According to the details, security forces arrested around three hundred Balochs in search operations in Qili Ismail, Kechi Baig,Qili Qambarani, Sariab, and Kili Sarday, Wali Jet localities of Quetta city. Eyewitnesses said personnel of police, Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) and the Frontier Corps (FC) entered into the houses and beat up different people before taking them into custody. The security forces have also been blamed for harassing and ill-behaving with Baloch women and children.
The whole day witnessed clashes between Pakistani functionaries and the civilians who were beaten up, blindfolded and taken to unknown locations by the government. In one similar search operation, the mother of an activist from the Balochistan National Party (BNP), Sanaullah Mengal, was killed by the forces allegedly by applying violent means. Family sources and eyewitness said that the forces tortured the old lady which caused her death. The mother of the deceased was identified as Shahnaz Bibi.
The Baloch National Front (BNF) has strongly condemned the search operation and pledged to avenge the killing of Shahnaz Bibi saying that the Baloch traditions encouraged taking revenge for the killing of one person. The BNF, led by professor Saba Dashthayari and Shahzaib Baloch took out a protest rally in front of Quetta Press Club in the afternoon to protest against the arrest of hundreds of political workers and common civilians in the freshly launched search operation against the Baloch population.
The BNF announced to observe a complete strike throughout Balochistan on April 26 against the killing of Shahnaz Bibi and the arrests, saying that protest rallies would be taken outside press clubs in Turbat on April 22, Noshki (24 April) and Panjgur (25 April) to lodge a democratic protest against the grave violation of human rights in Balochistan by the security forces under the pretext of maintaining law and order.
Speaking in the protest rally, the BNF leaders said the Balochistan Package and the recent 18th Amendment Bill did not mean anything for Balochs, nor would it deter the Baloch national struggle in any form. The Baloch people do have a history of taking revenge for its martyrs rather than shedding tears over such instances when its brave sons are killed, they said. “We will not tolerate people like Mushahid Hussain Syed to step on the Baloch land,” said one of the speakers. Balochs have become very conscious about their national rights and the exploitation they have come under over the past many years.
The BNF leaders severely castigated the media for taking the government’s side and not reporting the widespread arrest of Balochs in the search operation.
Chief of the Balochistan National Party and former chief minister of Balochistan, Sardar Akhtar Mengal has also strongly condemned the crack down on the Baloch people in Quetta by terming it as a continuity of the previous government’s policies against the Baloch people. He described the arrests as the harbinger of a new military operation being launched in Balochistan.
Anjuman-e-Itehad-e-Marri has also strongly condemned the brutal search operation against Baloch people in different areas of Quetta. According AIM’s statement the operation has been directly ordered by the governor and CM of Balochistan. “Along with the occupation force of Pakistan the state agent, so called Nawab and Sardars are also equally responsible for today’s attack and houses-to-house search in Baloch residential areas.
Baloch Bar Association has announced to boycott courts on 21 April against the arrest and killing innocent Baloch in Quetta. The Baloch Bar termed the grand search operation an illegal act of the government and they urged the International Human Right Organisations and International community to take notice of such brutal arrests and operation against innocent Baloch civilians.
Source: agencies