When asked about their expectations from the upcoming general elections in Pakistan, he said that there is no hope for elections as there have never been free and fair elections…reports Asian Lite News
Members of the Balochistan diaspora have been staging protests outside the White House against Pakistan and the enforced disappearances of Baloch people
One of the protestors, Waheed Baloch, a former speaker of the Balochistan Assembly, highlighted that they are holding these protests against the atrocities committed in Balochistan over the last 75 years.
“We’re protesting against the atrocities that have been done to Balochistan by Pakistan for the last 75 years. We’re protesting here in support of those Baloch families that were abducted and missing. For the last 75 years, Pakistan has forcefully occupied Balochistan,” he said.
When asked about their expectations from the upcoming general elections in Pakistan, he said that there is no hope for elections as there have never been free and fair elections.
“There has never been a free and fair election in Pakistan, and there is no hope…for Balochistan, they just reelect their nominees… It is unconstitutional and undemocratic,” he added.
Moreover, in response to Pakistan’s accusation that Balochis are sponsored by the Indian government, he dismissed the claim, stating that Pakistan have lied in the past and are lying again.
“They (Pakistan) just say that Balochis are sponsored by the government of India but they never have produced any evidence…it is rubbish. They lied before, and they are lying again. If India had been supporting Balochistan, Balochistan would not have been this weak. These are just distracted tactics…,” he added.
Sufi Laghari, a Sindhi foundation member, said that one of the biggest failures of Pakistan is that they always blame India.
“One of the biggest failure of Pakistan is that they always blame India…thousands of people in Balochistan have disappeared; do you think it is sponsored by India? These are useless weapons they’re using. These are just blames, games and fake theories…that’s why we are here in this difficult weather; we came here, and our families and children are here…This is going to be the end of the story for Pakistan and we are going to get the freedom soon,” he added.
Sammi Baloch, a young Baloch protestor who was also present at the protest outside the White House, said that whatever happened to the Baloch people is atrocious and a violation of human rights violations.
“I am here because the Baloch genocide is happening and it has been happening since partition… We are here because many Baloch people have been murdered and they have been genocided and kidnapped by the Pakistani army and the military today we are here to stand with them and their families because what happened to them is atrocious and is human rights violation,” she said. (ANI)
The Baloch people were protesting against the “extra-judicial killing” of a Baloch youth by Counter-Terrorism Department officials in Turbat earlier this month, according to Geo News…reports Asian Lite News
The Pakistan caretaker government has released 34 more Baloch protestors who had been arrested during a police crackdown in the federal capital last week, as reported by Geo News.
According to the declaration, the arrested protestors were released after fulfilling the legal requirements.
It further stated that all detained Baloch protesters have been released on the advice of a negotiation committee constituted by Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar.
The PM’s negotiation team was headed by caretaker privatization minister Fawad Hasan Fawad, and the team held talks with the protesters, Geo News reported.
Moreover, the marchers demanded the immediate release of the arrested people.
Earlier, after the first round of talks, the government ordered the release of all the protesting women who were taken into custody during the police crackdown.
The Baloch people were protesting against the “extra-judicial killing” of a Baloch youth by Counter-Terrorism Department officials in Turbat earlier this month, according to Geo News.
Following the incident, Baloch women started a long march on December 6 and reached Islamabad on December 20.
However, as soon as they reached the capital, cops launched a crackdown against the protesters and dismantled their camps set up outside the National Press Club. In the crackdown, most of the protesters were arrested by the police, which sparked anger nationwide.
Meanwhile, the government, defending its move to launch a crackdown, declared it a necessary measure to avoid a “catastrophe”.
Moreover, the police crackdown against Baloch marchers was strongly condemned by human rights organisations, politicians, and analysts, reported Geo News.
On Thursday, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a prominent organiser of the Baloch protest march in Islamabad, gave a seven-day ultimatum to the Pakistan government for the fulfilment of their demands, including the “elimination of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.”
The demands included signing an agreement, under the Working Group’s auspices, for the elimination of “enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings”. She also demanded the release of all victims of enforced disappearances, restrictions on the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), and the elimination of “state-sponsored death squads”.
