via Kohlu-Barkhan and Dera Ghazi Khan.
www.dawn.com
 
If the recent events are anything to go by one things for certain, the establishment has learnt absolutely nothing from it's follies of the past. It's not too late to change tack and rethink their actions. The establishment and it's cronies in government have done a brilliant job at alienating the Baloch, even the most ardent nationalists are struggling to justify Islamabad's rule. Hopefully better sense prevails.
 
Baloch protesters rounded up in brutal overnight action

ISLAMABAD: After the capital’s police used force to disperse and detain Baloch demonstrators, who had converged on the capital to protest against enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings in their province, the federal government claimed that more than 90 per cent of the demonstrators — including all women and children — had been released by the police.

The claim stood in stark contrast to scenes that unfolded later on Thursday night outside the Women Police Station, when cops could be seen shoving women into buses to send them back to Quetta.

After exhaustive talks with protesters that continued late into the night, authorities decided to postpone their ‘repatriation’ until Friday, when the protesters are also likely to be presented in court.

The protesters were adamanat they would not budge unless all of them — including the ones booked in FIRs — were released. Outside the police station, two buses crammed with Baloch women were parked, guarded by around 100 police officials. However, their departure was also held up by low visiblity on the motorway.

“First, the police said in the High Court today that they only had one Baloch woman. Then they said the 19-20 women they had were released and now they’re shoving 50+ women onto buses forcibly expelling them from Islamabad,” Imaan Mazari-Hazir, counsel for the Baloch protesters, wrote on her X account, accompanied by a video of police forcing women into buses.

The day’s events were set in motion by the late night police action against protesters in different areas of Islamabad, when around 200 people were taken into custody. The families of Baloch missing persons who had been camped outside the National Press Club since November 26 also faced similar treatment.

Amid reports of a crackdown on protesters near Chungi No.26, those outside the press club attempted to march towards the Red Zone, but were met with police batons and tear gas, followed by detention. Due to the shelling, many people were hospitalised. The police, however, detained them from hospitals — Polyclinic and Pims — and moved them to police stations. Police also raided the homes of Baloch individuals living in different sectors, including Sector I-10, and rounded up several people.

www.dawn.com

Baloch protesters rounded up in brutal overnight action

Despite minister’s claims that 90 per cent of protesters released, several still remain in custody.
www.dawn.com
 
Traffic chaos as capital crackdown sparks protests in Balochistan

QUETTA: Protest rallies and sit-ins persisted for a second consecutive day in the provincial capital of Quetta and various other towns and cities across Balochistan. These demonstrations were staged in response to the police’s use of force and the subsequent arrest of participants, including women and children, during the long march in Islamabad on Friday.

Highways connecting Balochistan to Karachi and other regions remained blocked, leading to the suspension of traffic between Quetta and Sindh. The residents of Quetta experienced a severe traffic jam due to the protest rallies and sit-ins in different parts of the city.

In Quetta, a big protest was staged, featuring participants from different political parties, members of the Baloch Yakjehti Council (BYC), students, members of civil society, and a significant number of women and children from the Sariab area. The rally, led by BYC and Haq Du Tehreek, marched through various roads and streets. Participants carried placards and banners inscribed with anti-government slogans.

Upon reaching GPO and Unity Chowk, the protesters staged a sit-in for several hours, during which they vociferously denounced the forced disappearance of political workers, students, and human rights defenders. The sit-in resulted in a severe traffic jam on various crucial roads for an extended period. Despite the frigid weather, the marchers were resolute in continuing their sit-in, asserting that they would persist until all participants of the Turbat long march, arrested in Islamabad, were released. The protest endured into the late evening.

In Gwadar, a sizable rally was taken out, marching through the main roads of the port city in protest against police actions and the arrest of long march participants in Islamabad. The rally transformed into a demonstration at Mullah Fazil Chowk, where leaders such as Maulana Hidayat-Ur-Rehman Baloch, Chief of Haq Du Tehreek, and Chairman of HDT Hussain Wadila addressed the demonstrators.
​
tribune.com.pk

Traffic chaos as capital crackdown sparks protests in Balochistan | The Express Tribune

Highways connecting Balochistan to Karachi and other regions remain blocked
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 
Caretaker Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai Sunday termed the demands tabled by the Baloch marchers ‘unconstitutional’ and also rejected any kind of torture on women or use of water cannon in Islamabad, ARY News reported.

While addressing a press conference, Jan Achakzai claimed that women were neither tortured in Islamabad nor anyone targeted with water cannon. He said that Baloch marchers tabled unconstitutional demands.

He said that the state could not unarm its institutions to leave the terrorists freehanded. Achakzai claimed that some elements were attempting to create chaos ahead of the general elections.He said that the state could not unarm its institutions to leave the terrorists freehanded.

Achakzai claimed that some elements were attempting to create chaos ahead of the general elections.

The caretaker information minister said that the surrender of disgruntled Baloch leaders shocked India. He added that every Baloch is loyal to Pakistan like a Punjabi, Pathan and Sindhi. He vowed to make Balochistan a peaceful place.

He alleged that a small group of people marched towards Islamabad from Turbat with an agenda. He added that the marchers were demanding to free terrorists.

Jan Achakzai said that hundreds of non-Balochs were brutally killed in Balochistan but no commission was formed to hold a thorough investigation. He added mostly missing persons were BLA members who were residing in India or hiding in the mountains.

Yesterday, the government committee formed by the Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, held talks with the Baloch protesters in Islamabad tonight, the state news agency reported.

The Committee members include Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi and caretaker Federal Minister for Privatization Fawad Hassan Fawad. Governor Balochistan Malki Wali Kakar was also part of the talks.

The meeting was held in a congenial atmosphere, and fostered open dialogue between both the parties, aiming for a harmonious resolution to the concerns raised by the Balochistan protesters.

During the meeting, an understanding was reached to continue the ongoing negotiations tomorrow, demonstrating a shared commitment from both sides to work towards a mutually beneficial outcome.

Earlier, Islamabad police detained numerous Baloch protesters after using water cannons and baton charges to break the protest against enforced disappearances. Condemnations from human rights organizations and analysts poured in, castigating the “crackdown” on the Baloch protesters.

Source: ARY

arynews.tv

Baloch marchers tabled unconstitutional demands: Jan Achakzai

QUETTA: Caretaker Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai Sunday termed the demands tabled by the Baloch marchers ‘unconstitutional’ and also
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
The caretaker federal government on Monday claimed to have released all the remaining 290 Baloch protestors, in light of the deliberations of the committee formed by Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar.

The protestors were taken into custody during a crackdown on demonstration demanding an end to enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings in Islamabad.

The decision to release the arrested protestors was taken in view of the directions of the honourable court, an interior ministry spokesperson said in a statement on Monday.

He said that peaceful protest was the right of every citizen, but no one was allowed to take the law into their hands. The security of the Capital’s Red Zone, where constitutional institutions and the Diplomatic Enclave were located, would be ensured at all costs, the spokesperson added.

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), the main organiser of the long march, had delivered a three-day ultimatum to authorities. Their demands included the dismissal of cases against students and activists and the release of all protesters.

The march initiated in Turbat on December 6 following the alleged extra-judicial killing of a Baloch youth, reached the federal capital on Wednesday.

The Islamabad police's use of force to disperse and detain the demonstrators drew widespread condemnation from human rights organisations, politicians, the Islamabad High Court (IHC), and even the highest offices, including President Dr Arif Alvi and PM Kakar.

Source: Express Tribune

tribune.com.pk

Govt claims releasing all 290 Baloch protestors | The Express Tribune

Decision taken in view of directions of the honourable court, says interior ministry spokesperson
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 
Baloch protesters’ crisis escalates

ISLAMABAD: Authorities claim to have released all Baloch protesters who arrived in Islamabad last week to highlight the issue of missing persons but were rounded up in a crackdown.

However, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC)—the protest organizers—disputes this, asserting that Islamabad Police have failed to release all detained protesters despite the three-day deadline's expiration.

The BYC announced that people in Balochistan will stage demonstrations and strikes starting today (Wednesday) to protest against authorities' highhandedness.

“We doubt the government's sincerity as its negotiation team, assigned by the premier for talks, has not reached out to us in the last two days,” stated a protest leader.

Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Murtaza Solangi, part of the PM’s committee, affirmed that the BYC march participants were released by court after due legal procedures.

“We await the protesters’ demands to proceed with negotiations. Once these demands are presented, we anticipate further discussions,” he stated.

Gul Zadi, a female participant in the march, voiced dissatisfaction with the government's lack of commitment to meeting the protesters’ demands and missing the deadline. Consequently, she said, the BYC is expanding the protest's scope.

“A shutdown and rallies are planned in Balochistan starting tomorrow [Wednesday],” she said. Gul reported an incident where a group of armed men allegedly harassed protesters on Tuesday night, seizing the loudspeaker used by protest leaders for speeches.

“These men threatened the people camping here [at the press club]. Although police were nearby, they did not intervene against these masked harassers,” she added.

On Monday, Islamabad Police claimed the release of all 290 detained Baloch activists arrested during last week's attempted protest in the capital.

A Ministry of Interior spokesperson mentioned the decision to release the arrested protesters was due to negotiations by the PM's committee and the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directives.

The spokesperson emphasized the right to peaceful protest but condemned taking the law into one's hands. Ensuring security in the Capital’s Red Zone was highlighted, containing constitutional institutions and the Diplomatic Enclave, at all costs.

The BYC had issued a three-day ultimatum to authorities, demanding the dismissal of cases against students and activists and the release of all protesters. The march, initiated in Turbat on December 6 following the alleged extra-judicial killing of a Baloch youth, reached the federal capital on December 20.

The Islamabad police's use of force to disperse and detain demonstrators drew widespread condemnation from human rights organizations, politicians, the IHC, and even the highest offices, including President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar.

tribune.com.pk

Baloch protesters’ crisis escalates | The Express Tribune

BYC announces shutdowns and rallies across Balochistan starting today
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) asked the federal capital's police on Wednesday to not treat the Baloch protesters as "enemies".

Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb's remarks came as he heard a petition filed last week challenging the protestors' arrests and denying them the right to protest in Islamabad.

The hearing was attended by the senior superintendent of police (SSP) operations, the advocate general (AG) Islamabad and the lawyer representing the oragnisers of the protest, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC).

Expressing his indignation, Justice Aurangzeb asked the SSP operations whether the order to treat the protestors ‘harshly’ was given by him. “You make some people sit in your lap while you treat others like this”, the judge remarked as he referred to the mass arrests the protestors were subjected to on reaching Islamabad on foot from Kech, in Balochistan. "They have come [here]. Let them sit".

During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel stated that 34 Baloch protestors were still in custoday who were still to be presented in an identification parade. He added that an individual named Zaheer, named in the first information report (FIR) registered at the Kohsar police station, is missing.

At this, the SSP informed that Zaheer was in jail and could not be released due to non-payment of bail money.

Meanwhile, the AG Islamabad maintained that it was “easy to blame the government, but not one Baloch person from among the protestors is missing".

“A larger number of protestors than these have come here [Islamabad] before. You have pampered them. What did they [Baloch protestors] do?" the judge asked the SSP.

The petitioner's lawyer pleaded that the court demand a report from the capital’s police explaining the arrest of the more than 50 women protesters.

“There is a lot that I would like to say, but I cannot,” Justice Aurangzeb remarked.

He then ordered the police to conduct an identification parade of the 34 arrested Baloch protesters by today, and also instructed the Islamabad Police to submit a report explaining the arrest of the female protesters.

The IHC adjourned the hearing of the case till December 29.

Crisis escalates

Authorities claim to have released all Baloch protesters who arrived in Islamabad last week to highlight the issue of missing persons but were rounded up in a crackdown.

However, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) — the protest organizers — disputes this, asserting that Islamabad Police have failed to release all detained protesters despite the three-day deadline's expiration.

The BYC announced that people in Balochistan will stage demonstrations and strikes starting today (Wednesday) to protest against authorities' highhandedness.

“We doubt the government's sincerity as its negotiation team, assigned by the premier for talks, has not reached out to us in the last two days,” stated a protest leader.

Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Murtaza Solangi, part of the PM’s committee, affirmed that the BYC march participants were released by court after due legal procedures.

“We await the protesters’ demands to proceed with negotiations. Once these demands are presented, we anticipate further discussions,” he stated.

Gul Zadi, a female participant in the march, voiced dissatisfaction with the government's lack of commitment to meeting the protesters’ demands and missing the deadline. Consequently, she said, the BYC is expanding the protest's scope.

Source: Express Tribune

tribune.com.pk

IHC tells police to not treat Baloch protesters as 'enemies' | The Express Tribune

Orders police to present 34 arrested protesters in identification parade, submit report on female protesters' arrest
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 
Baloch protesters accuse police of ‘disrupting’ seminar preparations in Islamabad

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), one of the groups organising the Baloch protest march in Islamabad, accused the police of sabotaging their seminar preparations in the capital, by allegedly switching off their sound system.

The BYC also shared videos of police at the venue outside the National Press Club. In one of the videos, Dr Mahrang Baloch, another organiser of the protest that is demanding an end to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of their community, can be heard requesting a policeman to leave and not disrupt their programme.

At the venue, one of the organisers, Saira, from Khuzdar said: “We were going to hold a press conference but the police tried to take away the speakers and the participants.

“The police and the administration are panickig. There is no household in Balochistan that has not found a mutilated body. Institutions make our household members disappear before our very eyes.”

She lamented that previously mutilated bodies would be found, but now people are being “killed in fake encounters”.

The development comes days after hundreds of participants of the long march were detained by the capital police, which the police said had subsequently released in batches earlier this week. However, the BYC says several protesters were still in custody.

The march — which started in Turbat on December 6 after the alleged “extrajudicial killing” of a Baloch youth by Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officials — had reached the federal capital on Dec 20.

The Islamabad police had subsequently used brutal force to disperse and detain the demonstrators with over 200 taken into custody from different areas of the federal capital. The action was strongly condemned by human rights organisations, politicians, the Islamabad High Court (IHC), President Dr Arif Alvi and caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and analysts.

Later, the Islamabad police on Dec 24 said the bail of all detained Baloch protesters had been approved and they were being released.

However on Wednesday, the Islamabad High Court — while hearing a petition filed by Baloch protesters against unlawful detention — was informed that 34 protesters were still in custody of the police.

IHC Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb had pointed out that the police were not treating them like other groups, including those who staged public gatherings in the Red Zone.

He asked the police not to harass the protesters and allow them to stage their peaceful protest.

The SSP operations had subsequently informed the court that they could be released after the identification parade was completed. The court directed the police to complete the process and sought a report by Dec 29.

The Islamabad police are yet to issue a statement addressing the claims made by the Baloch protesters regarding purported disruptions caused by the local police in the organisation of their seminar.

Source : The Express Tribune
 
The interim federal government on Thursday released 34 more arrested Baloch protesters on the recommendation of the committee established on the instructions of Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar for negotiations.

The protesters were taken into custody during a crackdown on demonstration demanding an end to enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings in Islamabad.

The Islamabad police's use of force to disperse and detain the demonstrators had drawn widespread condemnation from human rights organisations, politicians, the Islamabad High Court (IHC), and even the highest offices, including President Dr Arif Alvi and PM Kakar.

According to an official statement, all the arrested Baloch protesters have been released.

The committee members Caretaker Privatisation Minister Fawad Hasan Fawad, Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi and Caretaker Minister for National Heritage and Culture Jamal Shah along with Balochistan Governor Malik Abdul Wali Kakar, held talks with the protesters.

During the negotiations, the protesters demanded immediate release of the arrested persons. On the first day of the talks, the committee had issued orders for the immediate release of the arrested women and children.

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) kicked off its long march to Islamabad against the alleged extrajudicial killing of Balach Baloch.

The protesters accuse the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of unjustly branding Balach a terrorist and carrying out his cold-blooded killing.

The CTD vehemently denies these allegations, asserting that the incident resulted from an armed clash between "miscreants" and security forces in the Pasni road area of Turbat.

The BYC is currently encamped outside the National Press Club in Islamabad to protest against the movement against the “extra-judicial abductions” of the Baloch people.

On Wednesday, a delegation of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) visited their camp outside the National Press Club.

SCBA President Shahzad Shaukat assured the protesters that they would persuade the superior judiciary to play its role in the recovery of the missing Baloch people.

The relatives of the missing persons, while speaking with the delegation, appealed to the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa for justice.

The protesters informed the delegation about the sufferings of their families and asked it to convey their message to CJP Isa.

Source: Express Tribune

tribune.com.pk

Govt releases 34 more Baloch protesters following negotiations | The Express Tribune

All the arrested Baloch protesters have been released, claims statement
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 
Shakoor Baloch, Saif Baloch, and Balach Mola Bakhsh were killed on November 23 in the city of Turbat, in the Pakistan province of Balochistan.

According to Pakistan's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Balach had been arrested on November 20 and confessed to masterminding a terror plot. Using information he gave them, Pakistan authorities raided an address during which Balach was killed.

But the episode was just another example of a "fake encounter", in which Pakistan authorities abduct Baloch citizens only to eliminate them later under the pretext of a counter terror operation, campaigners say.Balach's lawyer, Advocate Jadain Dahshti, said that Balach was "never even involved in activism" and focused on his work in a tailor's shop in Turbat's Five Star Market.

Earlier this month a major conference organised by the Baloch National Movement (BNM ) cast a spotlight on forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and other grave human rights violations in Balochistan.More than 50,000 members of the Baloch community have been abducted since 2003, campaigners say, though this is disputed by Pakistan authorities.

The Amsterdam summit included BNM leaders and members from across Europe, including the UK, Germany, Paris, and the Netherlands and featured speeches from prominent human rights activists like Francesco Marino from Italy and Ayesha Siddiqa from the UK, alongside virtual addresses from Inam Mazari, a human rights activist, and Afshariyab Khatak, a leader from Pakistan's National Democratic Movement.

The Baloch are a traditionally nomadic people who have lived in South and Western Asia, and are currently scattered in Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan.

In Pakistan just having a Baloch name is enough to be marginalised and subjected to racist treatment, campaigners said at the summit.

They cited instances at Punjab University, where Baloch students have suffered nervous breakdowns over the double standards levied by academic staff.

Balach's death prompted the so-called Baloch Long March against Genocide in which thousands of women slowly marched towards Islamabad, led by human rights activist Dr Mahrang Baloch.

The protesters are demanding an end to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, as well as accountability for those involved in the alleged extrajudicial killings of Baloch youth.

Marchers were eventually forcibly dispersed after Pakistani police fired tear gas and water cannons, arresting at least 200 protestors, Dr Baloch among them.

Other marches were held across Europe, including a march in Trafalgar square London.

Members of the Baloch Republican Party reconvened to descend upon Downing Street on December 23.

Speaking last night, spokesman Hamaal Haider said: "We are trying to convince the British Government to take these important human rights abuses by Pakistan seriously.

"Over the last 20 years the Pakistan authorities have abducted more than 50,0000 people and have killed thousands of political activists, lawyers and journalists."

"We are targeted and we are frightened." UK-Pakistan relations remain complicated.On one hand Pakistan is a member of the Commonwealth and has its largest diaspora - around a million people - living in Britain.Officially its army is said to be an important bulwark against Jihadism.

On the other hand, Pakistan's ever-closening relationship with China has forced the UK to boost its charm offensive by redoubling aid and investment. Over the past decade, the UK has invested £900m in girls' education and broader education systems reform.

Technical assistance has helped the Government of Pakistan generate £1.1 billion through revenue mobilisation reforms and public financial management assistance in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. This has doubled the development spending of these provinces to more than £1 billion.

Mr Haider added: "Of course, we do not expect the UK to sever all ties with Pakistan."But we do expect consistency."Citing Britain's role in officially condemning the human rights relations in October, he added: "There are no prison camps yet, but in every substantive way this is just like the persecution of Uyghur muslims by China."We want this issue raised in Parliament and we want PM Rishi Sunak to send Islamabad a clear message about its deep and unjustifiable human rights abuses against the Baloch people. "We need him to at least pressure Islamabad to allow independent observers in, with freedom to examine what is happening. "Pakistan denies that it operates a "kill and dump" policy against Baloch people.

Source: Daily Express
 
PM Kakar ‘loses his cool’ over Baloch protests in capital

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Monday took exception to the support lent to Baloch protesters, who have been staging a sit-in in Islamabad for more than a week for the recovery of their loved ones and extra-judicial killings in the province.

The caretaker premier, who spent more than 15 minutes of a 20-minute press conference on the issues of Balochistan at Lahore’s Central Business District, appeared visibly irked.

Speaking about those who are supporting the Baloch protest, Mr Kakar said they could go join the Baloch militants.

“Advocates of terrorists in Balochistan should go and join them if they are convinced on the veracity of their issue and fight the state along with them, so that we know where they stand and how to deal with them,” he said, alluding to rights activists and journalists standing with the Baloch marchers.

Challenges those championing rights of Baloch to ‘go and join the militants’; claims those protesting are relatives of ‘people fighting against the state’

Responding to the media on the issue of police violence against Baloch protesters in Islamabad, the caretaker premier said that some of the people — media persons included — were trying to “mislead everyone, turning themselves into fake heroes of human rights and damaging the state”.

The caretaker PM insisted that those protesting in Islamabad are the “relatives of those fighting against the state” in Balochistan. He, however, added that the state had a beef with militant outfits, not the Baloch people.

“We still respect their right to protest because their dear and near ones disappeared. But they should also know that they [militants] were fighting against the state, with the help of RAW funding and aided by India. It is an armed rebellion, with foreign help,” he said.

Mr Kakar said those trying to create human rights issues out of the use of water cannons against protestors should also explain who is killing common people in Balochistan.

“Who is engaged in armed mutiny against the state of Pakistan? I am sure if these so-called advocates go to Balochistan, they would be killed as well. But please, go and join the BLF or BLA so that the state knows where you stand. The state is clear on how to deal with this menace. Please clarify your position,” he demanded.

“Should we ignore the fact that over 90,000 innocent people have been killed and not even nine criminals have been convicted so far? Our criminal justice is weak, and cannot punish terrorists. Should we let them go on a rampage? Have these false advocates [of human rights] tried to unmask those who are behind this carnage? Who is doing it? Isn’t investigative journalism part of their duty? If they are turning the handling of protestors into a human rights issue, taunting me about my Balochistan origin, and raising an uproar about how can it happen right under my nose, they must also bring out the other side of the picture,” he added.

“There are organised attacks taking place on security forces on a daily basis. Why not demand the arrest of killers of security forces and innocent people? Drawing a one-sided picture and then trying to take social, professional and political mileage out of it will not be allowed because it damages the state,” the caretaker PM added.

“I insist and support their right to protest for their dear ones. My problem is with those trying to project the wrong interpretation of the issue and exploiting it for their ends,” he added.

According to Mr Kakar, protest within the ambit of law was everyone’s right, the state has to respond if a limit is crossed. “After all, what happened on May 9? The PTI people were also protesting. Why are they taken to task? They crossed the legal limit. Everyone can protest but only with legal limits,” he added.

Source : Dawn News
 
Enforced disappearances: ‘Let’s solve this problem once and for all,’ CJP Isa remarks

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa on Tuesday said that the Supreme Court wanted to solve the problem of missing persons and enforced disappearances “once and for all”.

