Chagai residents block road to protest against Pak Army’s oppression
The residents of Chagai also known as Chaghi have voiced their frustration by blocking the road leading to Nokundi Bab-e-Umar against the oppressive tactics of the Pak Army.
Reportedly, the previous day, the Pak Army callously sabotaged their vehicles by pouring sand into the engines of two local individuals’ vehicles, causing them excruciating pain as they walked barefoot on scorching hot sand.
Residents said that such incidents have occurred before, where drivers’ vehicles’ engines were disabled, and water bottles were also snatched from the drivers, leading to the drivers dying of thirst.
They further said that they appeal to human rights organizations to take note of the forces’ actions. Meanwhile, an announcement was made by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee to hold a protest rally in Dalbandin.
In an inhumane and disgraceful act, the Pak Army has tortured and abandoned Baloch drivers and labourers in the desert.
Leaders from the Baloch National Party and other nationalist groups participated, calling the puppet authority representatives “traders” who have been “sold out” and no longer defend the rights of the Baloch people.
The protesters said that Baloch people are being exploited. Instead of hiring local youth for the Rekodiq and Saindak projects, people from Punjab are being recruited. “If any Baloch tries to work across the border, they are not spared. Their shoes are removed and they are forced to stand barefoot on scorching sand,” another protester said.
It should be noted that in April 2024, nearly 200 batteries were removed from the radiators of vehicles by the Pak Army officials in the deserted border area, leaving drivers helpless and stranded. Reportedly, many drivers died due to thirst.
Since 1948, when Pakistan forcibly occupied Balochistan, the region has been subjected to the exploitation of its resources and systematic oppression of its people by the Pak Army. Pak Army is depriving the people of their basic rights. It is important for the international community to support the Baloch nation and raise its voice for their rights.
BLA new video exposes Pak Army brutality in occupied-Balochistan
The Baloch Liberation Army has released a powerful new video that lays bare the brutal realities of Pak occupation in Balochistan. This visual proof shines a light on the nefarious agenda and inhumane tactics employed by the Pak military forces against Baloch people.
The footage features our brave freedom fighters from the elite Majeed Brigade, a dedicated squad formed in 2011 to strike at the heart of Pakistan’s occupation. Among them is Fidai Karim Jan, a veteran of the successful Operation Zarpahazag attack that dealt a decisive blow against Pak intelligence headquarters.
‘Operation Zir Pahazag’ phase 5, the latest offensive was conducted by the BLA’s elite Majeed Brigade unit against Pak intelligence installations in the city of Gwadar on March 20th, 2024. They struck facilities housing the headquarters of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency as well as Military Intelligence (MI) and over 25 personnel from various branches of the Pak Armed forces were killed during the attack.
Jan provides searing testimonial of the systematic oppression inflicted by Pak forces. His own family has been a victim, with his brother forcibly disappeared for a year and Jan himself imprisoned and abducted.
“I have not seen a single person in the Pak Army who has anything called humanity”, Jan said. He reveals the horrific treatment of fellow Baloch captives, recounting how “The prisoners who were Baloch were ready to be slaughtered like dogs. I myself have seen all this, I have seen all this torture.”
This disturbing first-hand account confirms what the Baloch resistance has been exposing for decades – a campaign of enforced disappearances and crimes against humanity perpetrated by Pakistan against Baloch community. Over 30,000 innocent Baloch have been made victims of enforced disappearance by Pak forces in their desperate attempt to cling to occupied Balochistan.
Balochistan has suffered under the yoke of illegal Pak occupation since Balochistan’s forced annexation in 1948. But videos like this prove that no amount of state violence can extinguish the flame of Baloch self-determination burning in the hearts of freedom fighters.
The Army must be held accountable for these atrocities. The international community must condemn Pakistan’s actions and support the peaceful democratic struggle to liberate Balochistan from foreign subjugation once and for all.
Sindhi journalist Nasrullah Gadani dies after getting shot
Nasrullah Gadani, a journalist with the Sindhi language daily Awami Awaz, succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital in Karachi on Friday.
Notably, Gadani (40), was shot by armed assailants in Mirpur Mathelo a few days ago and was initially treated at a hospital in Rahim Yar Khan before being airlifted to Karachi for further medical attention.
A massive funeral was held in his native village of Qabool Gadani, attended by thousands of mourners, including journalists, nationalist party leaders and community members. Following the funeral, Gadani was laid to rest in a local graveyard.
The killing of Nasrullah Gadani has sparked widespread anger and protests across Sindh. In Karachi, journalists covering the Sindh Assembly session staged a walkout from the press gallery, demanding justice for Gadani and Jan Mohammed Mahar, another journalist recently killed in Sukkur. The protesters chanted slogans against the rising incidents of violence against journalists in the province.
Sindh Home Minister Zia Lanjar and Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon met with the protesting journalists, assuring them that three suspects had been detained and promising a breakthrough within a week.
Additionally, the journalist community, along with various other groups, staged a protest outside the Karachi Press Club, demanding justice for Gadani and calling for stronger protections for journalists in Pakistan.