The Ministry of Interior was urged to “confess” the alleged deaths of disappeared persons in fake encounters, accompanied by an acknowledgement letter and a press conference naming all victims.
The Baloch activist also emphasised that the state must demonstrate seriousness in ending human rights violations and illegal measures in Balochistan to prove its commitment to resolving the “Baloch genocide.” (ANI)
The Pakistan Army Chief on Wednesday (US local time) met US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon…reports Asian Lite News
President of the Baloch Voice Association Munir Mengal has said that Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir should be questioned in the US about enforced disappearances, military operations, extrajudicial killings and systematic abuse of rights in Balochistan.
He said Pakistan should be asked to end its occupation of Balochistan. “Pakistani Army Chief should be questioned in America about #enforceddisappearances , #militaryoperations, #extrajudicialkillings and systematic abuse of rights in #Balochistan. #Pakistan should be asked to end occupation of #Balochistan,” the Baloch Voice Association President wrote on ‘X’.
The Baloch Voice Association is an NGO registered in France. This comes as Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir is currently on a visit to the US. The Pakistan Army Chief on Wednesday (US local time) met US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon.
A brief statement was issued by the Pentagon after the meeting, saying: “Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III hosted Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir at the Pentagon today, where the two officials discussed recent regional security developments and potential areas for bilateral defence cooperation.”
General Munir left Islamabad on Sunday, reached the US capital on Tuesday afternoon after spending two days in Britain. Details of his engagements in the UK have not been made public, as it was apparently a private visit, according to Pakistan-based Dawn newspaper. The army chief’s visit was also discussed at a Pentagon briefing on Tuesday, where a journalist reminded press secretary Major General Patrick Ryder that Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin would have his first face-to-face meeting with Pakistan’s new army chief and asked what the US defence chief was looking for in this meeting. “Will they be talking about the deportation of Afghans from Pakistan or potentially buying munitions to go to Ukraine?” the journalist asked. General Ryder replied, “I don’t have any meetings to read out from the podium. Certainly, as you know, when the secretary meets with foreign counterparts and leaders, we provide a readout. So if we have a readout to put out, we’ll certainly do that.”
Another journalist asked, “How would you assess US-Pakistan military relations at this point?” “Pakistan continues to be an important partner in the region. And so obviously, through Centcom, we continue to stay in close contact with them, particularly when it comes to issues like counter-terrorism,” General Ryder said, as per Dawn. As per Dawn, during his visit, General Munir is also expected to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. He may also meet senior members of the US House and the Senate. (ANI)
Gwadar is the symbolic ‘crown jewel’ or the main entry point of CPEC in Pakistan. Gwadar Rights Movement Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman Baloch and other leaders understand the criticality of the issue for both the Pakistan government and Beijing. Consequently, they are pressing for the demands by blocking the Gwadar East Bay Expressway, the main artery of Gwadar region. Through this movement, Maulana is also looking at his political future in Balochistan … writes Dr Sakariya Kareem
Balochistan’s strategically significant Gwadar district remains on the boil as the ‘Haq Do Tehreek’ (Gwadar Rights Movement) protest movement entered the second month on December 25. Protesters have been holding a ‘sit-in’ at the Gwadar East Bay Expressway, the road leading to key installations like the Gwadar seaport and the under-construction Gwadar International Airport.
On December 24, the Balochistan government and protest leaders held the latest round of negotiations but failed to make any headway. The movement’s head Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman Baloch claimed the government officials who had attended the negotiations had “no authority” to implement their demands. Consequently, tensions prevail in Gwadar including road blockades, which are hindering the movements of Chinese engineers and local labourers who are working on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in the region.
The ‘Haq Do Tehreek’ leadership does not have any faith in the Balochistan government. Whereas, the political leadership in Islamabad is extremely weak and ignorant of rightful demands of the Baloch people. They are all catering to Chinese commercial interests in Balochistan through CPEC projects. Last year, Rehman led a similar protest for 32 days, after which the Pakistan government negotiated with him and assured that his demands would be met. Despite official assurances, Gwadar continues to face same problems, especially increasing Chinese influence on local maritime and mining resources. The movement’s leadership learned hard lessons last time and has warned the government that “if our demands are not met our sit-in will continue.”