“This country belongs to all of us, even those who may have other points of view,” he said. “This matter will only be resolved when we all work together and take responsibility. Let’s make Pakistan strong from within. If Pakistan is strong from within, no outside forces can touch it,” the CJP added.

Justice Isa passed these remarks as a three-member bench comprising the CJP, Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar heard a set of petitions against missing persons. One of the pleas included an application filed by former senator and senior lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan.

At the outset of the hearing, which was broadcast live, Advocate Shoaib Shaheen appeared on behalf of Ahsan. He urged the apex court to accept the instant petition and declare that enforced disappearances are “violative of, inter alia, Articles 4 (right of individuals to be dealt with in accordance with law, etc), 9 (security of person), 10 (safeguards as to arrest and detention), 14 (inviolability of dignity of man, etc), 19 (freedom of speech, etc) and 25 (equality of citizens) of the Constitution.

He further requested the top court to declare that the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances “does not adequately comply with legal and international standards”.

Here, the CJP inquired about the commission of inquiry to which the lawyer read out loud a notification issued by the PPP — notifying the constitution of the same — in 2011. Shaheen argued the commission had failed to adequately function and fulfil its responsibilities. “So far, over 2,200 people are still missing and there is no information about them,” he told the bench.

Justice Isa remarked that the formation of a commission was a good thing and asked if the petitioner wanted the body to be dismissed.

The CJP further noted that the incident occurred during the PTI government. “It is strange that a federal minister is saying that a bill went missing […] when a mistake is being made inside your own house, admit it,” he said, adding that the “missing persons case has become a missing bill case”.

During the hearing, the case of anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan — who had gone missing last year for over four months — was also brought up. However, the CJP asked why the cases of journalists Matiullah Jan and Asad Ali Toor had not been mentioned in the petition.

“Did you talk to these journalists?” he inquired, to which Shaheen said he had taken up “live issues”.

“Once you pick and choose, then we ask you questions,” CJP Isa said, recalling that the case of the aforementioned journalists had come up in court earlier and he was one of the judges who decided on that.

At one point, the lawyer stated that Dr Deen Muhammad Baloch, a Baloch physical and politician, had been missing for 14 years and his family had filed applications in both courts and with the police. However, there was no trace of him for years.

“Moreover, Baloch students have been subjected to short-term disappearances, being picked up, kept in secret detention facilities and released several days later,” Shaheen highlighted. He also claimed that there were “serious allegations” against the state in every third case of missing persons.

Here, Justice Isa said that when he was the chief justice of the Balochistan High Court, cases pertaining to missing persons were heard every Tuesday and recoveries were made.

“I am surprised that there was a sit-in in Islamabad, but there was no mention of it in the petition,” he noted, to which Shaheen said the petition was filed before the protests took place. “You could have filed another petition, this way facts could have come before us,” Justice Isa said.

The CJP also stated that a list should have been provided of missing persons, name-wise and date-wise. In his response, the lawyer said the inquiry commission had been made a respondent in the case and they would provide the report/details on missing persons.

Justice Isa asked if the members of the inquiry commission had been changed after it was first formed. “From 2011 to 2023, the commission has not been changed,” Shaheen replied, to which the CJP promised to find a solution to the matter.

The top judge said he wanted to look at the number of people missing since 2001. “You should provide year-wise data,” Justice Mazhar remarked.

Source : Dawn News
 
Govt suspends 44 employees for backing Turbat sit-in

The Balochistan government has suspended 44 government employees in Turbat and Kohlu, including some officers, for allegedly participating in and facilitating a protest sit-in and rally against the alleged killing of Balaach Mola Bakhsh.

An official notification issued by the commissioner of Makran division confirmed the action against 30 government employees from various departments in Turbat.

Officials stated that the decision was made during a recent meeting of the district intelligence coordination committee, where these officials were identified as providing support to the participants of the anti-government sit-in and protest rally.

According to the notification, based on the meeting’s recommendation, the commissioner has suspended 30 employees from grades 1 to 15, and disciplinary action against officials of grade 16 and above was initiated through letters to the secretaries of concerned departments. Additionally, 14 government employees in the Kohlu district were suspended for participating in the sit-in and supporting the long march participants when it reached Kohlu last month.

The notification mentioned that action against these government employees was taken under the Balochistan Employees’ Efficiency and Discipline (BEEDA) Act, 2011. The majority of employees facing disciplinary action belong to the education department, serving as teachers in various schools.

Source : The Express Tribune
 
SC directs commission on enforced disappearances to submit ‘comprehensive’ report

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances to submit a “comprehensive report” on missing persons, along with the details of all production orders issued.

The commission, headed by Justice Javed Iqbal, was established in 2011 to trace missing persons and fix responsibility on the individuals or organisations responsible for it.

While hearing a case on the chronic malaise of enforced disappearances today, the SC instructed the commission to prepare a report on all the missing persons cases and provide production orders issued “in each of the cases” to the Attorney General for Pakistan within 10 days.

The orders were passed as a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali heard a set of pleas. Among the petitioners was Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan who highlighted how the unlawful practice of enforced disappearances continued unabated, haunting generations upon generations.

A day earlier, the top judge had emphasised that the case held great public importance and that the court intended to resolve the matter for good but insisted that the matter could be settled only if all accepted responsibility.

As the proceedings commenced today, Shaheen read out loud previous judgments issued on the matter in court. He also mentioned the Faizabad sit-in case. However, the CJP asked how the case was linked to enforced disappearances.

“Enforced disappearances are not directly mentioned [in the order] but it mentions the role of intelligence agencies,” the lawyer said. At that, the top judge remarked that the Faizabad sit-in verdict had upheld the fundamental right to protest.

Justice Isa then asked the lawyer to only provide details of the Baloch protesters who faced police action in Islamabad last month.

At one point, while Shaheen read out the court’s judgment on the abduction of journalist Matiullah Jan, the CJP asked why the lawyer was mentioning that case now. “Did the government at that time accept responsibility?” the judge inquired.

Shaheen replied that the then PTI government had intervened to expedite the recovery of the said journalist. However, the top judge intervened and said: “Don’t take credit. It was an egg on the face and I am surprised that not a single head rolled as a consequence.”

“When something has been established by video recording, an abduction taking place and presumably state agencies involved in the abduction, look the other way. No consequence. Then why govern? If you had taken a stance then, not a single missing person would have been picked up thereafter,” Justice Isa remarked, noting that Matiullah Jan’s case was “the only documented case”.

Shaheen argued that anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan was also abducted and footage of the same was available. He added that Riaz had called him to express that he was willing to come to court. The lawyer also referred to other political activists who were “picked up” but the court inquired why they did not say the same themselves.

“Please don’t start pleading cases of powerful people who are well-settled and have all the resources in the world and when they want they can come to court. And when they don’t want they don’t come to court. Don’t become their spokesperson,” the CJP lamented, adding that the PTI lawyer was making the case political.

Subsequently, the bench called Defence of Human Rights Chairperson Amina Masood Janjua to the rostrum. She said her husband was “forcefully disappeared” in 2005 during the tenure of Gen Pervez Musharraf and the then chief justice had taken a suo motu notice of it.

Source : Dawn News
 
Govt told not to uproot Baloch protest camp

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the government not to resort to harsh measures against the Baloch protesters whereas the Islamabad High Court (IHC) barred the police from using force to disperse the demonstrators encamped for almost two weeks outside the National Press Club.

The observation by the Supreme Court came during the hearing of a petition filed by lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan against enforced disappearance and the directives of the high court came in response to a petition moved by Sammi Deen Baloch — an organiser of the Baloch long march against enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan.

At the fag end of Wednesday’s hearing on enforced disappearances, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa observed every citizen had the right to protest. “Let them exercise this right to their heart’s content; unless they destroy public properties or resort to violence, there must not be any reason to curtail the right to protest let alone by force,” CJP Isa observed without naming the protesters from Balochistan.

“We don’t want these sorts of tactics employed by a responsible state against the protesters,” he said while heading a three-member bench comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali.

The top court also appointed senior counsel Faisal Siddiqi as amicus curiae to assist it with a direction that his expenses for travelling and lodging would be borne by the government. On Jan 2, Justice Isa had resolved to sort out the emotive and chronic malaise of enforced disappearance once and for all.

Missing persons’ commission

During the hearing, The court specifically asked about the working of the Commission of Enquiry on Enforced Disappearances, which was headed by Javed Iqbal, and comprising former judges Amanullah Yasinzai, Zia Pervez, and retired IGP Mohammad Sharif Virk.

The SC was informed by Defence for Human Rights Chairperson Amina Masood Janjua, Aitzaz Ahsan, lawyer retired Col Inamur Rahim and others – who appeared before the court – about their dissatisfaction regarding the functioning of the commission.

The court also expressed its surprise that the members of the commission were also getting regular emoluments in addition to pensions. When asked, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan said he had to look into the terms and conditions of the notification on the appointment of the commission to ascertain the facts. The CJP reminded that the retired judges cannot be paid extra emoluments when assigned tasks on behalf of the government.

When told that the commission had issued production orders (PO) in favour of missing persons, the court ordered the commission to furnish complete information. A copy of the report will be provided to the AGP who will then submit a comprehensive report before the Supreme Court, explaining whether or not these POs were complied with by the relevant departments.

During the hearing, Faisal Siddiqui referred to the first report of the commission headed by retired justice Kamal Mansoor Alam in 2010, highlighting that it issued 645 POs but only 51 were complied with.

The said report also concluded that relevant actors of the state were allegedly involved in the enforced disappearances, the counsel reminded. The AGP, however, stated that the commission had the power to issue contempt notice to elements who defied its orders.

Justice Isa said the court would end the practice of enforced disappearances and added that the top court wanted that people should not be picked up illegally. “We want a written assurance from the government so that consequences may follow in case of any non-adherence,” he added.

The CJP said the issue of missing persons was different in provinces, like Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adding that he was fully aware of the issues faced by people in Balochistan. The CJP recalled how he was told not to take a suo motu when 32 pilgrims were killed in Mastung on their way to pilgrimage. “Only yesterday, six barbers were killed in Waziristan,” the CJP regretted.

“The state has to make efforts to change this mindset by employing the entire machinery which the orders of the court cannot do,” the CJP observed. Referring to the case of missing Masood Janjua, who went missing on July 30, 2005, while travelling from Rawalpindi to Peshawar, the court recalled that Amina Masood Janjua had also approached the commission but she was not satisfied with its performance. Ms Janjua said she needed the truth for her family and added the incumbent army chief Asim Munir “may be of any help” in this regard.

The CJP observed that the army chief must have been a captain or a major at the time and had nothing to do with the said case. The petition will be taken up again after two weeks.

Police restrained

At the IHC, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani took up the petition of Ms Baloch and summoned the Islamabad deputy commissioner as well as the SSP. Justice Kayani remarked that the administration in the past tolerated months-long protests at Constitution Avenue in which the protesters used “abusive language against the judiciary”.

He directed the police and district administration not to forcibly disperse the protesters and summoned the SSP and DC Islamabad on January 5.

In her plea, Sammi Deen Baloch said the long march entered Islamabad on Dec 20, 2023. The protesters remained peaceful, yet, the police and district administration intimidated them without any reason. It said that on Dec 21, Baloch women activists were unlawfully detained at G-7 Women Police Station.

