Month: August 2016

Bibi Gul’s House is burnt for the fourth time after she held a press conference about Enforced Disappearance and Human Rights violations, on 30^th August, 2016.

Bibi Gul Baloch, Chairperson of Baloch Human Rights Organization (B.H.R.O), a Human Rights Group working in and outside Balochistan to highlight the HR situation in the region, held a press conference in Quetta Press Club on 30^th August, 2016, together with Nasrullah Baloch, the President and Mama Qadeer, Vice President of Vice for Baloch Missing Persons (V.B.M.P) and issued the details of Human Rights violation committed in the month of August specifically and in the year 2016, generally.

The joint press conference issued the details of the Enforced Disappearances, Fake Encounters, Military Operations and other Human Rights abuses committed by security forces.

One day after the press conference, Bibi Gul’s house was raided by security forces in Tump, District Kech, Balochistan, on early Wednesday morning at around 07:30 till 10:40 Pakistan time. “All the valuables were looted from all the rooms”, says Bibi Gul , “and rest of the things were burnt by the security forces”.

It was not the first time that her house is burnt. It is fourth time she … Read more

In Balochistan, the human rights situation is getting worse day by day. Mostly because no human rights organization and media is allowed by the Pakistan government to investigate the ground situation, military highhandedness is going on unnoticed.

522 persons have been reported to be victims of Enforced Disappearance in the hands of security forces in 2016 alone. This number excludes the persons who were killed and dumped on road sides or killed in fake encounters.

115 persons have been killed, most of them in military custody.

The bodies bore signs of severe physical torture. Those found dead were reported to be picked up by security forces before their bodies were found.

These are the cases whose details we could find from the families of the victims. But there is no proper communication network in almost 70% of Balochistan, and we fear the number of unreported HR abuses is much higher.

Some of the families managed to reach the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, which has its offices only in capital cities like Karachi and Quetta. While more than 99% cases are going unnoticed.

Appeals of HRCP and Amnesty International were also unheard on the issue of Baloch Missing Persons. HRCP … Read more

On 13th of August 2016, Security forces handed over three dead bodies to Civil Hospital Quetta, Balochistan. Spokesman of Frontier Corps, a Pakistani Paramilitary force which controls the law and order situation in Balochistan, said in a news report that all three persons were killed in an exchange of fire between security forces and the ‘terrorists’.

Two of the three claimed ‘terrorists’ were identified as Gazzen Qambarani and Sulaiman Qambarani, both cousins. They were residents of Kili Qambarani in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan.

24 years old Gazzen Naseer Qambarani was the youngest among seven brothers and sisters. He was an active  political worker and had been the President of Baloch Students Organization’s Islamabad zone in 2014.

In early Tuesday morning on 7^th July, 2015, Frontier Corps (F.C) raided Kili Qambarani at around 07:00am, Pakistani time. After a house to house search, the forces took Gazzen Qambarani with them.

30 years old Sulaiman Habib Qambarani, the other ‘terrorist’ (according to FC) was killed in the aforementioned ‘battle’, was a gardener in Quetta Municipality. Sulaiman Qambarani , the father … Read more

Pakistani security forces conducted a house-to-house search operation in Kolwahi Bazar of Apsar in Balochistan’s Kech district, the home town of ex-chief minister Dr Malik Baloch, on 12th of August 2016.

Seven persons were picked up by the security forces in this operation, locals say. One of the abductees is 25 years old Akhtar Ashraf, who is a fresh graduate, a Masters student for English Literature at the Balochistan University’s Turbat campus.

Meanwhile, the 15-year-old brother of Mr. Akhtar, Director of the Bright Future English Language Center, was also picked from his house, who is a student of ninth grade at a local school. His name is Shahid Ashraf.

Another abductee, 34 years old Hamid Shambay, is a school teacher.

Dilip Pir Muhammad, 37, is a labor in Dubai, UAE and owns a small grocery shop. He was visiting his hometown.

Also, 35 years old Iqbal, a laborer in Dubai, UAE was among the victims. He was spending his vacations with his family at his home.

The other two persons among the seven victims of the recent incident of enforced disappearance are Dad Bakhsh and Khuda Bakhsh.

Another Military operation was reported in the Dera Bugti area of … Read more

August started with a huge Military Operation in Kolwah, a region in Balochishan, where Gunship Helicopters and Ground Forces burnt 13 villages and abducted eight persons including a 12 years old student and a 70 years old Farmer, while FC, a Paramilitary Force in charge of law & order in Balochishan claims in a statement that it has arrested eight “suspected terrorists” during Kolwah Military operation. However, neither any one of the eight “arrested ones” has yet been produced in any court of law nor the details are made public.