Participants are demanding an immediate ban on illegal trawling in Balochistan’s maritime boundaries, recovery of missing Baloch people, closure of unnecessary security checkpoints, primacy to local workers over Chinese citizens, maximum concessions in border trade with Iran, end to narcotics, among other Gwadar-related issues. Expectedly, both the local and federal governments have ignored these demands and deadlines given by the protestors to implement these points. Thousands of residents, including women and children, have blocked the main expressway leading to Gwadar port and raised anti-government slogans to pressure the policymakers in Islamabad. On December 2, protestors staged a sit-in outside the Gwadar International Airport to “put pressure on the government for the acceptance of its demands.”
On December 10, thousands of women rallied in Gwadar to show solidarity with Maulana Rehman. Whereas on December 16, Maulana and his supporters displayed weapons, implying that violent ways could be used against those responsible for infringing on the Gwadar residents’ rights. More importantly, Maulana has issued a stern warning to the Chinese nationals living in Gwadar. Media reports suggest that there are fewer than 500 Chinese in Gwadar, all of them based in the Gwadar Port compound.
This warning is noteworthy because Rehman and other protestors largely avoided threatening to China openly in the last year’s protests. Maulana further warned that if the government “ignores” peaceful protests, then the participants have a right “to pick up and use weapons to protect our rights.”
Islamabad cannot dare to implement any demand which may hurt Chinese commercial and strategic interests in Gwadar. Pakistan is going through a deep economic crisis and Beijing is at the forefront to save the country from a looming default crisis. Besides helping its “all-weather friend,” Beijing is mostly concerned about its own financial investments in Pakistan. Gwadar is the symbolic ‘crown jewel’ or the main entry point of CPEC in Pakistan. Maulana Rehman and other participants understand the criticality of the issue for both the Pakistan government and Beijing. Consequently, they are pressing for the demands by blocking the Gwadar East Bay Expressway, the main artery of Gwadar region.
Through this movement, Maulana is also looking at his political future in Balochistan. In June this year, the Haq Do Tehreek had won an unprecedented 28 out of 34 seats in the local body elections in Gwadar. The situation was similar in Pasni and Ormara, where it had secured most of the seats. The favourable outcome gave more political teeth to Maulana’s movement in Gwadar. His confrontational politics is seen as a well-crafted strategy to create political grounds for future elections in Balochistan. He is eyeing the provincial seat in Gwadar, which is presently held by Hammal Kalmati. Interestingly, Rehman belongs to a fishermen’s family from the Surbundan area of Gwadar. Maulana is also a respected religious figure considering his Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) affiliation and is currently serving as the general secretary of its Balochistan chapter. It is noteworthy that JI has been historically close to Pakistan army. Some people are suspecting Maulana’s ‘real’ intentions behind the movement.
Chinese citizens are facing increasing threats from different militant groups in Pakistan. There have been recent incidents of targeted attacks on Chinese nationals. The growing anti-China sentiments in Gwadar is a reality now, which may adversely impact the progress of key CPEC projects. Pakistan’s government will remain ignorant to the ‘Haq Do Tehreek’ demands as it is sufficiently distracted by the ongoing economic and political crises. In absence of a peaceful solution, Pakistan’s military may also use violent force to disperse the protestors and arrest Maulana Rehman.
“It still depends upon New Delhi, London, and Washington to decide what should be the post-Pakistan scenario or what would be the fates of the Baloch, Sindhis and Pashtuns.” – Dr Naseer Dashti in conversation with Rahul Kumar
The first thing that strikes you about Dr Naseer Dashti-foremost Baloch intellectual and author, is his carefree and cheerful nature. He loves to laugh at his banter. He starts a conversation with ease, even with a stranger, even if he must be playfully sarcastic.
Outside the London Bridge train station, under the shade of the Shard, our conversation starts with, “I know you Indians have an obsession with Turko-Mongols, so I will take you to a Turkish restaurant to eat”. Finding no good reason to find favour with Turks, given today’s tumultuous geopolitics, I question him on his statement.
