Killing of Baloch student in Pakistan creates outrage, activists demand justice
Aug 20, 2020
Toronto/ London [Canada/UK] August 20 : Baloch political and human rights activists have displayed their extreme anger over the killing of 25-year-old Hayat Baloch, a science undergraduate at Karachi University.
Baloch was killed in cold blood by the Frontier Corps (FC) of Pakistan in Balochistan's Turbat town.
The killing sparked unprecedented protests with people gathering in thousands across Balochistan and other parts of Pakistan and abroad.
A female Baloch protester said: "Being a mother, I can understand the pain of a mother who has lost her son in front of her eyes. How did they kill him with so much brutality in front of his mother? Why didn't anybody intervene? Why didn't anybody ask anything? You run your houses with our money and resources and then kill our sons and daughters".
Social media has been simmering with anti-Pakistan posts and videos. The calls made by local leaders to come out in large numbers have resonated with the masses and they have provided a massive strength to the movement.
A criminal silence from Islamabad has only validated the accusations.
Data collected from different local and international agencies confirm Baloch plights and charges. They say over 53,000 Balochs have disappeared till date and the establishment is not sparing even the women and children.
The protestor also said that authorities have adopted new tricks to execute extrajudicial killings, label them as rebels working against the interest of the country.
Hakeem Baloch, President of Baloch National Movement (UK Zone) told ANI, "This wasn't an isolated murder or only case of Hayat Baloch, there have been many incidents where Pakistani forces have killed Baloch youths and they were labeled as members of Baloch armed groups but in reality, they were just innocent, non-combatant civilians who were killed by the Pakistani forces".
It is not just the state forces, but the establishment has been using mercenaries, also known as 'death squads' to carry out genocide in the region.
Only a few weeks back, the Brahmsh Baloch episode had shaken the conscience of humanity, and now this Brutal Hayat's killing, Balochistan is literally turning into a human graveyard.
And despite incriminating evidence, repeated pleas, the international community has taken little notice with its actions restricted to condemnations. Balochs demand more.
Karima Baloch, former Chairperson of Baloch Students Organisation-Azad and a Karima Baloch said, "Its pity that international powers have been selective when it comes to human rights. They fail to acknowledge that there is a systematic and slow genocide going on in Balochistan. But we will keep on reminding them that human rights violations in one part of the world are not isolated events but they will have long term implications".
Pakistan has been obliging to Chinese instructions, which has made a multi-billion dollar investment in the region, and now both Beijing and Islamabad are in cahoots in Baloch depredation and elimination.