VBMP Protest Enforced Abductions in Balochistan
Reporter: Shawn Forbes
Producer: Aziz Baloch
Report for Balochi TV & Radio Online Vancouver, Canada
On October 6th 2014, Rather than enjoying Eid day celebrations, the relatives of abducted Baloch joined the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons in their annual Eid day protest in Quetta. Protestors began their demonstration at the VBMP Token Hunger Strike Camp at the Quetta Press Club. Led by VBMP Vice Chairman Mama Qadeer, the families of the disappeared marched to a number of venues throughout Quetta bearing images of their abducted relatives and chanting slogans denouncing the occupational State’s policy of enforced abductions, extra judicial executions and genocidal military operations in Balochistan.
Since the extra judicial execution of his son Jalil in 2009 while in custody of the state; VBMP Vice Chairman Mama Qadeer has been campaigning for the safe recovery of the over 18,000 missing Baloch. During the protests on Eid Al Adha, VBMP Vice Chairman Mama Qadeer stated “How can people [families of missing persons] celebrate Eid when their loved ones are not with them?” Mama Qadeer further stated that “incident of abduction of political activists and discovery of mutilated bodies of previously abducted Baloch have increased since the new provincial government [of Dr Malik Baloch] came to power.” Demonstrators demanded their loved ones be either unconditionally released or if accused of any crimes they should produced before the courts.
Nearly one year ago, On October 27th 2013 Mama Qadeer set out on a historic 2000km long march from Quetta to Islamabad via Karachi. Mama Qadeer was joined in his record setting long march by a number of relatives of disappeared Baloch. Among them was 11 year old Ali Haider Baloch; he and his elder sister Saba are campaigning for the release of their father Ramzan Baloch. VBMP Secretary General Farzana Majid Baloch was also among the long march demonstrators; Farzana’s Brother Zakir Majid Baloch has been missing since 2009, and is believed to be in the custody of State Agencies.
Upon their arrival in Islamabad the VBMP Long March demonstrators met with United Nations officials, who accepted the VBMP memorandum. A UN working group then met with the families members of the victims of enforced disappearances in Quetta. Unfortunately these and many other victim’s families are still waiting to get substantial support from UN human rights commission to bring their loved ones home from the Pakistani security forces torture cells. Sadly this has become one of the biggest human rights crisis’ in the region. Yet it continues to be completely neglected by democratic world body and international community.
After their historic long march, and subsequent protests in Islamabad, Mama Qadeer and the VBMP demonstrators returned to the hunger strike protest camp at the Quetta Press Club. For 1751 days Mama Qadeer and VBMP demonstrators have conducted token hunger strikes at the #VBMPProtestCamp.
Despite the ongoing demonstrations and protests by the families of the disappeared, Pakistan continues to accelerate their vicious campaign of enforced abductions. More and more mutilated bodies are found dumped across the Baloch Countryside each day. The despicable atrocities committed by the occupational state are steadily becoming exceedingly insidious. Only a few weeks ago merchants in Quetta’s meat markets were found to be selling human flesh, believed to be that of disappeared Baloch.
Despite the drastic increases in mutilated bodies, mass graves, and civilian deaths, the occupational state’s sycophant provincial government claims the frequency of the extra judicial executions and enforced disappearances of Baloch activists has diminished.
The Silence of the International community and the United Nations’ refusal to uphold international human rights laws have encouraged the Pakistani Army and their terrorist proxies. Violent military operations against civilian towns & villages have become a near daily routine for the Occupational State Forces.
While Pakistan’s Army continually bombards the homes of Baloch civilians; State endorsed Radical Jihadist gangs carry out sinister terrorist attacks against Zikris, Shia, Christians, Hindus and other minorities with complete impunity. According to many Baloch leaders and activists, these terrorist gangs are not only encouraged by the occupational state’s medieval policies, but are outright sponsored by Pakistan’s Army & ISI.
During the recent United Nations General Assembly in New York, a number of world leaders delivered inspirational speeches about combating human rights abuses, enforcing international laws and confronting terrorism.
The UN Human Rights Council even adopted 32 resolutions after the 27th session to validate and ratify these objectives. Despite Pakistan’s blatant disregard for international laws and the UN’s promises to investigate the human rights abuses in Balochistan, not once was Balochistan mentioned as a candidate for investigation. While the international community indulges in entertaining idealistic rhetoric, the somber reality is one of inaction and indifference.