Without batting an eyelid, Dashti retorts: “Of course, you love the Turks-you have cities named after their marauders and plunderers, your media glorifies Turkish invaders like Shahjahan and Akbar, you even have structures, cities and roads named after Turkish slaves who ruled India for a while, and you have adopted Turkish foods as Indians…”, and he reeled off a few more examples.
The second thing that strikes you after some time is that he holds contrarian views about international relations and global politics. Like the other Baloch leaders in exile, Dashti misses no opportunity to make fun of Pakistan. “Pakistan was purposely created as a client State to serve the interests of the British empire. The welfare of people or the socio-economic up-gradation of the region was not the agenda for the creation of Pakistan”, he says with effortless ease but with firm conviction.
While in Pakistan, he had published two books in Quetta-the capital of conflict-torn Balochistan which borders Afghanistan and Iran. The phobia-driven Pakistan government banned the books after labelling them anti-Islam and anti-Pakistan. Once the government levied the dreaded blasphemy charges against Dashti, he knew it was time to find a sanctuary. So, in 2008, he fled Pakistan for the safety of the UK.
Excerpts from the interview:
What is your view of the Baloch struggle?
Dashti: The Baloch national struggle is moving forward at a slow pace. Many internal and external factors are hampering its progress. However, I don’t believe in the contention of many critics and analysts that it is directionless. On the contrary, I think it will ultimately overcome its weaknesses and be in a position to gain its objectives.
Pakistan has come down heavily on the Baloch resistance through the brutal use of force. The Pakistani army has made Balochistan a war zone. The land has been under an undeclared martial law for many decades.
Then there are divisions and mistrust among the Baloch nationalist groups. Some analysts believe that there is political disorientation among the resistance groups. Political mobilisation in Balochistan has become impossible because of the brutalities of the security apparatus of Pakistan.
The material support for a protracted war in the Baloch national struggle is not according to the need of the resistance. For the moment, the external support necessary for the success of any national liberation struggle is not visible.
Despite all these weaknesses, the will of the Baloch people to throw away the yoke of slavery is strong. They will keep resisting the occupation forces.
But there have been large-scale attacks on the Pakistani military by Baloch armed organisations. Also, the Baloch groups are believed to be using modern weapons bought from the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Dashti: Armed resistance and political mobilisations are two parts of a national liberation struggle. Their combined objective was to persistently target the financial and strategic interests of the colonial power until the occupation forces were tired or the colony became ungovernable.
In my opinion, isolated events are part of the game but not the whole thing. There will not be a significant impact until you strike the enemy daily. The Baloch national resistance still needs to grasp the realities of a protracted and exhaustive war against the colonial power.
Regarding getting arms from the Taliban, it is a socio-historical fact that everything is for sale in Afghanistan – friendships, enmity, fighting force, Mujahideen, Taliban and weapons. The Taliban may have sold the weaponry to the Baloch parties. But any kind of weapon is available in the international market. If you have the money, you buy them. So, the Baloch might have purchased some weapons. Although I am not an expert in this field still, according to my knowledge, the Baloch fighters use only simple weapons – grenades, Kalashnikovs and rocket launchers, nothing sophisticated.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is in shambles. The Baloch seem to have inflicted heavy damage to the mega-project through their attacks on Chinese nationals.
Dashti: The Baloch resistance has had some impact on the progress of CPEC, but in my opinion, CPEC has become a thing of the past. There are other factors involved in its inglorious demise. While we analyze Pakistan’s economic and political situations, we must keep in mind that this Allah-given country is not an independent State. Socially, politically, and economically, it is highly dependent on the West’s support, led by the USA and the UK. You have to understand that the West controls everything in Pakistan, not China.
Do you know how many Pakistani generals have homes in Shanghai or other Chinese cities? But nearly every serving or retired general in Pakistan bought businesses and homes in the West. Their salaries come from the IMF and World Bank. And political and moral support for the military rule in Pakistan has always been forthcoming from the western democracies.
