Inside Story: Inhuman Cruelty Against Baloch continues

A brief report on enforced disappearances, extra judicial killings and grave human rights violations in Balochistan composed by Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP)

( September 1, 2015, Balochistan, Sri Lanka Guardian) 1: This year ( 2015) in many parts of Baluchistan operations were conducted, and in some areas it is still going on. Many deputations came from the operation hit areas to report the complaints that how many people were abducted forcefully by paramilitary troops. Security forces have already thrown the mutilated bodies of numerous missing Balochs. In District Noshki during an operation four mutilated bodies were found. According to the claim of security forces they were the insurgents killed in the combat among these bodies one was recognized, the one who was arrested with his brother six months earlier and remained under cover. In district Kalat adjacent areas Johan, Sheshar and Kabo during military operations eight mutilated bodies were thrown by military, two out of these eight corpses were recognized as whose family told that they were taken away from their homes reaming six mutilated corpses were unable to be recognized because their faces were burnt by the acid probably these may be the dead bodies of the enforced disappeared missing Baloch. Later on they were buried by the residence of Johan.

       Besides it Voice for Baloch Missing Persons has been receiving the news of dumping of the bodies in many areas by the security personal. A similar incident was witnessed by the local people in District Noshki. Where, during night time security forces were dumping a body in a local graveyard. In the morning, the families of missing Baloch dug up the grave, but the bodys was in a condition not to be identified so they dumped it back.

2: Voice for Blaoch Missing Persons has been visiting in many areas of Balochistan and talked to the families of the missing Baloch. They were told that where our dear ones forcefully taken away and they went to register First Information Report (FIR). Station House Officer (SHO) did not enlist the FIR. In return the families were threatened not to plea in court or protest otherwise they would torture their dear ones and their families also may meet the same fate. Moreover they told that some influential people came to them and asked them to be quiet so that their dear ones will be released in addition to it government institutions have been intimidating the authorities of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons too. They are also being scrutinized by the security authorities, there for working openly have become challenging for the VBMP. Beside it in many areas the missing person’s families have complained that eye witnesses who had recorded their statements at various police stations under the CRPC section 161, now refusing to accept their previous given statements, for example they are denying even their statements given in judicial commission. It happens because states institutions are harassing them in different manners and giving them threats; due to fear the eye witnesses deny their statements.

3: A deputation of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons also met the Chief Minister Balochistan on ongoing year, during this meeting the representatives of the VBMP reminded the CM that he had said that if his party came in power, he would solve the issue of missing persons and the dumping of mutilated bodies on the priority biases. Yet, in his government, why stat’s intuitions have been consistently committing the violation of human rights and the breach of law and constitution. In reply CM also confessed that his government has failed in stopping the illegal acts of state institutions. Additionally federal government has also failed to take the issue of enforced disappearances seriously.

4: Voice for Baloch Missing Persons submitted an application regarding the mutilated bodies that each of the mutilated bodies which are being dumped are of those who were forcibly abducted Balochs. Many dumped bodies are found to be in such a miserable condition that can’t be identified, and from the government side there have been no proper arrangements for the identification of the decomposed dumped bodies. Neither DNA tests are conducted of these dead bodies, nor any obituaries regarding the discovery of mutilated bodies are published in newspapers, nor the morgues in government hospitals are proactive for the preservation of the decomposed bodies. In civil hospital Quetta there are only fourteen freezers, which are insufficient. In other parts of Balochistan, there is no any viable morgue. VBMP pleaded in its application to the Supreme Court that it is a humanitarian issue, because they could be someone’s father, brother or husband. So state at least has to provide proper mechanism to identify the mutilated bodies. So, that their families can identify their dear ones and give them proper burial. And get rid of life long torture.

On the plea of VBMP the Supreme Court passed a verdict and instructed all the provincial governments of Pakistan to collect the bio data of the mutilated bodies for their identification. DNA tests, finger prints, publication of obituary in print media and electronic media should be carried out, furthermore the court ordered to make all the morgues active to keep the dead bodies preserved till the identification and their families should be informed by the respective police stations regularly.

But there is no implementation on the order of the Supreme Court. Some families of missing persons approached the VBMP and said that mutilated bodies found in Noshki, were suspected to be the bodies of their dear loved ones, so a delegation of VBMP met CM Balochistan and home secretary and gave them application regarding the mutilated bodies found from Noshki, and requested that DNA tests must be conducted. For the past last three months no DNA test regarding the mutilated bodies has been conducted by concerned authorities.

5: In Supreme Court and in High Court as well the case of missing persons is not progressing.

In 2012, the Voice for Blaoch Missing Persons had submitted a case of missing persons in Supreme Court. At initial stage court took same practical steps, but after that there was no hearing of the case. There for voice for Baloch Missing Persons made a plea for urgent proceedings of the cases. In Supreme Court after seven months six hearings were held on the plea of voice for Baloch Missing Persons. On 15th March 2015, during the hearing double bench of Supreme Court comprising two judges assured the chairman of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons. That chief justice of Supreme Court has confirmed that in last days of March Supreme Court’s larger bench will hear the cases of the missing persons. But until now there have been no hearings of any of the cases.

6: The VBMP appealed to the government, judicial commission and Supreme Court regarding the discovery of mass graves found in Tutak area of Khuzdar. VBMP also emphasized on the issuance of NOC to the human rights activist. HRCP made an application to the home secretary for the issuance of NOC so that they should be allowed to examine the mass graves. On the submission of application in context with issuance in the Supreme Court the VBMP favored HRCP’s application. Supreme Court ordered Balochistan Home Secretary to issue NOC for HRCP and also provide security. Despite it NOC was not issued to HRCP on the direction of the supreme court of Pakistan.

     Moreover the representatives of human rights from many countries and international journalists also met the representatives of the VBMP and complained that whenever they requested the federal government to issue the NOC for visiting Blaochistan to analyze the human rights violations in Blaochistan. Officially they were not permitted to visit the mass graves discovered in Balochistan, and they were stopped to examine the process of missing person’s cases and dumping of the mutilated bodies.

   These all concerns were also expressed by the VBMP to national and international representatives of human rights organizations and also pleaded these organizations that they should stress the government of Pakistan to issue NOC for the observation of mass graves and take notice of human rights violations in Balochistan.

We appeal to the United Nations, international community and human rights organizations that they should visit the affected areas in Balochistan where security forces have violated the human rights; they should themselves witness the ground realities and play their effective role.