In a concerning incident last night, the Pak Army forcibly entered a residence without any warrant in Karachi’s Lyari Saeedabad and assaulted Baloch women and children. The incident resulted in the forceful detention and enforced disappearance of four Baloch youths by the Pak Army.

This incident has sparked protests across the region and the outraged citizens are gathering in solidarity to denounce the arbitrary actions of the Pak Army and demanding the immediate release of the disappeared individuals.

This event draws attention to the escalating tensions and occurrence of human rights abuse against the Baloch community by the oppressive Pak Army. The Pak establishment forcefully occupied Balochistan on March 27, 1948, and since then the Baloch people have been fighting against the atrocities and Baloch genocide committed by the Pak Army. Reportedly, atrocities like daily home invasions, enforced disappearance, staged encounters, target killings, torture, embarrassment at checkpoints and kidnappings for ransom, surface daily.  

Recently, two Baloch youths identified as Sarwar, son of Muhammad Juma and Rudini Sukna and Sher Jan, son of Azeem Sukna and Nach Khan from Khuzdar, have been forcibly disappeared by the Pak Army.

It’s only the mid of February, yet there have already been numerous reported cases of enforced disappearances. At least 14 individuals were forcibly disappeared in the first week and among them, 6 were brutally killed by Pak Army. Among the victims of enforced disappearance, a father-son duo was also recently disappeared by the Pak Army.

These cases are not unusual and are reported daily since the Pak Army forcibly occupied their region on March 27, 1948, the people of Pak-occupied Balochistan have been fighting against the atrocities and Baloch genocide committed by the Pak Army. Examples of these atrocities include frequent home invasions, disappearances, staged encounters, target killings, torture, embarrassment at checkpoints, and kidnappings for ransom.

Protests have erupted throughout Pak-occupied Balochistan following Pakistan’s general elections, where widespread electoral interference has favored political parties backed by the Pakistan Army.

The recent victory of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) in Pak-occupied-Balochistan has raised concerns about electoral interferences, with manipulation by the Army in areas characterized by lower voter turnout or the absence of polling stations.

Several political parties, including the Balochistan National Party (Mengal), National Party, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Hazara Democratic Party, and religious parties, initiated protests against alleged vote rigging. The demonstrations, ranging from highway blockades to sit-ins, aim to draw attention to their grievances.

The protests have gained momentum, with thousands gathering outside election commission offices, effectively shutting down large parts of the region. The demonstrations have spread to major and minor cities, including Gwadar, Turbat, Chaghi, Dalbandin, Ziarat, Muslim Bagh, and Loralai.

Emergency all-party meeting against electoral interference

An emergency meeting held in Quetta saw these parties discussing grievances, their refusal to accept the election results, and a decision to launch a joint protest movement in Pak-occupied Balochistan against the election outcomes. The parties also resolved to prevent newly elected candidates from entering the Balochistan Assembly and initiate a public movement against the Pak ‘establishment’s interference in Pak-occupied Balochistan’s political affairs.

The situation took a more complicated turn when Jan Muhammad Buledi, the National Party’s General Secretary and a candidate for PB-25 Kech 1, claimed to have received death threats from an Army officer after accusing the Army of ballot stuffing in his constituency.

Various reports and videos have emerged on social media that showcased the malpractices that occurred during and after the election. Booth rigging, and tampering with ballot boxes, as bags full of stamped ballot papers were found in the Mand area. Furthermore, in Pak-occupied Balochistan, the people refused to vote and asked the polling officials to get away from their area.

These events revealed the true nature of the Pak Army and their intention for the resource-rich province. Not only do they commit electoral fraud but they also have continuously committed human rights violations, Baloch genocide and numerous barbaric acts. These events have prompted the Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), an alliance of armed pro-independence groups, to launch 161 attacks in the 11 days leading up to the election.

Recently, Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind, the former provincial minister who lost the PB-12 seat for the provincial assembly in the most recent general elections, claimed that the Pak establishment was stealing his mandate. He claimed to be a “patriot” who wished to support his nation and its citizens and that he had never given up on the Baloch land and resources for personal benefit.

In a recent press conference held on Sunday, Rind said “The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has ‘selected’ its favourite candidates for positions,”. Rind questioned the necessity of holding elections if the results are already known. He said that many voters were denied the opportunity to cast their ballots because ECP staff showed up late to multiple polling places in the PB-12. He claimed that although he had been waiting for the results for the previous three days, his victory was turned into a defeat.

He stated that his voice had been muffled inside the Pak-occupied Balochistan assembly and that the Pak establishment had chosen to keep him out of the provincial assembly. He declared that his voice would now be heard throughout Balochistan and that he would not exchange the nation of Baloch resources for anything.

He declared that the situation in the province remained dire and criticized the Pak authorities for bringing in “Jamaloo and Kamaloo,” nicknames for Jamal Raisani and Jam Kamal Khan, the current and former favourites of their establishment in Pak-occupied Balochistan. He used the Mach incident as an illustration of the Baloch resistance, in which the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) took control of the city for two days and massacred numerous Pak Army.

He further showed his support for Mahrang Baloch and the families of the Baloch people who went missing, marching to Islamabad to demonstrate for their loved ones’ safe return. Speaking to those in his immediate vicinity, he said that it was their duty to raise more Mahrangs in their homes so that they could oppose the establishment and stand up for what was right. He expressed gratitude to his clan and supporters, claiming they had cast ballots for him but were deprived of their option.

It is noteworthy that Rind had informed her a few years prior that it was disgraceful for Baloch women to protest in public when Mahrang Baloch and other Bolan Medical College students were doing so on chilly winter nights in Quetta. In an unexpected change of events, Rind now admires Mahrang’s bravery and tenacity.

In a distressing turn of events, the families of Baloch missing persons who actively participated in a recent march are now facing the cruel reality of enforced disappearances orchestrated by the Pak Army. This sinister act aims to undermine the collective efforts of these victim families in their quest for justice and accountability.

The whereabouts of Gul Khan Shikari, Miran Shikari (his son), and Zahid, son of Aktar Muhammad, have remained unknown since their abduction on February 7, 2024. These individuals had joined the march advocating for the release of Nawab Imran and Najeeb Baloch. Their lives are currently in peril, and there is an urgent call for human rights organizations to condemn the barbaric actions of the Pak Army.

It is essential to highlight that in Pakistan-occupied Balochistan, instances of forced disappearances are alarmingly common and are reported daily. Among the recent victims of enforced disappearances are Majeed and Ajeem, a father and son wrongfully detained and disappeared by the Pak Army from Awaran and Mastung districts in Pakistan-occupied Balochistan.

Since the forcible occupation of their region by the Pak Army on March 27, 1948, the people of Pakistan-occupied Balochistan have been steadfastly resisting the atrocities and Baloch genocide perpetrated by the Army. These atrocities include frequent home invasions, disappearances, staged encounters, target killings, torture, humiliation at checkpoints, and kidnappings for ransom.