Pakistan's Balochistan province facing devastating human rights crisis

Quetta [Pakistan]/Brussels[Belgium], Nov.23 (ANI): Balochistan, the largest and resource-rich province of Pakistan, has been facing the worst human rights crisis where the Baloch are being suppressed. In the worst form of oppression, military operations are being carried out against the civilians. Since July 26, Wahid Baloch, the 52-year-old Baloch activist, has been missing from Karachi. Wahid is among many other Baloch activists who have been picked up by intelligence sleuths for demanding justice and freedom. The whereabouts of these Baloch missing persons is unknown. Several of them were killed and their mutilated bodies were found dumped in isolated places across Balochistan. According to the Voice for Baloch Missing persons, an NGO, state authorities have admitted arrest of more than 12,000 people by Law Enforcement Agencies in the last one and a half years in Balochistan. The disappeared people have not been brought before any judicial body as yet. Baloch Diaspora has been raising the issue of state-run terror in Balochistan by holding events across Europe, Canada and the U.S. Recently in Brussels, France-based Baloch Voice Association raised the grim situation in Balochistan and demanded international intervention. Munir Mengal, the president of France based Baloch Voice Association said, "Look, how this Islamic state of Pakistan is suppressing us and how they are looting us and why they are killing our loved ones and who are they and for what purpose? They are sacrificing their lives and this thing we have mentioned in the declaration asking the organizations particularly the Red Cross that the Baloch prisoners should be declared as `prisoners of war'. We are in a state of war with a country which has occupied our land and killing our people. So, announce our prisoners as prisoners of war". Claudia Heidelbery, who recently formed an NGO in london called `Friends of Balochistan' said, "I see the situation in Balochistan because of the CPEC corridor, the contract between China and Pakistan. China wants Pakistan to secure the CPEC corridor and it gives Pakistan all options to strengthen the atrocities just to secure the corridor and also to exploit the natural resources of Balochistan". The atrocities on Baloch people have increased after Islamabad and Beijing signed a multi-billion dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The people in Balochistan, who are championing the cause of the Free Balochistan Movement, are opposing the project which they say will lead to exploitation of their resources. (ANI)