In the disguise of CPEC, the fundamental objective of the Chinese was to make Gwadar a strategic base. In many ways, the Gwadar port project became the main causative factor in the demise of CPEC. The Middle East is a sensitive piece of land for the West. They do not want anything to harm their interests in the Gulf.
They do not want China to reach the Indian Ocean-which is still a historical and perhaps a psychological obsession for the Western powers. If we go back to the history of the colonial era, in this region, India was essential for the prosperity of the colonial power. Now it is the oil in the Persian Gulf. Therefore, they are sensitive to this. The West cannot afford to let China have a naval base in the mouth of the Persian Gulf, which in a way, is still the lifeline of Western industrial nations.
But China which has invested so heavily in CPEC will not let go of its investments in Pakistan.
Dashti: China has not invested anything in CPEC. All of it is a loan to Pakistan with high-interest rates. China has been expanding its colonial influence in Asia and Africa by adopting the role of a moneylender. Except for these loans and political rhetoric of eternal friendship, the factual position is that there is nothing socially, politically, linguistically, religiously and historically common between Pakistan and China.
We should bear in mind that China cannot confront the West. It cannot afford to lose the lucrative markets in the West. China’s strength lies in selling cheap goods to Europe and the Americas.
After the demise of CPEC, China will pressure Pakistan to pay back its debts, and we have to see where Pakistan gets the money to pay back the Chinese.
Talking of religion, Pakistan is an Islamic State. So why has Islam not been able to bind its people together in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan?
Dashti: Religion has never been a binding factor in politics involving different nations. People and nations prophesied the same religious and mythological beliefs and fought bloody battles in Asia and Europe.
Take the example of Europe. Christianity did not unite Europe. Similarly, the Sindhis, the Baloch and the Pashtuns did not want Pakistan. The academics of the British Empire created the theory of Muslims as a nation in the 19th century to counter the Russian moves toward central Asian Khanates, whose population was mainly Muslims. Later, this theory was used in the division of India after retaining Indian colonies became untenable. Is it not amazing that the Christians, Buddhists and followers of other faiths in India were not declared as nations, and no land was allotted to them.
In Pakistan, the Sindhis, the Baloch, and the Pashtuns do not have anything in common with the ruling Punjabi Muslims. They are separate nations but are not strong enough to fight the Pakistani army. To free themselves from the clutches of Pakistan, they need two things-a protracted struggle and support from outside. External support is imperative because there is no example in history where nations have been able to gain independence without external support.
However, in some examples, subjugated nations become independent because colonial powers implode. And Pakistan is moving in that direction at a fast pace.
Are you trying to say that Pakistan faces an existential threat?
Dashti: Yes, the implosion of Pakistan is imminent.
The West has been sustaining Pakistan for 75 years, but now it is not in a position to sustain it further. When the West needed Pakistan, it was included in the Central Treaty Organisation (CENTO) and the Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO). Now it appears that Pakistan has exhausted its utility for the West. The West is now beginning to align with India in various ways, and if things go smoothly in this direction, they might not need Pakistan anymore.
Western taxpayers might not be able to afford billions of dollars to feed the Pakistani army. We should remember that the only binding force in Pakistan is its army. It is an army which is genetically mercenary. Without perks and privileges, the military will not fight against the Baloch, Sindhis, and Pashtuns. With this, Pakistan will eventually collapse. But it still depends upon New Delhi, London, and Washington to decide what should be the post-Pakistan scenario or what would be the fates of the Baloch, Sindhis and Pashtuns.
Why do you undermine China-that it will give up on CPEC and cannot take on the West?
Dashti: I think China is not as strong as people think. The Chinese power is a myth created after the fall of the Soviet Union led by a section of the Western establishment through their academics. According to their assessment, China, India, and Islamic terrorism were the potential rivals of western hegemony. Things have changed now. India is now an ally of the West. Even Islamic terrorism has been toned down. Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria cannot create problems in the Western capitals. With the implosion of Pakistan, the threat of Islamic terrorism will evaporate altogether.
China will be encircled and tamed. People think China is strong because of its economy, primarily selling cheap goods to the US and Europe. But trade can be managed and controlled by the West in many ways, for example, through tariffs and taxes.