Black flags were hoisted at press clubs across Sindh, and journalist bodies held rallies and demonstrations in protest. The protesters emphasised Gadani’s role as a vocal critic of the Pakistani establishment and PPP MNA Lund Sardar, whom many believe to be behind the assassination.
Meanwhile, a video clip has emerged showing Gadani being shot by armed guards allegedly linked to Sardar a couple of days before he was shot and killed. In the video, Gadani can be seen speaking about the firing.
Pashtuns hold massive rally against rise in Pashtun killings in Pakhtunkhwa
Pakhtunkhwa is grappling with a new set of challenges under the dictats of Pakistan, marked by a disturbing increase in target killings and resource exploitation. Over the past two days, more than six people have been reported killed, highlighting a severe security crisis in the region.
The residents of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are facing a heightened threat to their lives, with incidents of target killings becoming alarmingly frequent. Despite the region being heavily militarized, the Pakistan Army has failed to curb these violent incidents, leaving the populace vulnerable and unprotected.
On May 23, the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) held a protest rally and demonstration in Dhaka city against the burning of Pashtuns’ heavy-duty vehicles in Dhaka Baghai, drawing massive public participation. The protest aimed to highlight the continuous target killings and exploitation faced by the Pashtun community.
Earlier, on May 22, six trucks laden with coal were fired upon by unidentified assailants and subsequently set ablaze. This incident further underscores the precarious security situation in the region and the targeted attacks on Pashtun resources.
According to claims by local activists, the incident happened despite Pak Army extorting additional money in the name of security.
Over all the situation of Pashtuns remain precarious as they face multifaceted challenges, both from Pak Army and other fringe elements. On the other hand, Pak Army uses these incidents to project itself as a victim.
During the rally, PTM leaders raised their voices against the ongoing target killings of Pashtuns and demanded an immediate cessation of such cowardly acts. They called for the Pakistani government and military to take swift and effective action to protect the lives and properties of the Pashtun people.
Teachers protest in Pak-occupied-Balochistan over salary delays
Employees of the University of Balochistan staged a protest on Thursday, blocking Saryab Road in Quetta to raise their voices against the non-payment of salaries. The protesters, including teachers and staff, brought traffic to a halt from 8 am onwards, demanding a permanent solution to the salary crisis.
Addressing the protest, the president of the Joint Action Committee stated that the University of Balochistan is the mother university of the province, employing numerous teachers, officers, and staff. He said that paying their salaries is the responsibility of the puppet-government under the control of the Army and a basic right of the teachers. However, the university employees have been forced to protest to secure their salaries for the past four years.
“The provincial and federal authorities should allocate funds for all universities in the country at the beginning of the budget so that the issue of employees’ salaries can be resolved permanently,” he said.
The protest leader claimed that despite assurances from the provincial assembly that salaries until June would be paid, the commitment has not been fulfilled. “Teachers are meant for classrooms, not for sitting on the roads,” he added.
Meanwhile, in Quetta, the Balochistan Community Schools Teachers Association took out a rally from Metro Politan Corporation, in a demonstration in front of the Balochistan Assembly. The protesters carried banners and placards with slogans demanding an increase in the salaries of contract teachers and their regularization.
The teachers, who have been working on contract for the past 17 years, said that community schools are approved by the provincial puppet-government under the control of the Army and called for immediate steps to regularize their services. They cited a unanimous resolution passed in the Balochistan Assembly in 2019 in favor of regularization, which has yet to be implemented.
“Despite the passage of 17 years, no steps have been taken for the service of the teachers, and no service structure has been made,” the protesters said.
The community school teachers said that the Balochistan Education Foundation, which monitors the schools, pays them a meager Rs. 32,000 per month, equivalent to a laborer’s wage, while spending crores of rupees on supervisors’ salaries and visits.
They demanded that the salaries of teachers be released through the DAO code and that the monitoring of schools be conducted by the education department, DAOs, DDOs, district supervisors, and RTM teams.
The protests highlight the long-standing grievances of the academic community in Pak-occupied-Balochistan over salary issues, job security, and lack of investment in education infrastructure. While the Pak Army exploits Balochistan’s resources, it has done nothing for the development of the community, instead employing brutal tactics to suppress them. Employing misgovernance and militarization, Pak-occupied-Balochistan’s overall infrastructure and socio-economic progress have suffered severely, leaving teachers and students to bear the brunt of the crisis in the education sector.
PTM Sindh coordinator Noorullah Tareen out of prison after 8 months of illegal detention
In a latest development, PTM Sindh coordinator Noorullah Tareen has been released from jail following his implication in false cases and subsequent incarceration for eight months. Tareen’s release comes as a significant relief for the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) and its supporters, who have been vocal about his unlawful detention.
Tareen was abducted from his house in Karachi on October 5, 2023, by Karachi Police. His detention was part of a broader crackdown on the PTM, an organization known for its non-violent advocacy for Pashtun rights and criticism of the Pakistani establishment. Tareen had been particularly vocal against Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to repatriate Afghan refugees, a stance that reportedly led to his abduction and imprisonment.
