Baloch Yakjehti Committee (Islamabad)
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Enforced disappearances continue; Another goes ‘missing’ in Panjgur
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PRESS RELEASE
Date 23/12/2023
Dear Journalists,
Balochistan has become a black hole, where enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, fake encounters, and human rights violations are part of the daily routine, but neither national nor international media have ever given coverage to this grave situation of human rights violations happeing there in extreme form. The Baloch nation has been facing these major violations for decades. For the state forces, Balochistan is an empty place where they can perform and practice their illegal, unlawful, and dehumanising methods. Pakistan’s Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) are fully free to commit any kinds of illegal actions in Balochistan. The people of Balochistan urge every media outlet, journalist, and human rights organisation to play their role in countering and resisting these human rights violations and the inhumane situation in Balochistan.
Respected Journalists,
As we have cleared above, enforced disappearances and fake encounters are being committed by Pakistan’s security forces on the Baloch nation in the entirety of Pakistan. Persisting that unlawful crime, on October 29, 2023, at 1:00 AM (expectedly), Balach, son of Mr. Mola Baksh, was abducted in front of his family members from his home in Absar, Turbat area of district Kech, Balochistan.
On November 20, 2023, a First Investigation Report was lodged against Mr. Balach Mola Baksh, and after one day, Mr. Balach was presented by Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) at the session court in Turbat, and the session court of Turbat ordered a 10-day physical remand for Mr. Balach.
After two days, the CTD Balochistan killed Mr. Balach in their custody, along with three other enforcedly disappeared Baloch individuals, in a staged encounter. In effect, a demonstration started in the area of Turbat to demand justice for the killing of Mr. Balach and other Baloch individuals who had been killed in fake encounters. Other than that, a FIR was lodged against the CTD Balochistan in a result of the protests and mass upraising in Turbat.
This sit-in at Shaheed Fida Chowk, Turbat, soon shifted to a movement against the Baloch Genocide and the extra-judicial abductions of Baloch, specifically Baloch youths. For two weeks, this movement continued in the form of a sit-in, where different subjugated and oppressed families came to register their cases. This movement appeared as a ray of hope for Baloch and Balochistan, who had been silenced through brute forces for the last seven decades, where peaceful demonstrations had become a sin.
On December 6, 2023, this movement took the form of a long march by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee against the enforced disappearances and fake encounters in Balochistan, from Turbat to Islamabad. Apart from that, this Long Peaceful March faced many hurdles and hindrances on its way to Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, passing through Heeronk, Hoshab, Panjgoor, Besima, Gresha, Naal, Khuzdar, are
Baloch Yakjehti Committee (Islamabad)
Date 23/12/2023
Soorab, Manguchar, and Mastung. Persisting in their peaceful march, the March against Baloch Genocide announced that the long march would now move towards Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, after four days of a protest sit-in at Saryab Mill, Quetta. Moving forward, the supporters of the peaceful march were subjected to violence at Dera Ghazi Khan’s Gaddai Chowk. Punjab Police batton-charged peaceful demonstrators and arrested many of the females preparing for the welcome of the March. Four Baloch activists were abducted by the DG Khan Police in the name of a so-called agreement.
Furthermore, the March passed through these hurdles at Dera Ghazi Khan and demanded the release of the arrested and enforcedly disappeared Baloch activists. Following the large scale demonstrations of the peaceful March, their supporters were released.
The transporters in Dera Ghazi Khan were threatened not to move the participants of the march, or else they would face harsh consequences. In light of these hurdles, the March announced that they would continue their march against the Baloch Genocide by foot if the issue was not resolved. But, after dealing with the administration, the transport issue became resolved.
Dear Journalists,
Moving from DG Khan, the March commenced a historical rally in Taunsa against the Baloch Genocide, mobilising the masses to form a collective front against the atrocities of the state. But the state feared this peaceful march. And when all other tactics became unsuccessful, The march was stopped initially at the entrance of Islamabad at the toll plaza and then at Chungi 26. In order to sabotage the march, the police used abusive language and harassed the peaceful protestors to provoke them to use violence. When all other tactics went to vain, nearly at midnight, initially the police used water cannons, charged batons and tearing gases in the extreme winter and then dispersed the protestors at the Press Club in Islamabad through tear gased, batons and excessive use of brute force. After dispersing the sit-in at NPC, Islamabad, the police surrounded the participants of the March at Chungi 26 and arrested them with brute force and violence by using dehumanising methods and excelled the lawful and constitutional ways and sobotaged the peaceful protest, sit-in camp and forcibly wanted to deport the families of long marchers.
Respected Journalists,
Nearly 350 of our students and families were arrested by the Islamabad Police. Out of which, the females and 33 students were granted bail the next day. While more than 250 of our students are still in jail. Out of which, more than 100 have still not been presented before court. And their status is missing. We request and urge all the people of Balochistan, who have come out on the streets for the last three days against the torture of the participants in the March and Baloch students, to continue their protests until all the participants, students, and activists are released and the demands of #MarchAgainstBaloch Genocide are met. Dear Journalists,
Our March against the Baloch Genocide has the following Charter of Demands: are
Baloch Yakjehti Committee (Islamabad)
Date 23/12/2023
1) A fact-finding mission headed by the United Nations Working Group should be sent to Balochistan for a detailed investigation regarding human rights violations in Balochistan.
2) CTD Balochistan shall accept that it has killed Balach Mola Baksh in a staged fake encounter.
3) All forcibly disappeared Baloch people, especially those whose families are present in this sit-in should be immediately released.
4) CTD and death squads supported by state agencies must be eliminated. While an announcement letter must be issued.
5) Confess to kill enforcedly disappeared persons in fake encounters. For this, a letter of an acknowledgement should be issued by the Ministry of Interior, and a press conference should be held, which should include the names of all the victims. And with that, all fake FIRs against peaceful protestors should be stopped.
These demands persist with the movement, but through this Press conference, we are issuing a three-day ultimatum to state for the withdrawal of FIRs registered against peaceful protestors and releasing the 100+ Baloch students, whose status is still missing and were arrested by Police in Islamabad during the crackdown against peaceful students in Islamabad. If the state does not produce the missing students from Islamabad and does not withdraw FIRs against peaceful protestors, then the long march will be compelled to take harsh steps and the state and it’s administration shall be responsible for this. The three day ultimatum is for the following two demands;
1) All the arrested Baloch students and activists by the Islamabad Police shall be released immediately, and FIRs shall be quashed.
2) All the FIRs registered in different cities against the activists of the March against the Baloch Genocide shall be quashed immediately.
Through the medium of this press conference, we want to tell the authorities that your force, violence, and tactics of oppression and subjugation will not end this movement. And this movement shall continue from now on in the form of a sit-in at the National Press Club, Islamabad, till our demands are met we are persistent and will resist politically till last breath.