The petition said that the Baloch Yakjehti Committee announced a seminar and an intellectual session at the sit-in camp and the police attempted to spoil the event. The petition requested the court to restrain the police and district administration from forcibly removing, and deporting the protesters. It also sought action against the officials responsible for humiliating, intimidating, and harassing the peaceful protesters.

www.dawn.com

Govt told not to uproot Baloch protest camp

CJP says right to protest must not be curtailed; seeks report on missing persons commission.
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Baloch protesters threaten to set up camp in front of UN offices

As the seven-day ultimatum given by the Baloch Yekjehti Committee (BYC) ended on Wednesday, its leader, Dr Mahrang Baloch, issued a new line of action to press for the recovery of missing persons. She announced that a protest camp would be set up in front of the United Nations (UN) offices.

She also expressed gratitude to the judiciary for restraining the Islamabad police and capital administration from taking any action against their protest camp outside the National Press Club.

Talking to Dawn, Dr Mahrang Baloch criticised the Islamabad police for profiling the participants as well as visitors to their camp.

“Nobody has sought security from the police, but their large presence is only to intimidate the participants of the protest camp,” she said, adding that, “they cannot scare us now after the directives of the courts”.

“Our campaign has now entered the third phase and we will not be bogged down by threats and pressures because we have a justified demand based on basic human rights,” she said.

Dr Mahrang, who was flanked by Seema Baloch, sister of missing Shabbir Baloch and Sabghatullah Baloch, offered an olive branch to the authorities, saying that the BYC was for talks, but there should be a change in the attitude of the authorities.

“They are still harassing our supporters; FIRs have been lodged against our people and nobody was discussing the real issue, which was the recovery of our missing people,” Dr Mahrang said, adding that, “this just shows how serious they are in resolving the issue”.

The BYC leaders said they would continue their protests across the country and the protest camp in Islamabad would be further expanded with the participation of more families of missing Baloch persons, adding that social media campaigns as well as shutterdown strikes would be initiated.

“We will decide the next course of action in the coming days based on the response of the authorities,” Dr Mahrang said adding, “and if all peaceful means to persuade our demands fail, we will establish our camp outside the UN office to seek help from the international community”.

She also expressed her regrets over the statement of the caretaker prime minister, Anwaarul Haq Kakar, who claimed that the missing persons were terrorists.

“At least the prime minister has acknowledged that there was an issue of missing persons, and as for declaring them terrorists, I want to know which court has declared them terrorists; what about the implementation of various court decisions to produce the missing persons,” Dr Mahrang said.

Meanwhile, the situation at the camp was deteriorating as many participants, including children and the elderly, were facing the brunt of extreme Islamabad weather. A few people had also fallen sick.

At the same time philanthropists and leaders of various political parties were regularly visiting the protest camp, including leader of Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen Allama Nasir Abbas and Senator Mushtaq of Jamaat-i-Islami. They also donated warm beddings and clothing to the camp participants.

Source : Dawn News
 

SC seeks written assurance from govt on ‘enforced disappearances’

The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan has sought a written assurance from the federal government that henceforth, no one shall be picked up other than in accordance with the law, ARY News reported on Saturday.

The orders were passed as a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali heard a set of pleas in connection with enforced disappearances case.

“The Federal Government is directed to submit undertaking in writing, signed by senior most officers of the concerned ministries, that henceforth no one shall be picked up other than in accordance with the law,” stated a written order of Jan 3 hearing issued today.

The apex court also directed the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances to submit ‘comprehensive report’ on missing persons case, along with the details of all production orders issued.

“The Commission is directed to collate and submit: (a) the names with parentage and addresses of those who went missing, (b) name and relationship of the person who reported the missing person, (c) the date they went missing, (d) those who were in government in the Federation and the concerned province at that time, (e) whether the missing person was recovered or not, and (f) if not recovered the efforts, if any, taken to find out the whereabouts of the missing person. In addition, (g) all those in respect of whom production orders were issued but were not produced, and (h) what was the follow-up by the Commission when its production orders were not complied with,” stated the order.

Source : Ary News
 
Supporters of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), including political activists, human rights defenders and students, staged a protest sit-in in the Sariab area of the provincial capital

Holding placards and banners inscribed with demands including end to enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killing of political activists and students, and recovery of all missing persons, BYC supporters gathered in front of Balochistan University area of Sariab Road.

Addressing the protesters, student leaders and activists condemned the recent detention of Turbat protesters and said the interim government and state authorities were not ready to resolve the issues of missing persons. They reiterated their resolve to continue their movement till the acceptance of their demands.

Children also staged a protest demonstration in front of the Dalbandin Press Club, carrying pictures of those people who have been missing for a long time. They chanted slogans for the recovery of missing persons.

Traffic on Sariab Road that links Quetta-Karachi National Highway remained suspended for hours, as the protesters blocked the road by putting barricades, boulders and burning tyres.

Source : Dawn News
 
Dr Mahrang 'wants to move abroad' by misusing Islamabad sit-in

With Baloch marchers continuing to protest for recovery of missing persons in Islamabad, caretaker Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai has said that Baloch Yakjehti Committee's (BYC) Dr Mahrang Baloch wants to get asylum in a foreign country with the help of sit-ins in the federal capital

Mahrang, who is a human rights activist, is a prominent leader of the ongoing protests in Islamabad.

"Everyone knows Dr Mahrang's motivation. She wants to get asylum in any foreign embassy or settle in any foreign country by getting a visa. She has a dream to become Malala II," Achakzai said Wednesday while addressing a press conference in Quetta.

The minister said that the Baloch Enforced Disappearance Commission's report on the missing persons, which was presented to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, may shut the propaganda mills.

He said that the issue of Baloch missing persons has been used as an organised campaign and some people's motivation can also be used in election campaigns and other interests.

The minister said that Mahrang would keep selling this narrative but this "is a fact that the entire data has been received".

He disregarded the authenticity of any statistics part of the "propaganda" which are circulating in the private sector or media.

Achakzai said that the commission's report has been presented before the Supreme Court. He said that allegations were levelled regarding the people's arrests in Tonsa and other areas

"Banned outfits give the people names to be added to missing persons' lists," the minister said, adding that Pakistan is being defamed in the name of missing persons.

He went on to say that more than 200 attacks took place in Balochistan last year.

"Someone is involved in these attacks. Innocent people can't be involved in terror attacks," Achakzai stated.

He said that people affiliated with banned outfits carry out attacks after getting training in camps.

In response to the provincial minister’s remarks, Dr Mahrang told Thenews.com.pk that Achakzai and his government have been involved in “propaganda against us for a long time now”.

“All they want to do is character assassination of the victim families,” she claimed, adding, “I am not leaving Pakistan, I'm sitting here in Islamabad and I'll be here in this country.”

The human rights activist added: “Why would I fly to somewhere else? Are we demanding anything unconstitutional? I want to tell the world that the issue is not about me. It's about missing persons.”

People like Achakzai, she further said, are “merely pawns” who speak what they are told.

In its report, the inquiry commission said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 3,485 cases of missing persons, making it the highest number in the country. Causalities in drone attacks and the spike in militancy were the key reasons behind the disappearances, read the report.

In Balochistan, 2,752 cases related to enforced disappearance were lodged, the commission said, adding that besides other reasons, fleeing abroad without informing their families, due to the prevailing situation in the province, was among the causes of these cases.

"In exercise of the aforementioned powers, the commission has issued 744 production orders out of which 52 have been implemented by the addresses, while the remaining 692 production orders are yet to the executed by the quarters concerned.”

The commission also received 182 petitions from the quarters concerned requesting for review of the production orders in these cases, the report added.


Source: The News
 
The federal cabinet on Wednesday approved reconstitution of its committee on missing persons headed by the law minister.

The reconstitution is being done on the recommendation of the Ministry of Interior. The position became vacant after the resignation of the previous head of the committee, Sarfraz Bugti.

The cabinet meeting, chaired by Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, also approved regularisation of 227 daily-wage teachers as proposed by the Federal Directorate of Education and recommended by the Federal Public Service Commission in line with the Islamabad High Court’s decision of 2018.

For the construction of the Supreme Court Karachi Registry building, the cabinet on the recommendation of Ministry of Law and Justice as endorsed by the Supreme Court Building Committee, approved the transfer of federal courts and tribunals across the city.

It approved the summary regarding the operationalisation of the Livestock and Dairy Development Board so as to fulfil the legal requirements for the appointment of chief executive, in line with the decisions of the Islamabad and Balochistan high courts.

The cabinet gave in principle approval to the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Ordinance 2024 and forwarded it to the Cabinet Committee for Legislative Cases.

Under the authority, necessary guidelines would be formulated for the cultivation, extraction, refining, and medicinal and industrial use.

The cabinet approved the decisions of the Economic Coordination Committee taken during the meetings held on 13th, 15th and 20th December, 2023.

The cabinet gave approval to the decisions taken by the Cabinet Committee on State Owned Enterprises on 28th December, 2023.

It approved the decisions taken by the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases in a meeting held on 22nd December, 2023.

Source: The Express Tribune
 
The march — for justice, not sympathy

In the wee hours of December 21, 2023, a convoy of almost 300 men, women and children approached the capital. All of the participants were from Balochistan; each had lost a loved one to — in Justice Athar Minallah’s words — the “most heinous crime” of enforced disappearance.

As they approached the capital, a long, emotionally draining journey, riddled with logistical challenges and unnatural obstacles, that started from Turbat some 1,600 kilometres from Islamabad, was nearing its end. Unbeknown to the marchers, who must have been anticipating a well-deserved rest, a large contingent of Islamabad Police personnel lay in wait, ready to intercept and stop them from advancing towards the National Press Club.

What ensued, thereafter, was both appalling and shocking — visuals of women being dragged by police personnel, water cannons being used against the participants, including children, in freezing temperatures, elderly men and women being physically manhandled, the use of indiscriminate tear gas and the detention of nearly all the participants, flashed on TV screens across the country. Following the videos of the incident going viral on social media platforms, for a brief moment, it seemed that the federal government would be compelled to release all those who had earlier been detained.

However, the ordeal was not yet over for our Baloch visitors, with the police subsequently attempting to forcefully load the marchers onto buses, parked outside the G-7 Women Police Station, and force them all to go back to Balochistan.

Ironically, those who had covered all this distance, hoping to be heard and to lodge a peaceful protest against the enforced disappearance of their loved ones were themselves mistreated, humiliated, physically assaulted, illegally detained and worst of all, subjected to expulsion — a concept alien to our law and in fact, a direct violation of Article 15 of the Constitution of Pakistan [Freedom of movement].

Catalyst to the cause
While the above stated acts of brutality cannot be condemned enough, the state, through its own incompetence and mismanagement, had inadvertently provided the biggest stage to the Baloch long march participants and their cause.

For the first time, they mattered to us in a way that they had never mattered to us before. We were able to hear and understand the unfettered version of their stories, see their pain and suffering, appreciate their resilience and commitment and feel the warmth of their love and compassion. We were able to comprehend the genuineness of their grievances and perhaps, most importantly, realise that the actions and inactions of the state had caused the fault lines to grow exponentially and if they were to be left unaddressed, God forbid, the schism would widen further to a point of no return.

Source : Dawn News

www.dawn.com

The march — for justice, not sympathy

The state must realise that it is still not too late for it to redress the legitimate grievances of its own citizens.
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Two policemen, Levies official martyred in Quetta in 24 hours

QUETTA: Two police constables and a Levies official were martyred in separate incidents within a span of 24 hours, officials said on Saturday.

In one of the attacks that occurred in the Satellite Town area of the provincial capital, a Balochistan Constabulary constable, Muhammad Afzal, was fatally shot.

Police officials said Constable Afzal was on his way to Balochistan University for his duty when he was ambushed by unidentified armed motorcyclists on Makran Road.

“The assailants used automatic weapons, killing him (Constable Afzal) on the spot,” police officials said.

Following the attack, police units promptly arrived at the location, transferring the deceased officer’s body to the civil hospital.