Following arrest of Noorullah Tareen, the provincial leadership of PTM in Karachi announced plans to resist if he was not presented in court, highlighting the arbitrary nature of his detention. The PTM has consistently condemned Pakistan’s policy of targeting activists who speak out against state oppression, with many activists being hounded, abducted, or even killed.
Pak crackdown on Afghan refugees
Notably, after the crackdown on Afghan refugees began on September 11, 2023, with initiation a sudden arrest drive, detaining almost 250 Afghan migrants, including women and children, in Karachi. Pakistan’s declaration to repatriate undocumented Afghan refugees quickly turned into selective harassment and targeting, partly in response to a humiliating attack on the Pakistani Army by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
During this difficult period for Afghan migrants, the PTM, under Tareen’s leadership in Sindh, stood in solidarity with the refugees.
Tareen’s abduction was seen as an attempt by the Pakistani establishment to weaken the PTM’s efforts in defending the rights of Afghan refugees.
Noorullah Tareen’s release marks a pivotal moment for the PTM and underscores the resilience of its members in the face of state repression. It also highlights the ongoing struggle for human rights and justice in Pakistan, particularly for marginalized communities such as the Pashtuns.
Punjab’s (Pak) draconian defamation bill faces backlash
On Wednesday, the Judicial Activism Panel (JAP), a public interest forum based in Lahore, urged the sham Punjab government under the Pak Army to reconsider the controversial bill. In a letter to the puppet provincial governor and puppet chief minister, JAP called the law “illogical” and a “violation of the judgments of superior court”.
The bill was passed by the Punjab Assembly on Monday amid protests from the opposition PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council and journalists. All amendments proposed by the opposition were rejected.
Interestingly, the PPP, an ally of the ruling PML-N, has distanced itself from the disputed legislation. PPP MPA Ali Haider Gilani claimed that no party legislator voted for the bill. Former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani questioned the need for a new law when defamation ordinances already exist.
Earlier, on Monday, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also voiced serious concerns regarding the defamation bill draft that was brought before the Punjab Assembly. The human rights organization stated in their statement that they are concerned about the bill that was brought before the assembly because it calls for the creation of a specialised structure to adjudicate cases involving defamation.
Punjab’s Defamation Bill
HRCP has continuously denounced such special parallel judicial structures due to their recurrent violations of fundamental rights and other widely acknowledged standards governing the impartial operation of the judiciary.
Furthermore, the bill suggests establishing distinct tribunals for defamation and empowering the illegitimate govt under the Pak Army, with the authority to select judges for the same positions at salaries and benefits that are greater than those of the current provincial judiciary, which operates at the district level.
The cases need to be settled within 180 days, immediately receiving a defamation claim and these tribunals can authorize and issue preliminary decrees worth up to PKR 3 million without holding a trial. Additionally, the proposed law established a unique class of constitutional office holders, which includes chief justices, prime ministers, and military chiefs among others.
In violation of the principles of equality of citizens and equality before the law, any defamation claims made about this category will be heard by a one-member tribunal made up of judges from the Lahore High Court. The HRCP also expressed concern about the hurried nature of the Punjab Province Assembly’s bill of defamation proposal.
The Human Rights Commission stated that five days is insufficient for any meaningful engagement with digital and mainstream media stakeholders, as well as civil society, regarding a complicated legal proposal that impacts opinion-makers across the entire digital ecosystem.
BLA attacks Pak Army in Dukki, Kamran & Sibi (POB)
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a prominent freedom fighters group fighting for independence in Pak-occupied- Balochistan province, has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks targeting Pak security forces and their infrastructure.
In a statement issued to the media on Thursday, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said their fighters carried out four separate operations in the Dukki, Zamran, and Sibi areas over the past two days.
In Dukki’s Sanjawi Pasra Tangi area late Wednesday night, BLA fighters attacked trucks involved in looting Baloch resources while transporting coal from Pak-occupied-Balochistan to Punjab province. He claimed six trucks were set ablaze during the assault.
The spokesperson warned local stooges bought by the Army that they would face severe attacks if they aligned themselves against Baloch fighters and national interests. In another incident late Wednesday in Zamran’s Archan Kor area, Jeeyand said BLA fighters destroyed a spy camera installed by Pak Army during an operation.
Meanwhile, in Zamran’s Dashtak area, the fighters planted explosives and destroyed a communications tower set up by Pak troops for internet services. On Thursday, the BLA targeted a military outpost in Karmovadh, Sibi through a sniper attack followed by heavy weapons fire, according to the statement. At least two personnel were injured.
Jeeyand reiterated the BLA’s resolve to continue such attacks against “the occupying Pak forces and their collaborators” until they achieved an independent homeland, ie., Free Balochistan.
Pak-occupied Balochistan has suffered under the unlawful control of Pakistan, dating back to 1948. In its efforts to maintain control over Pak-occupied Balochistan, the Pak Army has resorted to various oppressive tactics such as enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, abduction of students & youth and employing death squads has further exacerbated the situation.