Karima Baloch's mysterious death is not suicide or accident: Hakeem Baloch
Dec 23, 2020
London [UK], December 23 : A Baloch leader has demanded a thorough investigation into the mysterious death of Banuk Karima Baloch, a political and human rights activist in Canada as she was receiving life threats and abusive messages on her social media accounts.
Hakeem Baloch, President of Baloch National Movement UK Zone, who is also her close friend, call her a brave lady who can't commit suicide.
"She received many threat calls on her social media accounts, abusive messages, and comments that's something which shows the mentality of the enemy of the Baloch nation," said Hakeem.
The 37-year-old Baloch activist, who came to Canada in 2016, campaigned extensively against disappearances and human rights violations in the troubled Balochistan province.
"Statements from her family and close friends have revealed that they don't believe, and the Baloch nation doesn't believe that she becomes a victim of an accident or it is an act of suicide because she was a brave lady, she was a brave heart lady, she was the hope for hundreds and thousands of Baloch. She was leading millions of Baloch. She was a symbolic character for Baloch women in the history of Baloch politics and with all those commitments, with all those greatness and along with them the sacrifices she made, the sacrifices her family made, no one can believe that this was an act of suicide," Hakeem Baloch told ANI.
Karima was among many young and educated Baloch political activists who have migrated to Europe, Canada, and the United States. They even face life threats in the West as Islamabad termed them as `traitors' for raising human rights issues in Balochistan.
Hakeem Baloch said, "One cannot ignore the videos which are circulating on social media where the ex-dictator and former President of Pakistan General (Pervez) Musharraf clearly stating that we should kill our enemies abroad just like the other countries are doing. That's something happening now".
"It has happened with Sajid Hussain (Baloch journalist killed in Sweden), this is what we believe that Sajid's case was not a normal case and the case of Karima Baloch is also not a normal case of suicide or an accident. Both of these cases have a lot of information to be shared with the people of Balochistan and their families. And, there must be a thorough investigation because this is something creating a fear among the Baloch diaspora for their safety and security because the Baloch reflect the country to be secure in the West and to raise the voice against the injustices happening in Balochistan with their people," said the Baloch leader.
In 2016, Banuk Karima Baloch was named on BBC's list of inspirational women. She was living in Canada since 2016 as she left Pakistan after terrorism charges were levelled against her.
"Since the Baloch have become victims of extrajudicial abduction and killings in Western countries like Sweden and Canada that raises serious concerns. This is the high time that the United Nations, European Union, USA, State Department, United Kingdom and all the international bodies, human rights organizations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the big media houses - BBC, CNN or any media houses from India or any other part of the world should take these issues seriously," said Hakeem.
He further said that "They must bring the truth, the facts outside and help the Baloch nation in their struggle to survive, in their struggle to have the right to express their beliefs freely in the countries where freedom of expression is not a crime. If one thinks that by killing the Baloch leaders they can suppress our voice, then this is not the case. We have been receiving dead bodies since 1839 when Balochistan was captured by the British invaders. And since then, the Baloch nation has been resisting these injustices. In the last 72 years, since the Pakistani occupation, we have received thousands of dead bodies. We have lost thousands of people and they are still missing in the torture cells of Pakistan army".
"Karima Baloch was a voice for all of those missing people and all of those martyrs and all of those political activists and the freedom-loving Balochs those who believe that one day Balochistan will be a free nation," Hakeem added.
