Pakistani security forces kill 2 Baloch graduates, who were forced to join BLA, in Kalat
May 03, 2020
Kalat [Pakistan], May 3 : Shahdad Baloch and Ehsan Baloch, both graduates from Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad, were killed by Pakistani security forces in Kalat on Saturday.
Both the graduates were critical of the Pakistani establishment for exploitation of the natural resources and gross human rights violations in Balochistan.
Sources reveal that they both were brilliant students and were forced to join the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a pro-freedom outfit a year ago because of continuous discrimination and brutality against the Baloch in the country.
Abdullah Abbas Baluch, a human rights activist said, "I came to know about Shahdad from his pictures circulated on social media a few years ago. He was humiliated and beaten up when he complained about discriminatory treatment towards Baloch students in Punjab. He was also a victim of torture and enforced disappearance."
Khan Zaman Kakar, a Pashtun author, said on Twitter, "There are reports that two brilliant QAU graduates #EhsanBaloch and #ShahdadBaloch have been killed in Kalat, Balochistan. Does the state intelligentsia know that why such highly educated Baloch youngsters prefer their own mountains over the Pakistani offices?"
A large number of educated Balochs have taken up arms against the state because of the growing poverty, human rights violations, incidents of rape and torture against the Baloch women.
Jamal Baloch, a journalist based in Balochistan, remembered how Shahdad raised questions about discrimination against Baloch at a talk show on television.
He tweeted, "Shaheed Shahdad Baloch on #CapitalTalk. "Reko Dik, Saindak and Sui Gas all these projects couldn't change the fate of Balochistan & its people, how can #CPEC change the fate of Balochistan?" Pakistan Army killed Shahdad yesterday and its 2020 but didn't get his answer".
Sources also said that Shahdad, an MPhil graduate, was kidnapped by security forces in March 2015 and released after torturing.
Balochistan is a resource-rich but least developed province of Pakistan. As Pakistan and China continue to exploit resources from Balochistan, the people are resisting and demanding equal rights. Some Balochs have joined armed struggle and demand freedom from Pakistan.
