Pak-occupied-Balochistan paid tribute and honour to Shari Baloch, the first Fidayee of Balochistan. Shari Baloch, a 31-year-old school teacher and mother of two, targeted Karachi University’s Confucius Centre in a suicide bombing killing four people, including three Chinese instructors.
Shari Baloch, who belonged to an educated and politically active family in Pak-occupied-Balochistan, carried out the deadly attack on April 26 as part of the freedom fighters group Majeed Brigade of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), one of the main groups fighting for the independence of Balochistan , said that the “era of women’s active participation in the armed struggle has begun.”
Shari’s family roots can be traced back to her maternal uncle Siddiq Azat, a founding member of the Baloch Students Organization (BSO), and her paternal uncle Ghani Parwaz, a prominent literary figure and political activist. Her father, Mohammad Hayat, recently retired as the Registrar of Turbat University.
“She was my most cheerful and beloved daughter. The news about her strained family relations is baseless,” said Mohammad Hayat. He revealed that just days before the attack, Shari had called home, speaking affectionately with family members about her Eid preparations.
However, Shari had been absent from her teaching job at the Government Girls High School in Kalat since October 2021 after applying for study leave to pursue an M.Phil, which was denied by the education department.
Her former colleagues and students remember her as a compassionate teacher who never exhibited any extremist leanings. “We never thought she would choose such a dangerous path”, said Dr. Sami Parwaz, Shari’s cousin.
Officials are currently in discussions with Shari’s family about handing over her remains for burial in her ancestral village of Nazar Abad.
Since 1947, Pak Army has not only forcefully occupied Balochistan but also has benefited from its rich resources. But Pak Army has left the province at the rock bottom of the socio-economic ladder, leaving the Baloch community oppressed and alienated. Nearly 41% of households in Pak-occupied-Balochistan live below the poverty line and with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in play, they will be further deprived of their resources and will continue to lag behind.
This was one of the reason for the freedom fighters to take up revolutionary measures against the oppressive brutal Army. Shari said that her decision for suicide bombing was also because of the humiliation felt by the Baloch community at the hands of Pak security institutions.
“Every day our people are disrespected. Our mothers, sisters and innocent children are on the roads protesting and crying for their loved ones,” wrote Shari in her statement.