The international Human Rights Commission-HK is concerned about the reports of continued genocide in Balochistan in spite of elected government in the province, local bodies, judicial institutions and a vibrant judiciary at federal level.

Recently on January 10, ten decomposed bodies that were beyond recognition were discovered from different areas of Balochistan and buried in Quetta, the capital city of Balochistan. The bodies bore severe torture marks.

Mr. Mama Qadeer, the vice chairman of Voice of Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) says that these dead bodies have been found near army institutions and then have been buried without DNA analysis which indicates that these dead bodies are of missing persons who were abducted by Pakistani secret agencies and security forces.

Besides the discovery of 10 mutilated bodies, according to Sangar media, the military forces conducted 730 operations, raided/looted more than 800 houses, 544 houses were burnt during the year 2018. The Sangar further says that forces has disappeared 1164 persons after their custody, 232 bodies were found in different areas. Among them 108 Balochs were martyred and 27 mutilated bodies were discovered during the year. It also says that forces have recovered 298 persons who were missing since 2014. Dozens of new check posts have been established in Balochistan. It points out that death squads from the forces  have deteriorated the situation of human rights.

 

According to details received by The Balochistan Post, ten unidentified dead bodies were buried in Quetta by the Edhi volunteers. The human rights organizations claim that recent killing spree is linked to  the ‘kill and dump’ policy of Pakistan army’s secret agencies.

 

Mama Qadeer claims that dead bodies have been found near army institutions he further claims that this is not the first time that dead bodies have turned up, hundreds had been buried without any investigation and DNA tests in the same graveyard.

The illegal arrests, enforced disappearances, killings and dumping of the mutilated bodies of Balochs is not a new phenomenon, it has started since 2002 during the military regime of General Pervez Musharaf. However, it has increased after the Chines interests have developed in Balochistan eying the Balochistan’s deep sea port, Gwadar which connect China with Gulf states and gives China a route to other parts of world.

As the idea of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was coming into material form the disappearances and dumping of bodies were increased. Earlier those disappeared were kept incommunicado but since 2014 the discovery of mass graves started wherein dozens of non- identifiable dead bodies were found.

 

 On January 2014 three mass graves were found after a shepherd saw pieces of human bodies and bones in Tootak, Khuzdar district. According to locals, a total of 169 bodies were later exhumed from the sites. Campaign groups alleged that the bodies were those of Baloch missing persons abducted by Pakistani security forces. Mass graves have also been found in Kuchlak, Dera Bugti and other parts of Balochistan.

A mass grave containing dead bodies of at least 4 persons was unearthed on 18 July 2018. Families of missing persons had flocked to the site of the mass graves. However, the bodies were decomposed beyond recognition; therefore, nobody could ascertain the identity of deceased.

 

Later father of one of the missing persons Khair Bakhsh said that he was summoned to Panjgur at the camp office of Frontier Corp (FC) and he was informed by an officer of Frontier Corps FC, Pakistani paramilitary forces, that one of the dead bodies from the mass grave was his son.

In 2015, an Assistant Commissioner Afzal Sarpara of the Khuzdar district of Balochistan said that they had found up to 15 unmarked graves in the worst violent-ridden districts of Balochistan and urged national and international agencies to help them identify the dead.

 

Following the discovery of a mass grave in Balochistan province in Pakistan in January 2014, later within four weeks four more bodies were recovered, bringing the total up to approximately 173 dead. Pakistan has continually denied responsibility for the mass killings targeting a group of advocates calling for greater autonomy.

 

 Nearly 1000 dead bodies of political activists and suspected armed separatists have been found in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province over the past six years. Activists say the figures, obtained from the human rights ministry by BBC Urdu, point to large-scale extrajudicial killings. Relatives say most victims had been picked up by security agencies. Thousands of people have disappeared without trace in Balochistan since a separatist insurgency gained momentum in 2007.

However, the government blames the dumped bodies on infighting among insurgent groups.

 

 On January 25, 2019 dead body of a youth has been found in capital city of Balochistan. According to details received by daily The Balochistan, dead body of a 22-year-old youth was discovered from Saryab Mill Colony area of Quetta city, which was moved to the civil hospital for identification. As per the hospital sources, the body bore marks of bullet wounds. The deceased has been identified as, Mohammed Arif son of Lateef.

 

According to a monthly report released on December 2018 by Baloch National Movement (BNM) the  Pakistan Army and other security forces are carrying  out massive level of oppression and war crimes.. 

 

 Dil Murad Baloch, information secretary of Baloch National Movement has stated that Pakistan Army along with other security forces conducted 48 military operations and raids of various scale in the month of  December 2018. During these operations 65 persons were arrested and shifted to unknown places, and their whereabouts is unknown. The security forces also looted 59 houses during operations; in Dera Bugti and its vicinity forces and torched more than 30 houses. 

 

According to report 27 dead bodies also recovered in the same month, in which the causes of 11 person's death remain unknown. Among the dead 12 were Baloch, while dead bodies of 4 could not be identified.

 

The BNM’s Information Secretary also stated that a total number of 33 persons were released, most of them were enforced disappeared in between July to November 2018 by law enforcement agencies of Pakistan during military operations; other 5 were whisked away in 2017 while one person, who was abducted five years ago, was released in the month of December too.

 

 

The International Human Rights Council- Hong Kong (IHRC-HK) appeals the international community to help the Baloch people to come out from the continued genocide and the state of Pakistan should be held directly responsible for the genocide of the Baloch. We urge the international community to play its part in demanding that the state recovers all disappeared individuals and compensate the families of those who have been killed in custody. It is high time that the state wakes up from its slumber and ensures equitable treatment to all its citizens.