China is not a superpower militarily. I think it is still a unipolar world with the US and its European allies controlling the world strategically and financially.
(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
Pakistani security forces have found a new way to torture the Baloch people…reports Asian Lite News
Pakistani security forces have found a new way to torture the Baloch people. Pakistan’s Frontier Corps (FC), which manages the border, forced Baloch drivers to abandon their vehicles and march in the hot desert
Over the last couple of days, social media footage showed many men, traders and drivers, lying in the desert in Chagai due to thirst and fatigue. The incident that happened in the Nokkundi area of Chagai district came to light a few days back during the month of Ramzan.
The drivers who survived the ordeal said that the forces seized their vehicles and poured sand in the radiators. The Pakistani security also took out the batteries from the vehicles and asked the drivers and traders to walk back in the scorching desert.
In another incident involving a Baloch driver, Pakistani forces opened fire on a vehicle killing the driver in Nokkundi. The driver, Hameedullah Baloch, was killed after security forces near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border signalled him to stop. According to The Balochistan Post, security forces opened fire after he disobeyed their orders to stop the vehicle.
The killings of drivers and traders over the last few days spawned numerous protests by people who blocked roads and even a freight train coming from Zahedan in Iran. The protesters blocked a road by placing Hameedullah Baloch’s body on the road. Eight protesters were injured after Pakistani troops opened fire on them.
The Baloch community enjoys cross-border relations with other Baloch people in both Afghanistan and Iran. With poor economic and livelihood opportunities in their own areas, many Baloch families survive only through cross-border trade.
Pakistani security forces came in for severe condemnation after the videos of bodies in the desert went viral.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) issued a statement on the plight of the drivers. Hina Jilani, Chairperson HRCP, said: “The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) is alarmed to learn that a driver was killed allegedly by security forces in Chagai near the Pakistan-Afghan border while attempting to speed away in his vehicle when told to stop. Extrajudicial killings are unacceptable regardless of the circumstances and the perpetrators must be identified and held accountable.
Additionally, scores of drivers transporting goods across the border were reportedly deprived of their vehicles by security forces and left to fend for themselves in the desert. Many of them have still not been accounted for. The incident reflects a coldblooded disdain for basic humanity and the right to life”.
Significantly, the killings of the drivers and traders are taking place in Chagai district which is well known for being the mining hub of Balochistan. The world’s largest gold and copper mines, Reko Diq are located in Chagai. Even the Saindak mines with deposits of silver, gold and copper are located in the same region. This is one of the complaints by the alienated Baloch community that despite the rich deposits in their land, they are given second-class treatment by the Pakistani State.
On September 13, hundreds of people also took to the streets in protest against such killings in Panjgur district in Balochistan province, local media reported…reports Asian Lite News.
Human rights defenders from Baloch, Sindhis and other communities living in the UK paid tribute to Sardar Attaullah Mengal who was one of the prominent faces of Baloch national struggle after Pakistan annexed the region in 1948.
The commemoration was organised by the Sindhi Baloch Forum (SBF) in London on Sunday, in which speakers highlighted various aspects of the political and nationalistic struggle of late Sardar Mengal, Beloch Affairs reported.
Sardar Mengal had devoted his life to the service of the Baloch people. He fought for a future where the Baloch people can live with dignity and with their cherished socio-cultural values against the atrocities of Islamabad.
Earlier, a photo exhibition was also organised at Broken Chair, a famous icon in front of the United Nations office in Geneva, highlighting the atrocities and the human rights abuses in Balochistan.
It highlighted the genocide of the indigenous Baloch people being carried out by Pakistan. It also highlighted how Pakistan had illegally occupied Balochistan against all International laws and treaties and continues to misgovern it till date. The region lags behind in almost every parameter of development.
Today Balochistan’s Human Development Index (HDI) ranks below 0.40 as compared to the other provinces of Pakistan that lie above 0.50. Within Pakistan, Balochistan lags far behind other provinces and 15 out of Pakistan’s least-developed districts are in Balochistan.
