Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Relentless Military Aggression and Restriction of Education in Balochistan

Afghan Voice - Pakistani army raids language centre

Once again Pakistani Forces have sabotaged the education of the Baloch Nation.  On March 17th 2014 Pakistani Armed Forces attacked the Karawan English Language Center in Koshkalat, Turbat.  Six of the School Teachers; Abdul Salam, Mehran, Jamil, Muheeb, Kalimullah, Siraj, and three students Moqeeb, Jamil & Waheed were abducted by State Forces during the invasion.  

Only last week several Baloch students were attacked and severely beaten by a gang of 8 BBA students at an Islamabad University.  The Balochi students were attacked for speaking openly in Balochi language.  Also, earlier this year in mid-January, the Pakistani FC raided a College dormitory in Turbat.  Whereupon they confiscated allegedly “controversial” material including documentaries and history books by respected journalists and intellectuals. During the raid FC soldiers abducted one of the students and subjected a university professor as well as several other students to acts of torture.

Incidents such as these truly illustrate the occupational state’s agenda. Preventing the Baloch people from attaining meaningful education is crucial to the occupational state’s system of oppression. By denying the Indigenous Population of Balochistan adequate education, the Baloch Youth are subsequently prevented from achieving their personal potential and attaining meaningful employment. The Pakistani States policy of enforced poverty through restriction of proper education is an essential component to maintaining their occupation of Balochistan.

In the Kashi area of Dera Bugti the bullet riddled body of Basheer Ahmad s/o Ali Baksh Bugti was discovered on Monday.  Pakistani Forces abducted Basheer Ahmad along with several other Baloch residents during an operation in the Patfeedar region of Sui, Dera Bugti.



Last week Pakistani Forces initiated a ruthless assault in the Mashkai region of Balochistan. Regional sources have reported Gunship Helicopters indiscriminately Bombarding the helpless residents. According to regional reports, the entire village of Koh-e-Ispat was reduced to smoldering ruins by State Forces. The Koh-Jani, Zung, Dar-e-Band and Alangi villages were also heavily besieged by the Pakistan Army.
Yesterday Pakistani Armed Forces again extended their savage rampage through Mashkai to include the small town of Khan-Dari (hometown of Nationalist Leader Dr. Allah Nazar).  According to reports, Pakistani Forces set at least 20 homes, in Khandari, on fire during the Loot & Burn operations.
Residents including the Women & Children were detained & subjected to Acts of Torture during the assault. The homes of Hakeem, Anwar, Wahid, Abdul & Haqq are among the countless houses devastated by State Attacks in Mashkai.  


In the aftermath of the attacks in Dera Bugti, bodies of abductees have begun to surface in the region.  On Tuesday March 18th, two bodies were found dumped in the Pirkoh region of Dera Bugti.  A local shepard discovered the remains near gas well #19 and informed the local authorities.  The remains were identified as that of Tomeer s/o Meer Khan Bugti and Basheero s/o Sadhan Bugti.  Witnesses say the victim’s remains showed clear signs of torture and inhuman treatment.  BRP media sources have confirmed the victims were abducted during a State offensive in the Zain Koh area of Dera Bugti on March 1st.

Pakistani Security Forces continue to conduct unlawful arbitrary raids and military operations in Balochistan.  On Monday, State Security Forces attacked the New Kahan district of Quetta.  Local residents were harassed, detained and interrogated.  Some of whom were subjected to acts of torture.  All detainees were eventually released.  The next day Security Forces in Quetta initiated another military operation in the Saryab rd. area.  Unconfirmed reports of mass abductions have been leaked from the region.

Over the past two days 4 people were killed and 4 abducted from various regions including Khuchlak and Sobat Poor.  On Monday in Dera Bugti unidentified gunmen killed one and injured three.  In Panjgur two people were murdered this week.  Qadir Baloch in Washbood Panjgur, and Ameer Mela of Eassai Panjgur, were gunned down by unidentified target killers.   Last Friday, March 14th, in Hub Mohmmad Latif was also killed by unidentified gunmen.  A Turbat resident named Raifque was also abducted on Friday.

March 17th was a day of sorrow for the people of Balochistan.  Nine years ago on this day the Pakistani Army Bombarded Baloch villages in the Dera Bugti region with gunship helicopters.  71 residents of the rural Baloch villages were killed during the attacks.  The March 17th, 2005 Dera Bugti Massacre is forever held as a day of solemn remembrance for the Martyrs who died during the assault.  The attacks on that fateful day marked the beginning of the 5th Pakistani Military Occupation of Balochistan.  Since then 20,000 ethnic Baloch civilians have been unlawfully abducted and over 1600 extra-judicialy killed by State Forces in Balochistan.


