Month: July 2013

Mr Ban Ki-moon Secretary General, United Nation 1 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017 Dated: 28/07/2013

Subject: Pakistan’s crimes against humanity in Balochistan 

Dear Sir, The Baloch Social Media Activists forum would like to draw your kind attention towards the heinous crimes that the occupying Pakistani army is committing against humanity in Balochistan on daily basis. In order to contain the Baloch Freedom Movement, the Pakistani state has adopted a sinister strategy of eliminating the intellectuals and activists of Baloch society –with its systematic ‘dirty war’ which generally is called “kill and dump policy”. Pakistan’s notorious spy agencies, ISI and MI abduct Baloch political activists and subject them to untold agonizing tortures and subsequently throw their mutilated dead bodies on deserted areas across Balochistan.

Since September, 2011 more than 700 mutilated dead bodies of around 18000 abducted Baloch political activists have been gifted to Baloch nation. The fates of the rest are unknown as Pakistani Guantanamo Bays abound in Balochistan and are off-limits to Human rights organizations and local as well as international media. Despite respected internal and international human right organizations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reports and courts orders, Pakistani state adamantly refuses to acknowledge and own the crimes against humanity that its security apparatus have committed and are committing in Balochistan.

Continue reading “Baloch Social Media Activists’ open Letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon”

By Muriam Salman

The state army has created several religious proxy groups to counter the freedom struggle in Balochistan. These fanatic groups have warned Baloch women to stop taking part in protests and supporting the freedom movement

The following interview was conducted with representatives from the Women of Baluchistan and Role of Women in Revolution online group created in July, 2012. The page is run by a collective of individuals with the stated aim of raising awareness about:

1. Baloch women who are struggling for freedom and the betterment of Baloch society;

2. The role of women in revolutions around the world.

We hoped to discern information about the role of Baloch women in the nationalist movement, their thoughts on the struggle, upcoming elections, and the class and gender composition of Baloch leadership. Since the formation of Pakistan, Baloch nationalists and the Pakistani establishment have clashed with each other at least four times over issues of provincial autonomy, resource control and the right to self-determination. The most recent upsurge of the nationalist movement, sparked by the rape of Dr. Shazia Khalid, began in 2005 and, as with previous uprisings, was met with state suppression and intelligence agencies’ action. . Hundreds of Baloch villagers, professionals, students and leaders have been subjected to arbitrary abductions and ‘kill and dump’ operations led by the state. As a result of this crackdown by the state and its security establishment, tensions in the region have heightened. Moreover, the nationalist parties boycotted the general election in 2008 under President General (retd.) Pervez Musharraf and thus, had no formal representation in the political power structure of the country for the past five years.

The representatives of the group were reluctant in identifying themselves by name due to understandable fears for personal safety and security. Thus, we do not lay claim to the veracity of the answers but leave it upon the judgment of our readership. In publishing this interview we hope to broaden the discourse with regards to the perspectives of the Baloch people and ensure that the often neglected voices of Baloch women are heard and documented. Continue reading “Baloch want immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Pakistani troops from Balochistan”