Constable Afzal, who suffered multiple bullet wounds, was deployed on security duty at Balochistan University.

This incident marked the second fatal shooting of a police officer in Quetta within a day.

Another police constable, Muhammad Iqbal, who was on polio campaign duty, was shot and critically injured by armed individuals. Constable Iqbal, originally from Dera Ghazi Khan, later died of injuries in the hospital on Saturday. “We are investigating both the attacks,” a senior police officer said.

In a related incident, a Levies official was martyred by armed assailants in Pishin. The banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack.

Since the start of the year, militants have targeted security forces, especially those deployed for the protection of anti-polio vaccination teams. On Monday, an explosive device targeted a vehicle carrying police personnel for escorting polio vaccinators in Mamond tehsil.

Six cops were martyred and 28 were wounded in the attack. The truck was carrying cops from the police line for deploying them to perform duty with vaccinators on the first day of the anti-polio campaign when it was hit by a roadside improvised explosive device in the Billoot area.

The incident was the deadliest single act of terrorism against the people involved in vaccination. The incident, the first of its kind in the current year, marks the list of endless series of killing of police and vaccinators.
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www.dawn.com

Two policemen, Levies official martyred in Quetta in 24 hours

In one of the attacks, Constable Afzal was fatally shot; another constable Muhammad Iqbal shot on polio campaign duty.
www.dawn.com
 
9, including 3 children, injured in Quetta blast

Nine people, including a traffic policeman and three children, were injured in a blast on Quetta’s Zarghoon Road on Wednesday, according to police.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operation Jawad Tariq confirmed the number of injured to Dawn.com. He said that explosive material was planted in a heap of trash that had been lying for some time.

The explosion occurred when children, who were picking trash, were sifting through the garbage, he said.

It was unclear what kind of explosive device was used, Tariq said. “The explosion was not a security lapse,” he asserted.

“Foolproof security arrangements have been made with regards to the elections,” he added.

The head of the Quetta Trauma Centre, Dr Arbab Kamran, said that the injured were shifted to Civil Hospital. He added that two people were reported to be in critical condition.

On Tuesday, PPP candidate Mir Asghar Rind had survived a grenade attack in Turbat. The incident occurred when an unknown motorcyclist threw a grenade at his residence in Overseas Colony. Rind, a PPP leader and candidate for the Balochistan Assembly, remained unharmed but his brother sustained injuries.

On Monday, the premises of Government Model High School in Kharan was targeted by unknown men during a training session for polling staff.
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DAWN
 
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) disposed of the petition seeking to prevent the harassment of Baloch protesters on Friday and ordered authorities to provide security to protesters advocating for the recovery of missing individuals.

The hearing was presided by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani. The court also instructed the relevant departments to submit details related to cases against Baloch protesters within seven days.

During the proceedings, Advocate General Ayaz Shaukat requested to present a USB containing Mahrang Baloch's recent press conference. In response, Justice Kayani emphasised that no USB would be accepted and highlighted the daily ridicule faced by individuals in press conferences.

Addressing the attorney general, Justice Kayani highlighted that the people from Balochistan protesting in Islamabad require resolution, asserting, "You have to resolve the matter, not the court."

He pointed out that the issues faced by the protesters remained unresolved even in Balochistan. Furthermore, he instructed the provision of details of cases against them, whether in Turbat or elsewhere, to the applicant lawyers.

Shaukat maintained that Baloch protestors are not permitted to protest. He clarified that they are refraining from taking action against the protesters due to the court's interim relief and added that the government's desire is for the Baloch protesters to return to their homes.

The protesters were represented by Iman Mazari, Attaullah Kundi, and others while Advocate General Islamabad Ayaz Shaukat and State Counsel Abdul Rahman appeared on behalf of the district administration.

Earlier, a crackdown was carried out by Islamabad’s law enforcement agencies as Baloch protesters resisted the police's attempt to forcibly send them back to Quetta in buses, remaining in the vehicles – not allowing them to move -- to lodge their protest.

A scuffle also broke out between female police personnel and the women protesters in the process.

During the previous hearing, the IHC extended the order not to harass the Baloch protesters, issuing directions for providing them with facilities. Justice Kayani had also directed them to appoint a focal person to communicate with the administration.

Justice Kayani remarked that women and children were among the protesters. “It is the responsibility of the police and the administration to protect them. “Those whose brothers, fathers, and sons are missing, only they know the pain.”

A representative of IG police said that there was a dispute between them. “One of them might have taken it.” The court said that because of unidentified persons, they were looking for their brothers and daughters here. “Even the federal government does not understand where we are taking matters.”

The petitioner's lawyer said that the police and the administration were harassing the protesters. “ The court also told the petitioner's lawyer that they should not create any situation that would undermine their purpose.

Source: Express Tribune

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Missing persons issue for govt to resolve, not court: IHC | The Express Tribune

Justice Kayani orders provision of security for Baloch protesters, court disposes of petition
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National Party convoy comes under attack in Balochistan's Kech

With electioneering taking pace across the country as February 8 polls draw near, a convoy of the National Party (NP) came under attack on Sunday in Kech district’s Dasht Town.

The attack comes in the backdrop of security concerns raised by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and several other independent lawmakers, with the latter moving resolutions in the Senate seeking poll delay.

Previous general election campaigns have witnessed spasms of violence, with scores of candidates and voters targeted by bombings and gun attacks.

Commenting on the incident, Dasht Assistant Commissioner (AC) Abdul Hameed confirmed that unidentified men managed to escape after firing on the convoy.

As per the assistant commissioner, the firing damaged a vehicle's windscreen; however, the party leaders remained unhurt.

In a statement, NP spokesperson Jan Buledi said the party’s candidate for the PB-27 Lala Abdul Rasheed, and Senator Kohda Akram Dashti were present inside the vehicle that came under attack.

"They [the leaders] had gone to Dasht Kadan for electioneering [purposes]. Their vehicle came under fire, however, they remained safe as the vehicle was bulletproof" the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, NP's Central President Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, in his statement, condemned the attack on party leaders and said the incident was aimed at sabotaging elections.

"This is an attempt to create a law and order situation. The government should take steps to ensure the safety of politicians and party workers," he added.

This isn't the first time an election hopeful was attacked or a political party's event was targeted, as similar incidents have taken place in recent days as Pakistan moves towards general elections.

Earlier this month, Shah Khalid, a local leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was shot dead by unidentified men in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's (KP) Swabi district.

Another independent election candidate was killed in North Waziristan in the same month. The independent candidate, identified as Kaleemullah Khan, was eyeing to contest polls for the KP assembly's PK-104.

In a separate incident on the same day, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) candidate for NA-258 Aslam Buledi sustained injuries during a firing incident in Turbat City.

Former member of the national assembly and National Democratic Movement (NDM) leader Mohsin Dawar's convoy had also come under a gun attack by terrorists in the Tappi village this month.

The attacks come as the country has witnessed a significant surge in terrorist attacks with the last year's terror-related casualties reaching a six-year high with more than 1,500 civilians, security forces, and militants killed, according to the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).


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National Party convoy comes under attack in Balochistan's Kech

KECH: With electioneering taking pace across the country as February 8 polls draw near, a convoy of the National Party came under attack on Sunday in Kech district’s Dasht Town.The...
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Ready to forgo assembly seats if missing persons released: Mengal

GWADAR: President of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), Sardar Akhtar Mengal, has said that he is willing to withdraw from all seats in the upcoming general elections if all Baloch missing persons are released.

He emphasised that he is not ready to compromise the interests of Balochistan merely for the sake of parliamentary seats.

During a public gathering in Turbat and Gwadar as part of his party’s election campaign on Monday, Mr Mengal declared that the BNP-M’s primary contest is with the establishment, which has made efforts to exclude his party from the elections.

He claimed that in the previous parliament, his party actively addressed the issue of missing persons and successfully removed the fence that had been erected in the port city to restrict residents from their own city.

“We have no personal dispute with the establishment. We are just against the policies of the establishment, which had been imposed on the people just to serve their petty interests,” he said, adding that efforts were made to change the loyalties of BNP-M’s candidates; however, they chose to support him.

Mr Mengal remarked that in each Balochistan election, the establishment engages in different strategies, alternating between supporting parties such as Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid, PML-N and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).

In the current situation, there is an attempt to revive the political influence of Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, but Mr Mengal expressed confidence that this attempt would be unsuccessful. He pointed to the visible outcomes of a similar effort to sustain Bhutto’s influence in Lyari for four decades as evidence.

Additionally, Mr Mengal highlighted that despite the presence of numerous parties, Sardars, and Nawabs in the parliament, none have effectively advocated for the issues faced by the people of the province, particularly the plight of missing persons.

He underscored that it was the BNP-M whose MNAs, MPAs, and senators voluntarily relinquished their assembly seats in protest against the martyrdom of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti.

“Two Sardars left this world after playing their role for the rights of Balochistan. Nawab Bugti sacrificed his life for the honour, integrity and mother land,” Mr Mengal said, adding that BNP-M is not against the development in the province.

“However, we do not want such development in which we receive bodies of our loved ones,” he said.
​
SOURCE: DAWN
 
US pledges $320,000 for Balochistan's Mehrgarh Museum


US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome and interim Balochistan Chief Minister Ali Mardan Khan Domki launched the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation’s (AFCP) first-ever project in Balochistan.

This landmark initiative allocates over $320,000 for the preservation of Neolithic and other archaeological artifacts of the Mehrgarh civilisation, as well as the enhancement of curation at the Mehrgarh Museum of Balochistan in Quetta.

In his remarks, Ambassador Blome said: “This endeavour underscores the importance the United States places on the cultural legacy of Balochistan and our commitment to fostering a deeper appreciation of its history.”

The United States has awarded more than $8 million for 33 cultural heritage projects across Pakistan, including in Sindh province the restoration of Varun Dev Temple, Frere Hall, the Nusserwanjee Building, and the tombs of Sultan Ibrahim and Amir Sultan Muhammad at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Makli Hill necropolis.

US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome at the launch of the first-ever AFCP project in Balochistan. PHOTO: EXRESS

The launch, attended by US Consul General Karachi Conrad Tribble, officials from the Government of Balochistan Culture Department, and Sindh Exploration and Adventure Society (SEAS) co-founders Dr Kaleemullah Lashari and Dr Asma Ibrahim, included an overview of Mehrgarh history and the Mehrgarh Museum of Balochistan.

The Mehrgarh Museum of Balochistan, established in Sept 2022, showcases the region's pre- and early history. Artifacts from Mehrgarh are globally recognised and displayed in museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Musée Guimet in Paris, highlighting Pakistan’s global archaeological significance.


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US pledges $320,000 for Balochistan's Mehrgarh Museum | The Express Tribune

Envoy Blome, CM Domki launch AFCP’s launch first-ever project in Balochistan
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Thousands turn out to greet Mahrang Baloch in Quetta

After conducting a month-long protest sit-in in Islamabad, the participants of the Turbat long march, led by Dr Mahrang Baloch, arrived in Quetta on Thursday. A crowd of thousands, including students and women, warmly welcomed the marchers at the Sariab area near Balochistan University.

Initially reaching the Hazar Ganji area on the outskirts of Quetta, the marchers later proceeded in a significant procession to the Balochistan University area, where a large crowd had gathered to receive them.

The protest march had originated in Turbat following the alleged extrajudicial killing of Balaach Mola Bakhsh, attributed to the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). The participants demanded the registration of an FIR against the officials involved.

Starting their march from Turbat, the participants travelled through various areas, ultimately reaching Islamabad. There, they staged a sit-in in front of the National Press Club, advocating for an end to enforced disappearances of students, political workers, and human rights defenders.

Additionally, they called for the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the killing of missing persons.

