Carnage
in Balochistan
Mohammad Jamil
Balochistan is in throes of violence. Apart from sectarian killings
many Punjabis, Pushtuns and non-Balochis have been killed with a view to
terrorizing them so that they leave the province. Seven coal mine workers who
were earlier kidnapped have been murdered in cold blood most likely by the
Balochistan Liberation Army, as it had earlier claimed the responsibility for
abduction. They were earlier kidnapped from Marwar coal field and their dead
bodies were found Thursday in Degari coal field some forty kilometers from Quetta.
The deceased belonged to Swat. The Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry has taken a cognizance of this brutal incident and directed the law
enforcing agencies to apprehend the culprits within three days. According local
English daily, on Wednesday Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry accused paramilitary forces of involvement in a third of all
disappearances in Baluchistan. Unfortunately, the incident has occurred at a
time when the Chief Justice Supreme Court is personally addressing the issue of
the missing person’s case.
The Baloch nationalists have chosen this particular moment speaks
volumes about their nefarious designs. The law and situation in the province is
indeed the responsibility of the provincial government, which must put its act
together to take charge of the situation. The focus of attention on the FC
(Frontier Constabulary) Balochistan and holding it responsible for missing
persons is not tenable, as its actions are in support of the provincial
government to defeat the terrorists. The BLA has emerged as a terrorist outfit,
which reportedly has strong linkages with hostile agencies and wishes to create
anarchy in the province and to destabilize the country. This has to be
neutralized through political action as well as firm action by security forces.
The judicial focus on the Frontier Constabulary (FC) Balochistan and holding it
responsible for the law and order situation, amounts to discouraging it. The FC
is striving to bring peace to the troubled province, and doing a wonderful job.
Its work need to be appreciated rather than subjecting it to scathing criticism
on unproven charges.
A misperception has been created in the minds of general public by
national and international print/electronic media as well as by human rights
activists with the connivance of external hostile actors that large number of
innocent people are apprehended and detained by law enforcing agencies (LEAs)
and intelligence agencies. Most of the purported missing persons have
reportedly links with different terrorist organizations and due to fear of
being arrested have moved to far-flung areas of KPK/Balochistan. In addition,
some have shifted to Afghanistan and other countries to permanently settle
there. Most of them are not in contact with their families, who perceive them
as missing persons. In many cases dead bodies of those killed in encounters are
taken away by their accomplices, who probably burry them at unknown places. The
families are not informed about their deaths, who consider them under custody
of law enforcement/intelligence agencies. Contrary to the claims by the human
rights organizations and propaganda blitz of hostile elements, United Nations’
findings about cases of forced disappearances in February 2012 had revealed that
only ninety-eight (98) persons were missing in Pakistan. The highest number of
16545 missing persons has been reported in Iraq, followed by 12230 in Sri
Lanka. There were 431 missing persons in India, 532 in Iran, 672 in Nepal, 10
in Saudi Arabia and 98 in Pakistan. There is need to sift fiction from facts.
In fact, the terrorists have been attacking military check posts and
installations with impunity. In 2007-08, terrorists attacked GHQ/Hamza Camp (24
November 2007) and Kamra Air Base (15-16 January 2008). To this end, 11
suspects were apprehended and after establishing their involvement they were
produced in the court of law. During the process of apprehending them
sufficient lethal/destructive material such as weapons, mines and other
explosives were recovered form their possession and handed over to police as
evidence for prosecution.
Despite the fact that many important civil/military persons were killed
and injured, and there was sufficient evidence, yet terrorists got acquitted
from ATC Rawalpindi. There is a perception that police and judges of
anti-terrorist courts are scared of the terrorists, which is why they were
detained under section 16 of the MPO. That point besides, the issue of missing
persons has been blown out of proportions. In June 2011, a two-member bench of
Supreme Court headed by Justice Javed Iqbal had expressed dissatisfaction over
the role of NGOs in missing persons’ case. Taking notice of press conferences
by NGOs in Balochistan, Justice Javed Iqbal observed that it had become a trend
that NGOs exaggerate figures of missing persons but failed to provide details
about them. He had remarked that these NGOs were just spreading sensationalism
and conducting press conferences without obtaining facts on the missing
persons. Despite exaggerated figures of missing persons some media men continue
propaganda against the intelligence agencies and paint them in bad light to
appease their foreign masters.
So far as Balochistan is concerned it is veritably in a spot for quite
some time for missing persons and also in the vile lap of target killings. Its
problem is complex and intricate, not readily explicable, and not amenable to
easy solution and populist remedies. There have been target killings of
innocent civilians, teachers, professors and cops and security personnel in
Balochistan. While there could be some suspects arrested by the police or
intelligence agencies, one should not rule out the possibility that a number of
missing persons could be in Afghanistan and India, or killed by foreign agencies,
such as Balach Marri was killed in Afghanistan. The commission should not only
locate missing persons held on various charges but also trace them from Ferrari
Camps/Detention Centres being run by Baloch Sardars and insurgents.
Investigation should also be made to find out how many people have gone
underground or gone to Afghanistan for training. Pakistani media should act in
a responsible manner and should not present exaggerated figures to bring
ignominy to Pakistan.
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