Hundreds of Karachi protestors joined The Voice for Baloch Missing Persons demonstration at the Karachi Press Club on March 17th.  Local activist Mir Balach Baloch alongside his colleagues showed their support and appreciation to the Mama Qadeer Baloch and the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons for their historic Long March & Hunger Strike demonstration.  Mir Balach Baloch called upon social media activists to show their support for Mama Qadeer Baloch & Banuk Farzana Mahjeed Baloch.  In a statement Mir Balach said “We are with Mama Qadeer Baloch and will struggle until every last missing person is accounted for.”


Balochwarna News - Baloch activists’ names have been removed from Supreme Court’s list
Baluch Sarmachar - Mama Qadeer demands recovery of all missing persons

Banuk Farzana Mahjeed along with Mama Qadeer and several other VBMP activists held a press conference at the Karachi Press club on March 18th.  Banuk Farzana Mahjeed addressed the conference and demanded The Pakistani Courts explain why her abducted Brother Zakir Mahjeed’s name was removed from the Supreme Court’s official list of abducted Baloch persons.  Zakir Mahjeed was abducted by State Agencies in June of 2009 from the Mastung area of Balochistan. 
Since Zakir Mahjeed’s abduction, Farzana Mahjeed has been petitioning the courts and steadily protesting.  In 2013 Farzana Mahjeed joined Mama Qadeer and the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons Long March participants for the recovery of their missing loved ones.  Demonstrators marched nearly 3000km from Quetta to Karachi to Islamabad in protest of the State Policy of enforced disappearances & extrajudicial killings in Balochistan. 
In her statements, Farzana Mahjeed said: “If my brother has committed any crimes then he should be brought before the Supreme Court. But from past five years the state agencies have not even once heard my plea to locate the whereabouts of my brother.”  Furthermore, she asked “Can justice Jawad tell us why the doors of this institution for justice [Supreme Court] are being shut for us? Has Justice Jawad forgotten my plea and the tear of Kabeer Baloch’s mother?”
Although Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Jawad had ordered the release of her brother and several other abductees, security & intelligence agencies have refused to comply.  As well as Zakir Mahjeed, many other abductees including Mushtaq Baloch, Kabeer Baloch, Attaullah Baloch and Saadullah Baloch were also removed from the official list.
Banuk Farzana Mahjeed and The Voice For Baloch Missing Persons appeals to the United Nations, International Community, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other international humanitarian organisations to take notice of enforced-disappearances in Balochistan and play their role for the safe release of her brother Zakir Majeed and thousands of other abducted Baloch.




Earlier this week, demonstrations were also held in Quetta and Karachi to protest the Pakistan Army’s continuing aggression against the ethnic Baloch population.  The Baloch Human Rights Organization conducted protests in Quetta at the Quetta Press Club against the ongoing military operations in Mashkai & Dera Bugti.  While in Karachi the Baloch Republican Party alongside Baloch Republican Students Organization and Baloch Human Rights Organization held protests at the Quetta Press Club to protest the politically motivated Death Squad attacks in Lyari.

BRP and BRSO leaders addressed the protesters stating “State atrocities that started almost a decade ago continue unabated and gaining momentum with every passing moment. Military operations have been extended to every breadth and corner of Balochistan.  Enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings of political activists, teachers, students, lawyers, intellectuals and innocent Baloch people have become a daily routine.” Representatives further said that the Baloch nation had no trust in any institution of the state and only relation between the Baloch Nation and state; is that of the oppressor and the oppressed.

March 27th 1948 marks the day Pakistani forces illegally invaded and occupied Balochistan.  Since that day the Baloch Nation has considered March 27th as a Black Day.

In a recent statement Baloch Patriot Leader Hyrbyair Marri has called upon the entire Baloch Nation to observe March 27th as a Black Day and organize Shutter-Down protests.   He said “not only Baloch nation should protest on 27 March 2014 but they should also make it clear to the occupying state that they will never accept this illegal relation and will continue to struggle for sovereignty and independence.”

BRP-UK will be holding a protest on March 22nd in front of British Parliament (Palace of Westminster).  BRP UK Representatives will be highlighting the killing of Baloch in Lyari, Karachi, as well as exposing the disturbing Human rights violations, enforced disappearances, and the State Security Forces blatant kill and dump policies in Balochistan.  The protest is scheduled on Saturday March 22nd, 2014 from 2pm to 4pm.

The Baloch Community in London, England, Will be holding a protest in front of the British Prime Minister’s Office at 10 Downing Street on March 27th from 2pm until 4pm GMT.  The protest will be highlighting the ongoing military operations in Balochistan as well as the severe human rights violations, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killing & dumping of Baloch activists.
In the United States, activists will be staging a protest to draw the attention of Obama Administration to the ongoing genocidal policies of Pakistan in Balochistan, and Pakistani misuse of American aid to conduct genocide in Balochistan.  The protest is scheduled for March 27th 2014 from 12:00pm until 3:00pm in front of the State Dept. 2201 C St.  NW, Washington, DC 20520
BRP-Norway will also be holding a protest on March 28th at Karl Johans gate 22, 0026 Oslo at 4:00pm, to create awareness of the severe human rights abuses and military activities in Balochistan.


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