In a massive search and detention operation across Dasht, district Ketch in Pakistan-occupied Balochistan (POB), the nervous Pakistan Army has arrested several Baloch who are now ‘missing’ as their whereabouts are unknown. This crackdown came in response to the relentless attacks by the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) on Pakistani forces in Dasht.
On January 25, the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) sarmachaars (freedom fighters) had completely destroyed a Pakistan Army post at Sabdan in the Dasht tehsil of Ketch district and killed 17 Pakistani military personnel. An embarrassed Pakistan Army cremated its soldiers at night in order to avoid media glare, lest its atrocities and barbarism on the Baloch population could come in the limelight.
Later on, Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa paid a visit to the area and ordered his troops to speed up the operation.
According to reports, the Paki forces have abducted more than ten Baloch from the Darchko area of Dasht to an unknown location after forcibly taking them into custody. Among those who have gone missing are Murad, Kamal and Habib aged eighty years. The youths who have been forcibly detained have been identified as Fida (son of Nazar Fida), Fida (son of Ibrahim), Owais (son of Rasool Bakhsha), Hanif (son of Firak), Niaz (son of Omid), Abid (son of Bashir) and Bilal (son of Bashir).
The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) has been fighting for Balochistan’s independence against Pakistani occupation for the last several years. BLF is led by Dr Allah Nazar Baloch.