“In Islamabad, the policemen pulled the veil (chadar) from the heads of our women and also tortured them,” Dr Baloch said, adding that the Baloch nation should never forget the heinous act, nor should they forget their missing brothers “who have been suffering torture in state prisons for many years”.

“We knew from the first day that we would not get justice from Islamabad; we had no expectations from Islamabad before and will not have any in the future,” she said.

Dr Baloch said that some government leaders are falsely claiming that they ended the sit-in through negotiations and clarified that the sit-in was not ended based on negotiations with anyone.

“If Baloch don’t wake up today, their condition will be worse than the Bengalis tomorrow,” she said.

She urged the public to join the gathering scheduled in Quetta on Jan 27, emphasising that the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) would unveil its next course of action during this public meeting.

The BYC, led by Dr Baloch, announced on Tuesday that pressures from the police and other state institutions, along with the indifferent attitude of government functionaries, had compelled them to call off the protest in Islamabad.

Dr Baloch spoke to the media while their belongings were being packed on Wednesday. She said the sit-in was to highlight the issue of missing persons in Balochistan, and their responsibility has been fulfilled.

“Now the people of Punjab who are educated and have a higher degree of awareness take up this responsibility to speak for the missing citizens of this country,” she said, adding that the BYC had become stronger after this protest and would continue its movement against enforced disappearances.

Right after BYC left the Islamabad campsite, Nawabzada Jamal Raisani, the leader of a rival camp set up by the Balochistan Shuhada Forum (BSF), announced that they were also winding up their camp as the key demand to establish a judicial commission had been met.

“I also had a meeting with the caretaker cabinet member Fawad Hassan Fawad and presented our demand to form a judicial commission, and we have been promised that the summary in this regard will be forwarded to the prime minister,” he said.

Additionally, Amnesty International has condemned the harassment faced by Baloch protesters in Islamabad.

In response, Caretaker Information Minister of Balochistan Jan Achakzai claimed that Amnesty International relied on “unverified claims, biased sources, and demonstrably false narratives” created by separatist elements with vested interests.
​
www.dawn.com

Thousands turn out to greet Mahrang Baloch in Quetta

Activist denies Islamabad sit-in ended after negotiations with govt.
www.dawn.com
 
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari says there is no perfect democracy in the country and he will try to protect the rights of the people living in Balochistan.

Addressing an election meeting in Hub on Sunday, the former president said the budget of Bochistan had been raised by four times but it was invisible anywhere.

“When the law and order situation will improve in Hub, investors will come here and the Hub will be prosperous like Karachi,” he said.

The survival of Balochistan is in the democracy and it should be explained to those who opted for the arm struggle, he concluded.

Source: Dunya News
 
Four soldiers martyred, nine terrorists killed in Balochistan shootouts

Nine terrorists including three suicide bombers have been killed by the security forces in retaliation following multiple attacks on Mach and Kolpur Complexes in Balochistan.

Four brave members of the law enforcement agencies, having fought gallantly, embraced martyrdom along with two innocent civilians during an intense exchange of fire, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Tuesday.

Multiple terrorists including suicide bombers attacked Mach and Kolpur complexes on night between January 29 and 30, which was effectively responded to by law enforcement agencies, the military’s media wing said in a statement.

The security forces in the vicinity were immediately mobilised to carry out the ensuing operation. Nine terrorists including three suicide bombers have been sent to hell and three others were injured, it added.

Effective response by law enforcement agencies is a testament to their unrelenting resolve in the fight against terrorism. Pakistan's security forces stand shoulder to shoulder with other LEAs to ensure peace and stability in the country, it concluded.

The operation was commenced following multiple terrorist attacks in Mach and Kolpur towns of the province’s Kachhi district late Monday.

The security forces repulsed a “fire raid” attempt by Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) terrorists in Balochistan’s Mach late Monday, reported Geo News citing sources.

Mach city echoed with explosions and plunged into darkness after terrorists fired several rockets from mountains, followed by heavy gunfire, on Monday night, according to The News.

People were trapped in their homes due to explosions and firing while firing also started in Kolpur town and the Gokhart Bibi Nani area.

According to security sources, unidentified persons fired 15 rockets from the mountains at 9:30pm in the Mach area of Kuchi Bolan.

Sources added security forces had received intelligence about the terrorist attack and laid an ambush for the terrorists. The terrorists retreated after being overwhelmed by the effective response of the security forces, they added.

Security forces have launched a search operation against the fleeing terrorists, as per the insiders.


The News
 
Balochistan National Party (Mengal) President Sardar Akhtar Mengal has said that the people of Balochistan are being treated as “orphans” by the rulers and warned the attitude will further push the province towards danger.

While addressing a rally in Dalbandin town of Chagai district on Tuesday, Mr Mengal said subsequent governments have “looted the resources of Balochistan with both hands”.

He referred to the minerals and natural gas reserves in Saindak and Sui and CPEC projects in Gwadar and said the existence of Baloch and their nation is “in danger”.

Mr Mengal added that even when the British ruled the region for over a hundred years and locals fought against them, their children didn’t go missing.

“But for twenty years now, young men are missing,” he said and lamented that a sister is waiting for her brother to return, and an old mother is waiting for her son.

He added that when people peacefully protest against these injustices, they are told they are violating the Constitution.

“Sometimes they are called traitors, and sometimes they say you are not Muslim.”

Source: Dawn

www.dawn.com

Baloch treated as ‘orphans’ by rulers, laments Mengal

“But for twenty years now, young men are missing,” says BNP-M president.
www.dawn.com
 
At least one killed in Quetta explosion

At least one person was killed and another injured in an explosion in the Sabzal Road area of Quetta on Thursday.

According to initial reports, the explosion was caused by a roadside bomb and the explosion took the life of a passerby.

Emergency services reached the area of the incident and initiated a rescue operation. Law enforcement agencies also cordoned off the area and started an investigation into the cause of the blast.

The country is experiencing a sudden upsurge in violence, a mere week before general elections scheduled for February 8.

A day earlier, unknown miscreants lobbed a hand grenade at the election office of the PPP on Sariab Road in Quetta, injuring five people. According to police, Ali Madad Jatak, the PPP candidate for the provincial assembly seat in Quetta, was not present at the office at the time of the attack.

Miscreants also lobbed a hand grenade at the residence of Mir Zahoor Buledi, the PPP’s candidate for a provincial assembly seat in district Kech.

On Tuesday, a bomb blast on a main road in Balochistan’s Sibi during an election rally led by Saddam Tareen, a PTI-affiliated independent candidate for the NA-253 (Ziarat) constituency, leaving at least four people dead and five others injured.

An ANP activist, identified as Zahoor Ahmed, was killed and another injured when armed men opened fire in the Maizai Addah in Qilla Abdullah district.

ANP Balochistan condemned the incident and demanded that the government should arrest the culprits.

tribune.com.pk

At least one killed in Quetta explosion | The Express Tribune

Security forces cordon off area, initiate investigation
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Ten bomb, grenade attacks rock Balochistan

At least 10 bomb and grenade attacks rocked different areas of Balochistan on Thursday, resulting in the death of one man, a provincial government official confirmed.

Several police stations and deputy commissioners’ offices were targeted in the attacks in which six people, including a police officer and a jail warden, were injured.

“At least 10 bomb and grenade attacks happened across Balochistan, including provincial capital Quetta,” the senior official told Dawn.

A bomb, placed along a footpath on the CPEC road in the Spinny area of Quetta, went off, killing a passerby, according to Quetta SSP (operations) Jawad Tariq.

The intensity of the blast rocked several areas of the provincial capital, according to officials. The police cordoned off the area and shifted the body to Civil Hospital.

Hospital officials said the victim’s body was mutilated due to his proximity to the bomb at the time of the blast.

The deceased was identified as 84-year-old Abdul Khaliq Shah.

SSP Tariq added that around 8kg of explosive was used in the improvised explosive device.

The target of the bomb was unknown as there was no election campaign-related event scheduled within the vicinity, the SSP said, adding that security was already on high alert due to the upcoming elections.

In another attack near Quetta’s outskirts, an assistant sub-inspector (ASI), Ghulam Raza, was injured.

Unknown attackers hurled a hand grenade at the Shalkot police station, which exploded in the courtyard.

The attack damaged the station’s building and some vehicles in the parking area.

The injured police officer was admitted to the Civil Hospital.

In Mastung, the central prison was attacked by hand grenades, which exploded inside the jail, resulting in damage to the building.

The jail warder was injured in the attack.

In the attacks in Quetta, Khuzdar and Turbat, the offices of PML-N and National Party, and a joint office of BNP-M and JUI-F were targeted with grenades. However, no loss of life was reported.

The offices of deputy commissioners in Dhadar and Panjgur were also targeted with hand grenades.

One person was injured in another grenade attack on the house of the Kachhi deputy commissioner.

In a blast in the Turbat market area, one person was injured while a grenade was also lobbed at police and FC posts, but no casualty was reported.

Unknown attackers also attacked the Hub City Police Station, while a grenade was recovered from the gate of the Pakistan Coast Guards Office, which could not explode.

After the attacks, the Balochistan government tightened security in all cities and towns across the province.

The Election Commission of Pakistan said it had taken notice of the attacks and sought detailed reports from the Balochistan inspector general of police and chief secretary.

Condemnation

Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri has strongly condemned the terrorist attacks and expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of life.

She said the enemy wants to sabotage peace and order, which will not be allowed to succeed under any circumstances.

The senator hailed the security forces, whom she said prevented the terrorists from carrying out major attacks.

She also paid tribute to the deceased and injured, saying they demonstrated bravery.

Senator Zehri claimed that the new wave of terrorism across the country was part of “a well-thought-out plan”, and the whole nation was united to thwart these cowardly acts.

SOURCE:https://www.dawn.com/news/1810545/ten-bomb-grenade-attacks-rock-balochistan
 
Security forces on Friday killed 24 terrorists in a clearance operation in Mach and Kolpur Balochistan, ARY News reported quoting ISPR.

According to the Army’s media wing, the terrorists attacked Mach and Kolpur Complexes in Balochistan on the night of 29/30 January 2024.

ISPR stated that the terrorists were then gunned down in the sanitisation and clearance operations which have been concluded after clearing and securing the area.

During the firefights and clearance operations, in the last three days, 24 terrorists have been killed including key terrorists Shehzad Baloch, Attaullah, Salah Uddin, Abdul Wadood and Zeeshan, ISPR added.

The Army’s media wing further said that the identification process of remaining terrorists is in process.

However, during intense exchange of fire, four brave members of Law Enforcement Agancies, having fought gallantly, embraced Shahadat along with two innocent civilians.

Effective response by Law Enforcement Agancies is a testament of their unrelenting resolve in fight against terrorism. Pakistan’s Security Forces stand shoulder to shoulder with other Law Enforcement Agencies to ensure peace & stability in the country.”

It may be noted that fifteen rockets were fired in the town of Machh, Bolan, earlier this week. The attack created panic in the area. The security forces responded promptly to the attacks.

The failed attack in Mach later revealed links between the proscribed Balochistan Liberation Front (BLA) and the Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

Source: ARY

arynews.tv

Macch operation: Security forces kill 24 terrorists in three days

RAWALPINDI: Security forces on Friday killed 24 terrorists in a clearance operation in Mach and Kolpur Balochistan, ARY News reported quoting ISPR.
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
Pakistan is dominated by news of politics as it prepares for general elections next week. But when hundreds of citizens marched on the capital Islamabad in December, they did so with a completely different agenda.

Among them was Sammi Deen Baloch, hugging a laminated photograph of her father - as she had done on numerous occasions over the past 14 years - and demanding to know where he is.

Or if he is even still alive.

