Pak Army repeating horrors of 1971 by targeting Baloch women

Islamabad [Pakistan], Sept. 10 (ANI): Asserting that history was repeating in itself, Farzana Majeed Baluch, a Baloch human rights activist, has said that human rights violations committed by Pakistan in Balochistan and the army targeting Baloch women was as bad as the torture and rape of women that took place during the Liberation War of 1971, which eventually led to the creation of a new country, Bangladesh, from what was then East Pakistan. "In the last two days, the home of a Baloch activist with women and children has been under siege by Pakistani paramilitary forces. Prior to this, they kidnapped more than 40 women with children from the Bolan area of Balochistan," Baluch told ANI. Farzana Majeed further said that Zarina Marri and two other women were still missing post military operations in the Kohlu and Derabugti regions of the province. "In past the atrocities done on the people of Bengal by Pakistan during Bangladesh's Independence in 1971 is being repeated. Pakistani Army is targeting Baloch women because they are now are politically powerful," said Majeed Baluch who is the sister of missing student leader Zakir Majeed. Meanwhile, Baloch Republican Party representative at the United Nations Human Rights Council Abdul Nawaz Bugti pointed out that in different parts of Dera Bugti, people are now being abducted as Pakistani forces have started fresh military operations. Bugti said that in the Turbat area, a political worker's house has been under siege for the past four days and his family, consisting mostly of women and children, are starving. Earlier, welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on Balochistan in his Independence Day address, several Baloch activists claimed that the people of the region support him and he should take up the Baloch issue with the international community at the United Nations. Last month, in a bid to highlight the ongoing Baloch genocide and human rights violations and the disappearance of Baloch people through the hands of Pakistani military and intelligence agencies in Balochistan, the Baloch National Movement (BNM) Germany chapter held demonstrations in different cities. Many activists are asserting that since 2003, more than 23,000 activists, students, lawyers, women, journalists, writers and human rights defenders have been enforced disappeared by the Pakistani army and its death squads. (ANI)