Meanwhile, enforced disappearances and arbitrary killings of Balochs have also become a new ‘normal in the region’.
On September 13, hundreds of people also took to the streets in protest against such killings in Panjgur district in Balochistan province, local media reported.
A large number of people, including women and children, gathered at the main chowk of the town. They marched on the streets and roads and chanted slogans against the local administration and police for their failure to arrest alleged killers, reported Dawn.
During the protest, people said about a dozen innocent civilians had been killed in Panjgur in a month, but not a single alleged killer had been arrested. (ANI)
The arrest of Muhammad Gohir Khan, 30, a Pakistani British national, by the Scotland Yard police, triggered the new crisis. Blogger Ahmed Waqas Goraya says that ISI has been preparing to kill him since 2007 when he fled Pakistan. Reporters Sans Frontier is pursuing Goraya’s case since 2007, has called upon the Dutch and British police to chase all possible leads, including summoning Pakistani diplomats, to unearth the conspiracy and find the real masterminds behind the arrested assailant … writes Kaliph Anaz
Kudos to the Scotland Yard. They are on their way to retrieve their lost glory. The arrest of a British Pakistani national by the Metropolitan Police for attempting to murder a Pakistani blogger might expose Pakistan’s brutal attempts by the notorious Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to silence journalists, bloggers and human rights activists in foreign countries. The victim was hiding in the Netherlands from the ISI since 2007.
Pakistan has been systematically silencing critics, in the media as well as human rights organisations, for the last years. But under Prime Minister Imran Khan, a more diabolic campaign has been launched against journalists, bloggers and human rights activists living outside Pakistan.
Karima Baloch (Image from Twitter)
Although the exact number is not known, scores of media professionals, human rights activists and bloggers have fled Pakistan to escape persecution in recent years. Ahmed Waqas Goraya was one of them. Goraya has been a vocal critic of the army, accusing top Generals of malfeasance. He had been particularly targeting former army spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Asim Bajwa, currently head of the CPEC Authority, for his family’s business interests. In January 2007, Goraya along with four other bloggers were abducted, tortured and kept in secret prisons for days. They were also targeted in a vicious campaign unleashed at the behest of the army accusing them of blasphemy, a crime punishable with death.
On his release, Goraya fled Pakistan and found asylum in the Netherlands. He did not give up his campaign against the army and found himself to be the target of hired assassins in February 2020 and February 2021. In Feb. 2020, he was pounced upon outside his house and assaulted by anonymous persons. He later told the media that it was a classic ISI-style hit. A year later, an anonymous assassin was spotted stalking his house. The Dutch Police, which learnt of the presence of the assassin, quickly moved in to protect Goraya and launched a determined investigation.
The result was the arrest of Muhammad Gohir Khan, 30, a Pakistani British national, by the Scotland Yard police. Though investigations carried out by the British and Dutch police have not found any association between Gohir Khan and Pakistan’s notorious intelligence agency, ISI, the victim blogger as well as several journalist organisations believe otherwise.
Goraya is insistent that only ISI has been preparing to kill him since 2007 when he fled Pakistan. Reporters Sans Frontier, a well-known organisation of journalists, which has been tracking Goraya’s case since 2007, has called upon the Dutch and British police to chase all possible leads, including summoning Pakistani diplomats, to unearth the conspiracy and find the real masterminds behind the arrested assailant.
The arrest was the result of a remarkable and pain-staking investigation by the Metropolitan police, in collaboration with the Dutch police, quite unlike the lackadaisical probe launched by the Canadian police into the mysterious death of another Pakistani activist, Karima Baloch.
Karima was found mysteriously dead in her apartment in Canada where she had been living in asylum. Karima too had fled the country to escape the ISI dragnet. The haste shown by the Canadian police to label the death as suicide was unprofessional. Karima, like Goraya, was being hunted by the ISI for some time. Gohir Khan’s arrest and his trial could just open the pandora’s box for the ISI. This could be the second case involving the ISI to attract global attention in recent times. Early this year, substantial evidence appeared in the French media accusing the ISI of masterminding a suicide attack on French engineers in Karachi in 2002.