On the night of 10th August 2016, Pakistan security forces raided a house in Faqir Colony Gwadar, Balochistan and abducted Abud S/o Muhammad Hassan who is a resident of Jan Muhammad Bazar Dasth, District Kech. His whereabouts remain unknown till now.

10 people were abducted on 1st of August 2016, who are Nematullah s/o Mahmood Khan (a 28 years old Medical Dispenser), Gazeer s/o Arzi (aged 48), Alim s/o Azim, Hasil s/o Gwahram, Akhtar s/o Sadiq (a 12 years old Student), Sameer s/o Naseer (a 30 years old Truck Driver), Maro s/o Naguman, Allah Bakhsh s/o Murad Mohammad (a 70 years old farmer) of Kolwah, Rashid … Read more

In the early morning on Monday, August 1, 2016, Gunship helicopters pounded “Balor” with heavy bombardments and shelling in a military operation by Pakistani army. “Balor” is a tiny village in “Kolwah” area. Half of “Kolwah” falls in “Kech” and another half in District “Awaran”. Operations were also carried out in other villages of “Kolwah” including “Sigikk” and “Kadd e Hotal”. CPEC Route 1 also passes through “Kolwah”, especially the above areas where operations were carried out.

Due to the past so many months of operations, many IDPs from “Hoshab” area, who left their homes to settle down in then relatively safer “Kolwah”, were badly affected by the recent operations. IDPs are mainly concentrated in “Sigikk, Balor” and “Kadd e Hotel” where operations took place. The IDPs are mostly from “Awaran” which has been center of past few years of military operations.

It was reported that ground forces came in big convoy after shelling of the helicopters almost stopped but they kept hovering in the sky in the areas wherever ground forces moved. Almost 50 vehicles convoy took part in this operation.

There are reports of looting and burning down of several houses. … Read more

The Military Operation which started early in the Monday  morning, August 1^st, 2016 in Kolwah, Balochistan, left so many people missing on its first day. Operation started early in the morning in ‘Hamid Bazar, Segek, Balor, Kadd e hotel, Azum Bazar’ and forces kept spreading till Hoshab area of District Kech.

The area is partly connected to the route of China Pakistan Economic Corridor and the villagers have been resisting the evacuation of their homes for a long time.

The abduction of seven persons has been confirmed so far, which may increase later as the communication networks are still not operating properly and most of the people live in mountainous areas in group of 5 to 10 huts in a settlement which are not connected with any electricity and communication.

The victims of Enforced Disappearance on the first day are as under:

1. Nematullah Mahmood Khan, 28 years old medical dispenser.
2. Aziz  Arzi, 48 years old laborer
3. Alam  Aziz, 25 years old laborer
4. Hasil  Gwahram
5. Akhtar Saidq
6. Samir Nasir
7. Maro

As Balochistan is not visited by any media group, the Military has a free hand to do what they aim to do. Shelling on the villages, burning houses and … Read more

Zabad Baiyan, a 25 years old medical dispenser, father of two little ones is abducted from main bazaar of Awaran Balochistan in front of all the public on 1^st of August 2016. Everybody saw the Army vehicles, which approached him straightly. The military men tied his hands on back, blindfolded and took him in their vehicle. Family is still kept unaware of his whereabouts and the charges.

“We fear his fate. He will be treated as Umar and Nasir were”, said his family, referring to two of his brothers, Omar, the eldest brother and Nasir the youngest who were picked up by security forces on October 04, 2013, in the same bazaar and same way in front of all the public.

Later on, Nasir’s dead body was found in the mass graves of Khuzdar, Balochistan in January 2014, where hundreds of the dead bodies were dumped. Most of the dead bodies were unrecognizable, but Nasir’s was identified as his NIC was kept along with the dead body and the sticker of Tailor’s shop was still recognizable, from where Nasir used to get his dresses stitched.

It seems that Security forces of Pakistan do not count any rule and law … Read more

Kolwah, area of District Kech, Mekran Balochistan is under heavy Military operation since early Monday morning. ‘Balor, Sigik, Kadd e hotel’ and more than a dozen villages are under the siege. All the communication lines are blocked.

More than 50 Army vehicles with six Gunship helicopters are taking part in the operation. Helicopters are continuously shelling the mountainous areas and forces are moving from Kolwah to Hoshab, which covers almost more than 50 KMs.

There is news of civilian casualties in the shelling by helicopters. The details are to come yet.

Every such operation has ended up with dozens of civilians killed and went missing in the past. This operation will also add hundreds names in the list of missing people or perhaps dozens in list of people killed.

It is usual tactic of Pakistani forces in Balochistan, that Pakistan’s security forces siege the areas, shell the villages in which mostly civilians get killed or injured. And at the end, Army calls it a battle between Baloch separatists and the security forces.

Since a long time Baloch organizations have been appealing to international media and HR organizations to visit Balochistan and confirm the situation, but no media or any HR … Read more