Physical intimidation, enforced disappearances by Pak army see 3-fold rise in Balochistan: Report

Quetta [Balochistan] November 19 : Pakistan's defence forces have been conducting counter-insurgency operations, specifically targeting Balochistan Liberation Army members, in the Bolan area in the Kacchi district of Balochistan.
Cases of physical intimidation and enforced disappearances of the local Baloch population have significantly increased even as the offensive against the Baloch liberation force rages on, International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS) Reported.
Reports suggest that there is continuous pressure on Pakistan from China to safeguard the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Chinese citizens that are involved in the project.
According to IFFRAS, during a meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Bejing on November 2, Chinese Premier Xi Jinping expressed grave concern for the safety of Chinese citizens involved in the CPEC project.
The mainstream media in Pakistan has remained silent on the issue and very limited information is available on social media. The alleged inhuman treatment of the Pakistan army towards Baloch citizens comes at a time when they are already suffering from food and water scarcity after the monsoon floods that hit Balochistan earlier this year.
There have also been attacks by the BLA in the aftermath of a meeting between Junior Commissioned Officer Kaleem Ullah and a military intelligence officer Mohammad Faisal from Balochistan's Harnai district in September this year, reported IFFRAS.
Earlier, the BLA had issued an ultimatum for the Pakistan army offering a prisoner swap till before November 4. However, the offer could not be met due to unknown reasons.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Shireen Mazari tweeted on November 7, confirming human rights violations in Balochistan. In the tweet, he expressed sorrow over the 'disappearance of eleven women and children'.
She also pointed out the silence of Pakistan's mainstream media, saying it shows how the current regime in Pakistan has silenced the media, IFFRAS reported.
Another tweet by the Baloch Women's Forum confirmed these incidents, highlighting specific names. She took the names of Sammo Sumalani, Samidha Sumalani and her daughter Raaji, Zar Bakht Sumalani and Bani Sumalani's daughter Fareeda.
Placing targets on the backs of women and children specifically is a tactic of Pakistan's army to terrorise locals and create pressure on the BLA members. These along with unannounced curfews in the Bolan region have not only caused shortages of food and water but also created difficulties during medical emergencies, IFFRAS reported.
These operations are just simple one-on-one combats, as they involve sophisticated and advanced weaponry, the IFFRAS reprted, adding that specialised fighter jets, gunship helicopters, combat drones, and the army's Special Service Group (SSG) commandos are used for these targeted operations.
The use of sophisticated combat machinery does increase the chance of locals getting caught in the crossfire.
However, a press release from BLA on November 10 claimed that their forces had killed fifteen Pakistan army personnel while losing three of their own. Among the dead Pakistan army personnel were eight SSG commandos, the BLA claimed.
There has neither a confirmation nor a denial from the Pakistan Army on the incident.
Balochistan National Party leader Akhtar Mengal had accused the Pakistan security forces of carrying out fake encounters and enforced disappearance of Baloch locals.
Cases of fake encounter and disappearance grew by three folds during Imran Khan's tenure as prime minister. This despite the fact that the Baloch National (Menghal) Party was in coalition with Imran's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
Collectively, these incidents have resulted in thousands disappearing in the Baloch province. IFFRAS reported, citing Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, an organisation that looks into missing persons, that more than five thousand people are still missing. The missing include students, activists, women and children, it said.
Attacks on BLA members and Baloch locals have intensified after an incident at the University of Karachi where three Chinese citizens were killed in a suicide bombing by an alleged female BLA member.
In May this year, Dr Nazir Noor Baloch, the human rights secretary of the Baloch National Movement, wrote to Human Rights organisations, including the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).
On September 20, Baloch Voice Association, an NGO based in Paris, organised a three-day poster manifestation to highlight 'a three-fold increase' in enforced disappearances in Balochistan. This manifestation took place in front of the Human Rights Commission in Geneva, during its 51st session.