The 26-year-old is one of several women who led the march, which saw protesters walk almost 1,000 miles from the restive Balochistan province, demanding the whereabouts of family members whom they say have been "forcibly disappeared". At least 200 people were arrested and police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds.

Campaigns like this are routine in the conflict-ridden province and women play a key part in organising them.

Balochistan, in the west of Pakistan, has been the scene of a long-running nationalist insurgency.

Separatist militants say they are fighting for a free Balochistan.

The protesters say their loved ones - many of them men - have been picked up, tortured and killed with impunity by Pakistani security forces, amid a bloody counterinsurgency operation. Islamabad authorities have denied these accusations.

They believe there have been thousands of such disappearances over the last two decades.

The UN defines enforced disappearances as "the arrest, detention, abduction or any other form of deprivation of liberty by agents of the state".

Sammi's father, Deen Mohammad Baloch, was forcibly disappeared when she was just 11. In June 2009, armed forces stormed a public hospital in south-western Balochistan when he was the doctor on shift and detained him.

"Until today we do not know what has happened to him. My mother does not know if she is a widow or still married. And we still don't know why they took him," she told the BBC.

The Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, a non-profit organisation representing family members of those who disappeared in Balochistan, says approximately 7,000 cases have been registered with them since 2004.

The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances convened by the government records 2,752 active cases of enforced disappearances in the province as of January 2024, but Pakistan's interim prime minister claimed in a recent interview with the BBC that only about 50 people are missing.

Protesters hold photos of their missing relatives, during a protest against so-called enforced disappearances
In 2021, Pakistan's parliament - the National Assembly - passed a bill to criminalise enforced disappearances, but it has not yet come into force. Court directives have also been issued over the years to hold the state responsible for such disappearances, but rights groups say these pledges have rung hollow.

The state has branded Baloch activists - many of whom have advocated Baloch nationalism and irredentism - as secessionists or trouble-makers.

But many people who were picked up in recent years are Baloch people who do not have anything to do with the armed resistance, Pakistani journalist Taha Siddiqui claims.

He said officials instead detain "on mere suspicion and at times on false information provided by rival pro-Pakistan groups based in Balochistan".

Protesters have been calling for Pakistani authorities to deal with the accused according to the law, not detain them arbitrarily.

"If they had done anything wrong, produce them to the court. These forced disappearances have brought so much suffering to our family. My life has completely changed since 2009. We've been put through so much mental torture. I don't know what life we are living. It is very painful," Sammi said.

Mahrang Baloch, who organised last year's long march and was arrested twice in the midst of it, told the BBC she hoped it "brought global attention to the human rights violations and state oppression prevalent in Balochistan".

The 30-year-old, who is a prominent figure in the Baloch resistance movement, said that in 2009 her father Abdul Gaffar Langove was taken - allegedly by security service officers - and found dead with signs of torture two years later. Her brother was detained for three months in 2017.

"Cases of forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan escalated to an alarming extent… Many people remain unaccounted for. Some may be released after being held in secret cells and tortured. But the conditions of their mental and physical health are far from normal," she said.

A Baloch man living in exile in London said he fled Pakistan for fear of being abducted.

"The Pakistani army had been trying to impose hegemony on citizens in Balochistan. We have a lot of gold and other natural resources in the province, but the Baloch people do not receive resources from the national government. Some places don't even have proper drinking water," said the man, who spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity.

He noted cases of Baloch activists who mysteriously died while in exile, including activist Karima Baloch who was found dead in December 2020 near Lake Ontario in Toronto, Canada. Earlier that year, Pakistani journalist Sajid Hussain, who served as editor-in-chief of The Balochistan Times while in exile in Sweden, was found dead in a river north of Stockholm. Authorities in the respective countries have said the circumstances around both deaths were suspicious.

Balochistan recently returned to the global spotlight after it was hit by air strikes from Iran in January, leading Pakistan to retaliate with strikes in Iran's Sistan and Baluchistan province.

Both states say they were targeting Baloch militants.

Historically, the term Balochistan has been used to refer to a wider territory that includes land in Iran and Afghanistan.

Baloch groups in both Pakistan and Iran are part of a decades-long struggle for greater autonomy, with some fighting for an independent Balochistan state.

The Balochs have blamed the Pakistani government for exploiting and profiting from the province's resources while neglecting its development.

It is also a crucial part of a multi-billion dollar project funded by China called the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, but many believe the Baloch people will not receive the employment opportunities created through the project.

"The entire province is racked by alienation, dejection and frustration towards Pakistan as well as those Punjabi socio-political elites who call the shots in Pakistan," said Burzine Waghmar from the University of London's SOAS South Asia Institute.

Protesters and observers believe it is in Pakistan's political and economic interest to resolve the conflict in Balochistan, but they hold little hope that the upcoming elections would bring change for the Baloch people, and fear it may even disenfranchise the community further.

The state has been pushing non-Baloch candidates to contest in Baloch constituencies, which will further alienate the already-marginalised community, Mr Siddiqui said.

The election is of little significance for the Baloch, Mahrang said.

"Whichever government comes into power, the human rights violations and extrajudicial killings will persist in Balochistan. It has never been of genuine concern to the leadership," she said.

BBC
 
The government of Balochistan imposed a ban on Sunday on public meetings and electoral gatherings in Quetta citing security threats.

Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai took to social media platform X to announce the ban and elaborated that the step has been taken in "response to a terror alert", indicating the presence of a suspected female suicide bomber in Quetta.

Achakzai emphasised the necessity of imposing restrictions on public gatherings and electoral meetings. He urged all political parties and candidates to conduct their meetings indoors.

While recognising the importance of the electoral campaign, the Balochistan government underscored that public safety must be prioritised.

As the nation braces for polls on Feb 8, a concerning surge in violence marked by several acts of terrorism has unfolded in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Prominent political figures have also been issued threats. The law enforcement agencies are grappling with the formidable challenge of upholding peace and stability in the region.

On Thursday, one person was killed and five others injured in three separate attacks in Balochistan.

In the first incident of violence, an individual lost his life and another sustained injuries as a blast occurred on Sabzal Road in Quetta.

According to police, unidentified miscreants had planted an improvised explosive device on the roadside, resulting in a powerful explosion that claimed the life of a person on the spot.

Meanwhile, in two separate incidents of violence in the province, four people sustained injuries in two separate hand-grenade attacks in Jaffarabad and Turbat cities.

The first grenade attack occurred in the Ghulam Nabi Chowk area of Turbat, leaving a person injured whereas the other took place on the national highway in Dera Allah Yar, Jaffarabad district, leaving three people injured.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) while expressing deep concern over the terror attacks sought an immediate report from the Balochistan chief secretary and inspector general.

In another episode of violence, unidentified assailants hurled a hand grenade at the office of Mir Nooruddin Nowsherwani, the PPP candidate in Kharan. However, no loss of life was reported.

Similarly, miscreants threw a hand grenade at the office of PML-N on Qambrani Road, Quetta. No casualty was reported

According to the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), 15 political figures in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa received threats from extremists in connection with the upcoming general elections.

Releasing a list of such individuals, the CTD maintained that threats had been issued to former National Assembly member Mohsin Dawar, ex-provincial minister Imtiaz Qureshi, Senator Hidayatullah, PML-N’s former MNA Amir Muqam, PTI leaders Pir Musawir Shah and Shah Muhammad, JUI-F’s Malik Adnan Wazir and Ehsanullah.

Senators Bakhti Afsar and Maulana Abdur Rasheed are also threatened by extremists.

The CTD stated that the police officials of concerned districts have been informed about the threats, and directed for additional security of the listed politicians.

Meanwhile, sit-in and protest against the killing of National Assembly candidate Rehan Zeb continued in Khar Bazaar, Bajaur.

Zeb was shot dead on Wednesday by unidentified assailants while campaigning in Bajaur district’s Sadiqabad Phattak Bazar.

Similarly, unknown miscreants lobbed a hand grenade at the election office of the PPP on Sariab Road in Quetta, injuring five people. According to police, Ali Madad Jatak, the PPP candidate for the provincial assembly seat in Quetta, was not present at the office at the time of the attack.

Miscreants also threw a hand grenade at the residence of Mir Zahoor Buledi, the PPP’s candidate for a provincial assembly seat in district Kech.

On Tuesday, a bomb blast on a main road in Balochistan’s Sibi during an election rally led by Saddam Tareen – a PTI-affiliated independent candidate for the NA-253 (Ziarat) constituency – left at least four people dead and five others injured.

An ANP activist, identified as Zahoor Ahmed, was killed and another injured when armed men opened fire in the Maizai Addah in Qilla Abdullah district.

Source: Express Tribune

tribune.com.pk

Balochistan govt bans public meetings, electoral gatherings | The Express Tribune

Achakzai indicates presence of suspected female suicide bomber in Quetta
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has called for the government to finally take steps to resolve the issue of missing persons and has condemned the treatment meted out to Baloch protesters in Islamabad.

He said there should be an improvement in how the government treats those protesting in this regard. “I am not satisfied with the approach of caretaker federal and provincial government,” he said about the recent Baloch protests.

Bilawal said a message should have been sent back to Balochistan that the state cared about its interests.

Dawn News
 
High profile terrorist of Daesh killed in Balochistan

The security forces of Pakistan on Friday claimed to have killed high-profile terrorist, Abdul Shakoor, affiliated with the banned organization Daesh, ARY News reported, citing an ISPR press statement.

As per the ISPR spokesperson, the security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Qilla Saifullah District of Balochistan on the reported presence of a high-profile terrorist.

During the exchange of fire with the high-profile terrorist, Abdul Shakoor alias Nauman alias Abu Hamza Khurasani of Daesh, was killed.



arynews.tv

High profile terrorist of Daesh killed in Balochistan

The security forces of Pakistan on Friday claimed to have killed high-profile terrorist, Abdul Shakoor, affiliated with the banned organization Daesh, ARY
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
Cricket Warrior said:
High profile terrorist of Daesh killed in Balochistan

The security forces of Pakistan on Friday claimed to have killed high-profile terrorist, Abdul Shakoor, affiliated with the banned organization Daesh, ARY News reported, citing an ISPR press statement.

As per the ISPR spokesperson, the security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Qilla Saifullah District of Balochistan on the reported presence of a high-profile terrorist.

During the exchange of fire with the high-profile terrorist, Abdul Shakoor alias Nauman alias Abu Hamza Khurasani of Daesh, was killed.



arynews.tv

High profile terrorist of Daesh killed in Balochistan

The security forces of Pakistan on Friday claimed to have killed high-profile terrorist, Abdul Shakoor, affiliated with the banned organization Daesh, ARY
arynews.tv arynews.tv
Click to expand...
The question is how the hell do Daish and all other terrorist organizations suddenly start attacking Pakistan just at the time of elections? It seems like someone wants to benefit from such attacks.
 

What a joke, he was part of the interim setup and now this...Such a mockery of the system​

====

Sarfraz Bugti elected Balochistan CM unopposed​

Sarfraz Bugti, a member of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and a Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA), has been elected unopposed as Balochistan Chief Minister.

The nomination was made by the PPP, marking a significant development in the political landscape of the province.

Taking to X, he thanked PPP co-chairman and chairman, Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for the nomination. “May Allah guide me and help me to do justice with this heavy responsibility,” he added.

Source: The Express Tribune
 
Issue of missing persons must be resolved: Khawaja Asif

Senior PML-N leader Khawaja Asif has stressed the urgent need to address the longstanding issue of missing persons in Balochistan.

Addressing the media in Islamabad, he expressed concerns over the prevailing situation in the province, saying it was high time that the unfortunate norm of missing persons was resolved.

"The time has come for a change in Balochistan. The pressing problem of missing persons needs to be resolved," he added.

