The year 2020 passed as another difficult year in Baloch national history, where Pakistani military operations and bloodshed continued through ground attacks and air operations till the last sunset of 2020. Serious human rights violations across occupied Balochistan and the Pakistan Army’s war crimes operations’ data have been compiled by Sangar group that in turn have been obtained from Balochistan’s official print media, online and social media and locals in the concerned areas.
The Pakistani military conducted 682 operations across occupied Balochistan during the year, and 705 Baloch went missing at the hands of Paki security forces. In the year 2020, at least 200 Baloch bodies were recovered and 122 Baloch were martyred by military, intelligence agencies and state-backed death squads. Of these the motive of killing of 60 Baloch people could not be ascertained and 18 Baloch bodies could not be identified.
According to the available data, Pakistani forces also set up 60 new outposts across occupied Balochistan. Also, during the operations, more than 4,000 cattle were killed and more than 2,000 were taken away by the forces as booty.
In the same year, the Pakistan Army launched a new series of war crime by burning off natural forests throughout Balochistan, including Dasht, Buleda, Parom, Zamuran, Mand, Jhaoo, Gichk, Mashkai, and Bolan.
Pakistani forces also set fire to three schools in Buleda Tehsil of Kech district.
Further, in the year 2020, 106 missing persons were recovered from the forces’ dungeons; most of which had gone missing in different months of the same year. Interestingly, no human rights organization in the world has ever tried to find out where these Baloch missing people were. No one bothered to question Pakistani forces in this regard. This is a shame for human rights organizations and the mainstream media.
Year 2020 was devastating for the Baloch nation, where state bombings and operations began earlier in the year. The assassination of Sajid Baloch in Sweden and the martyrdom of Karima Baloch added another bloody chapter to Baloch national history. After the sudden disappearance and assassination of Sajid Baloch in Sweden, the assassination of Baloch leader Banuk Karima Baloch in Canada shook the Baloch nation.
Karima Baloch was an effective voice. She was martyred under a special and organized strategy. There was hardly a street, village or city in occupied Balochistan where there was no protest against the murder of Karima Baloch. Karima Baloch was a revolutionary and the reaction to her martyrdom made it clear to the world and the murderous state of Pakistan that Karima is the name of a thought, rather an individual.
The ongoing atrocities in Balochistan over the past two decades have been increasing with each passing month and year. Seeing this, one can better imagine Pakistan’s intentions for the Baloch national genocide. There is no area left that has not been set on fire, people have not been evacuated, and houses have not been set on fire. In fact, no area in Balochistan is safe.
Daily, the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies are picking up people and disappearing them. Homes and cattle are being looted. They have even created an outsourced model to create terror in the form of death squads that together with the state forces, intelligence agencies, and the Pakistan Army has made life hell for the Baloch people on their own soil.
The young Baloch children are picked up in front of the eyes of the people. The people have become a practical example of helplessness who have been protesting for years in protest rallies and hunger strike camps in the hope of return of their loved ones.
It is clear that Pakistani barbarism has given birth to a human tragedy in Balochistan. The affected families are in an indescribable situation. This situation is getting worse day by day.
Disappearing people is a serious crime. No law in the world allows a person to go missing, but this inhumane act is on the rise in Balochistan. This is a clear war crime. Pakistan should have been brought to book for this crime but at the cost of people’s emotions, compulsions, and human tragedy, Pakistan is being acquitted of this crime.
The year 2020 also witnessed dozens of Baloch people including Malik Naz being martyred. Malik Naz’s little child Bramsh was wounded in Dannuk, Turbat. This, once again made Balochistan the center of global attention. Similarly, Hayat Baloch was dragged in front of his parents by the occupying Pakistan Army and shot eight times in a row. The photo of his parents with the body of martyr Hayat Baloch on social media shook humanity and yet the the oppressors and human rights organizations did not notice it.
The picture of Hayat Baloch’s parents sitting with their son’s dead body and their cries may have reached the skies, but we didn’t hear anything from international mainstream media and global champions of human rights. Hayat, with his blood, sent a message to the nation that you are slaves! Just a slave!
It should be noted that due to the control of Pakistani establishment over media in Balochistan, the Pakistan Army has become completely unrestrained and it has committed war crimes without heeding any international humanitarian and war laws.