The PML-N further urged the Baloch leadership, who have held power for several decades, to prioritise the welfare of the people.


tribune.com.pk

Issue of missing persons must be resolved: Khawaja Asif | The Express Tribune

PML-N leader says the pressing issue needs urgent attention
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 
Cricket Warrior said:
Issue of missing persons must be resolved: Khawaja Asif

Senior PML-N leader Khawaja Asif has stressed the urgent need to address the longstanding issue of missing persons in Balochistan.

Addressing the media in Islamabad, he expressed concerns over the prevailing situation in the province, saying it was high time that the unfortunate norm of missing persons was resolved.

"The time has come for a change in Balochistan. The pressing problem of missing persons needs to be resolved," he added.

The PML-N further urged the Baloch leadership, who have held power for several decades, to prioritise the welfare of the people.


tribune.com.pk

Issue of missing persons must be resolved: Khawaja Asif | The Express Tribune

PML-N leader says the pressing issue needs urgent attention
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
Click to expand...
This guy is a joke, it seems like they are coming into power for the first time. Why didn't they resolve this issue of misisng persons in their previous terms? and this Khawaja Asif himself was the defense minister what the hell was he doing at that time?
 

Newly elected CM Bugti forms committee for damage assessment in Gwadar​

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti has formed a committee to assess the damage caused by recent heavy rains and floods in Gwadar district.The committee will submit its reports to the CM in 20 days.

Balochistan Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan will head the committee, which also includes the MNA and MPA from Gwadar, the chairmen of the district council and municipal committee, the Makran commissioner and the Gwadar deputy commissioner.

Bugti, who arrived in Gwadar on Sunday on the directives of the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, visited various rain-affected areas and directed the official to complete the dewatering process in 24 hours and provide maximum relief to the affected population.

He met the flood-affected families and distributed relief goods.

Source: Dawn News
 

Nine die in Balochistan as rains and snowfall show no signs of stopping​

The recent spell of heavy rains and snowfall in various districts, including the capital city of Balochistan, has resulted in a tragic loss of nine lives due to accidents and incidents such as roof collapses.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) revealed that from February 27 to March 12, relentless rains and snowfall lashed several districts, causing significant damage to residential structures.

According to PDMA’s announcement, a total of 259 houses were completely destroyed, while 1040 suffered partial damage during this period.

The casualties occurred across multiple districts, including Quetta, Kharan, Kech, Barkhan, Chaman, and Pishin, where incidents of roof collapses and other rain-related accidents claimed the lives of nine individuals. Additionally, the heavy downpour led to the destruction of 80 fishing boats.

Looking ahead, the meteorological department has forecasted continued rain and snowfall in various districts, including Quetta, Chaman, Ziarat, Pashin, Kalat, Chagai, Sorab, Sabi, Nasirabad, Mastung, Nushki, Loralai, Harnai, Sherani, Zhob, Musa Khel, Kohlu, Qila Saifullah, and Qila Abdullah over the next 24 hours.

In response to the ongoing disaster, relief efforts are underway in the affected districts, with the delivery of essential supplies such as food, tents, and other relief materials to assist those affected by the adverse weather conditions.

Furthermore, recent reports indicate that snowfall occurred in Ziarat and Sanjawi on Tuesday night, leading to a drop in temperatures. In Quetta, the heavy rains caused rivers to overflow, exacerbating the situation in the region.

The meteorological department has advised residents to expect intermittent rain in Quetta, Kallat, and Nasribabad, among other areas, for the next twenty-four hours, emphasizing the need for continued vigilance and preparedness amidst the ongoing weather challenges.

Source: SAMAA
 
Balochistan have seen lots of rain in the last few weeks and it is expected that there will be more rain in the coming days. Government should be doing better than what they have been doing so far.
 
Balochistan University teachers, staff protest non-payment of salaries

Hundreds of Balochistan University employees, including senior professors, lecturers and other female staff members, protested in front of the university on Tuesday against the non-payment of their salaries for the past three months.

The demonstrators, gathering at the university’s main gate, blocked the Sariab Road by setting up barricades and boulders, disrupting traffic to other cities.

Carrying placards and banners that voiced their grievances, the protesters chanted slogans against the management of the university and the provincial authorities.

Dr Kaleem Ullah Barech, president of the Balochistan University Academic Association and leader of the protest, criticised the university’s administration for its inability to address the ongoing financial turmoil, which he said had resulted in halted salaries for both teaching and administrative staff.

“We have not received our monthly pay for the last three months, which has severely impacted all employees, particularly the non-teaching staff,” Dr Barech said, adding that the university had been facing a financial crisis for many years as the provincial government had failed to devise a viable solution.

He said retired employees had also not been paid their pension for many months, while active employees had been denied their other allowances, including house rent.

Speaking at the protest, other leaders of the joint action committee stressed that the university’s workforce was enduring significant hardship due to the prolonged non-payment of salaries amid persistently high inflation.

They called upon the federal and provincial governments, along with the Higher Education Commission, to allocate the necessary funding to alleviate the financial distress faced by Balochistan University.

“We will continue our protest sit-in until receiving our three months of salaries,” Dr Barech told Dawn, insisting that other public sector universities in Balochistan were also grappling with similar financial challenges.

SOURCE: DAWN
 
18 workers trapped in mine after explosion in Balochistan’s Zardalo

As many as 18 miners were trapped after an explosion inside a coal mine in the Zardalo area of Harnai district on Tuesday night.

Officials said 10 miners were working in the mine when a powerful explosion took place. “A big portion of the mine caved in and 10 workers were trapped inside the mine,” they said.

After the incident, a group of local miners went inside to rescue the trapped miners, but they were also trapped there due to the presence of methane gas, Levies officials said.

The directorate of chief inspector of mines said teams had launched a rescue operation. However, no miner could be rescued till late into the night.

SOURCE: DAWN
 
12 killed, 8 rescued after coal mine collapses in Harnai district

Twelve miners were killed and eight rescued after an explosion in a coal mine in the Zardalo area of Balochistan’s Harnai district, officials said on Wednesday.

Earlier, it was reported that 18 miners were trapped after a big portion of the mine caved in when a powerful explosion took place. The directorate of chief inspector of mines had said that teams launched a rescue operation.

“The rescue operation has been just completed,” said Balochistan chief inspector of mines Abdul Ghani Baloch on Wednesday morning.

He said that 20 miners had been inside the mine when a methane gas explosion took place overnight. He added that rescue teams recovered 12 bodies while the survivors had been taken to hospital.

“Two bodies were recovered during the night, with the remaining 10 retrieved early in the morning,” Abdul Ghani Baloch, chief inspector of mines for Balochistan, told AFP.

Abdullah Shahwani, the province’s director general of mining, also confirmed the death toll.

It was initially thought that there were only ten miners involved in the cave-in about 80 kilometres east of Quetta.

Rescue workers from the government mining department and the disaster management agency toiled through the night to reach them.

A group of eight people who were attempting to rescue their colleagues also became trapped for several hours but were later brought to safety by a government rescue team — some of them unconscious.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a statement expressing “profound sorrow and grief over the loss of precious lives”.

According to Radio Pakistan, the premier directed that all possible medical treatment be provided to the injured miners.

Terming such incidents as “very painful and sad”, he said the government would provide all possible relief to the injured and affected families.

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah also expressed their grief on the incident.

Conveying their condolences to the bereaved families, they prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

Past incidents

Coal deposits are found in the western areas of Pakistan that sit near the Afghan border and mine accidents are common, mainly due to gas build-ups.

Mine workers have complained that a lack of safety gear and poor working conditions are the key causes of frequent accidents, labour union officials have said in the past.

“This incident is neither the first nor will it be the last in Balochistan,” Lala Sultan, head of the Balochistan Coal Mines Workers Federation told AFP.

“Safety measures at coal mines are scarcely implemented. While other provinces have some safety protocols in place, in Balochistan safety is utterly neglected.”

In December, two coal miners were killed and three injured when a fire broke out in a private mine in Balochistan’s Duki coal field.

In September last year, three workers were buried under the rubble of a coal mine in Sindh’s Jamshoro when a mine caved in.

Earlier the same year, a coal miner was killed and three received burn injuries in a methane gas explosion in a mine in the Duki coal field.

A year ago, at least six miners were killed in a gas explosion inside a coal mine in the Harnai district.

In May 2018, 23 people were killed and 11 more wounded after gas explosions tore through two neighbouring coal mines in the same region.

A total of 43 workers also died in 2011 when gas explosions triggered a collapse in another Balochistan colliery.

SOURCE: DAWN
 

Barrick Gold delegation meets PM: Reko Diq feasibility study due by year-end​


A delegation from Barrick Gold Company, led by Chief Executive Officer Mark Bristow, met Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Friday. They informed him that the feasibility study for the Reko Diq project in Balochistan would be completed by the end of the current year.

The prime minister expressed his belief that the Reko Diq project would be a game changer for the development of Balochistan and the wider region. He stated, "This project will usher in a new era of development of the province and prosperity of the people."

He also said planning would be done regarding communication infrastructure, particularly railway lines, to fully utilise Balochistan's mineral resources.

Furthermore, the prime minister urged Barrick Gold to consider investing in other mineral projects within the province. He suggested potential collaboration between the government and Barrick Gold to establish a technical university in Chagai district.

The government, he noted, is committed to facilitating investors, particularly in the areas of road and communication systems.

In terms of the progress of the Reko Diq project, the Barrick Gold delegation reported that the feasibility study would indeed be concluded by the end of the current year. They highlighted the company's prioritisation of employing local and Balochistan domiciled individuals for the project.

Additionally, Barrick Gold disclosed their efforts in corporate social responsibility, including the establishment of three schools near Reko Diq and the provision of technical training to 100 individuals, including women.

The meeting was attended by Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazir Tarar, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Muhammad Jehanzeb, and other relevant senior government officials.

tribune.com.pk

Reko Diq feasibility nears completion | The Express Tribune

Saudi Fund for Development delegation calls on PM
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 
Three coal miners kidnapped in Duki

Armed men kidnapped three coal miners in the Duki coal field area of Balochistan on Friday night, officials said.

The officials said miners were identified as Johar Khan Ishaqzai, Shah Khan and Bacha Khan Yousafzai and two of them belonged to Shangla area of Swat while the third one hailed from Quetta.

A heavy contingent of Levies Force and personnel of other law enforcement agencies rushed to the site and challenged the armed men. However, in an ensuing exchange of fire, the kidnappers managed to flee along with the coal miners.

While no one claimed responsibility, officials believed the armed men belonged to a banned outfit and kidnapped the miners for ransom.

Protest in Quetta

On Saturday, hundreds of coal mine workers staged a sit-in to press the authorities to ensure safety and protection of miners in Balochistan, after the kidnapping of miners in Duki area and the methane gas explosion that claimed 12 lives in the Zardalo area of Harnai.

The protesters chanted slogans against the mine owners, directorate and other relevant authorities.

Led by Pakistan Workers’ Federation, Balochistan chapter, Secretary General Pir Mohammad Kakar, the protesting coal mine workers gathered in front of the Quetta Press Club before taking out a rally carrying placards and banners inscribed with their demands.

Besides Mr Kakar, labour leaders Karim Harper, Malik Saeed Lehri and Usman Ali while addressing the protesters condemned the abduction.

According to them, over 60 coal miners have lost their lives in different incidents in Balochistan during the last two months. The three miners were kidnapped only three days after the methane explosion that claimed 12 lives of mine workers, they said, while deploring the indifference of the mines directorate and other relevant authorities towards the safety and protection of coal miners.

Mr Kakar demanded that each victim of the recent Harnai explosion be paid Rs2.5m compensation. A number of lives were lost every year in such tragedies just because someone had not put in place proper safety and protection measures, he said.

SOURCE: DAWN
 
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