Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a lawyer who was contesting cases of missing persons in the Balochistan High Court and a Baloch child were abducted by security forces and people in pain clothed. There are reports from different websites that the persons in military uniforms and plain clothes conducted an operation in Dera Bugti and Naseerabad districts of Balochistan, killing 11 persons and destroying several houses.
Abductions and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan have increased suddenly since the Supreme Court has accelerated the hearing of the cases concerning missing persons. The military continues to refuse to respect the court despite several notices. The excuse of the military is that presenting themselves before court will affect the morale of the soldiers.
CASE NARRATIVE:
A prominent lawyer of Balochistan, Mr. Nadir, Advocate (30) son of Abdul Nabi was arrested by personnel from the Frontier Corps (FC) along with plain clothed persons from his house in the presence of his wife and rest of the family members on December 4, 2013 at midnight. He was a resident of Bolan Medical College Labor Colony Quetta. After identifying him the FC officers dragged him from the house and threw him in an FC jeep. Since then his whereabouts are unknown.
The legal community of Balochistan has boycotted the court proceedings in protest throughout the province. It is apprehended by the community that Mr. Nadir will be tortured or extrajudicially killed to eliminate the evidence of his enforced disappearance. Advocate Nadir was appearing before the court in missing person’s cases and was very close to the missing person’s relatives. He appeared before court on behalf of his clients pro bono.
Disappearance of a student
A young student, Master Mehrab Baloch (17), was abducted by the security forces and plain clothed persons from the Satellite Town area of Quetta on December 3 at the student’s hostel. According to the information received 33 vehicles of the Pakistan security forces cordoned off the entire Baloch hostel at midnight and searched all the rooms forcing out the students. After identifying Mehrab he was arrested and taken away to an unknown location. He is a resident of Kalatuk Village Kech district and came for higher studies to the Balochistan University. The Frontier Cops was suspicious about him as he came from the Kech area where the military conducted several operations searching for Baloch national leaders who were fighting for the independence of Balochistan from Pakistan.
After his abduction his whereabouts remain unknown.
Operation in two districts
Different websites of Baloch nationalists have reported that Pakistani forces have started a massive military offensive in many areas of Dera Bugti and Naseerabad in the early morning of December 5. Dozens of armored vehicles carrying military troops laid siege to several villages of Dera Bugti and Naseerabad including Beti and RD 238. The military started intense firing on the civilian populace and heavily bombarded the villages.
Baloch Republican Party Media Cell sources from the area, while confirming the operation, say dozens of houses of the poor Baloch villagers were destroyed by the bombardment and many houses were set on fire by Pakistani forces. At least eleven members of one family were killed. The victims were identified as Riazat Bugti s/o Bagul Baloch, activist of Baloch Republican Party; Kosagh Bugti s/o Warna Khan, who belongs to Baloch Republican Student organization; Masso Bugti s/o Bakho Khan and two sons and a grandson of Mr. Ali Dost Baloch were also among the deceased.
Furthermore, ten people were abducted by the forces. It is worth mentioning that three members of the targeted family had been abducted previously, killed and then dumped. Among them were Nakeef Bugti and Gullan Bugti. They were abducted by the military and then thrown out of a helicopter in Noshki in 2008.
The websites quoting local sources claim that gunship helicopters are also taking part in the deadly operation and are indiscriminately bombarding the civilian populace of the area. Army helicopters have bombarded the small village of Beti since morning. Latest reports coming from area suggest that the army has handed over at least five more dead bodies of abducted people to the RD 238 police station. Death casualties may increase as the operation continues and the entire area of RD 238 is continuously under tight siege.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the following authorities calling for the safe recovery of Mr. Nadir Advocate and a young student, Master Mehrab Baloch, who were abducted by the persons in uniform from their places of residents. Please also urge them to stop the disappearances after arrest by the security forces and respect the freedom and right to dissent of the Balochi people, stop the military action from Dera Bugti and Naseerabad districts, release all arrested persons and pay compensation to the bereaved families. The FC and other members of law enforcement agencies must be prosecuted for disappearing, torturing and extrajudicially killing Balochi people.
The AHRC is writing a separate letter to the Chairperson of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances calling for his intervention into this matter.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PAKISTAN: A lawyer working for missing persons and a student were abducted and there are reports about military operations in two districts of Balochistan
Name of victims:
1. Mr. Nadir Advocate son of Abdul Nabi, resident of Bolan Medical College Labor Colony Quetta, Balochistan
2. Master Mehrab Baloch, resident of Kalatuk village, Kech district, Balochistan
3. Mr. Riazat Bugti son of Bagul Baloch, activist of Baloch Republican Party;
4. Mr. Kosagh Bugti son of Warna Khan, Dera killed in military operation in Dera Bugti, Balochistan
5. Masso Bugti son of Bakho Khan, killed in military operation in Dera Bugti, Balochistan
6. Mr. Ali Dost Baloch and his two sons and a grandson, killed in military operation in Dera Bugti
Names of alleged perpetrators: Persons from Frontier Corps stationed in Balochistan
Date of incident: December 5, 2013
Place of incident: Quetta, Dera Bugti and Naseerabad districts, Balochistan
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the continuous disappearances of Baloch people after their arrests by the persons in uniforms and military operations in Dera Bugti and Nasereabad districts where 11 persons were shot dead by the law enforcement agencies.
I have learned that a prominent lawyer of Balochistan, Mr. Nadir, Advocate (30) son of Abdul Nabi was arrested by personnel from the Frontier Corps (FC) along with plain clothed persons from his house in the presence of his wife and rest of the family members on December 4, 2013 at midnight. He was a resident of Bolan Medical College Labor Colony Quetta. After identifying him the FC officers dragged him from the house and threw him in an FC jeep. Since then his whereabouts are unknown.
The legal community of Balochistan has boycotted the court proceedings in protest throughout the province. It is apprehended by the community that Mr. Nadir will be tortured or extrajudicially killed to eliminate the evidence of his enforced disappearance. Advocate Nadir was appearing before the court in missing person’s cases and was very close to the missing person’s relatives. He appeared before court on behalf of his clients pro bono.
In another incident a young student, Master Mehrab Baloch (17), was abducted by the security forces and plain clothed persons from the Satellite Town area of Quetta on December 3 at the student’s hostel. According to the information received 33 vehicles of the Pakistan security forces cordoned off the entire Baloch hostel at midnight and searched all the rooms forcing out the students. After identifying Mehrab he was arrested and taken away to an unknown location. He is a resident of Kalatuk Village Kech district and came for higher studies to the Balochistan University. The Frontier Cops was suspicious about him as he came from the Kech area where the military conducted several operations searching for Baloch national leaders who were fighting for the independence of Balochistan from Pakistan.
After his abduction his whereabouts remain unknown.
I have also learned that different websites of Baloch nationalists have reported that Pakistani forces have started a massive military offensive in many areas of Dera Bugti and Naseerabad in the early morning of December 5. Dozens of armored vehicles carrying military troops laid siege to several villages of Dera Bugti and Naseerabad including Beti and RD 238. The military started intense firing on the civilian populace and heavily bombarded the villages.
Baloch Republican Party Media Cell sources from the area, while confirming the operation, say dozens of houses of the poor Baloch villagers were destroyed by the bombardment and many houses were set on fire by Pakistani forces. At least eleven members of one family were killed. The victims were identified as Riazat Bugti s/o Bagul Baloch, activist of Baloch Republican Party; Kosagh Bugti s/o Warna Khan, who belongs to Baloch Republican Student organization; Masso Bugti s/o Bakho Khan and two sons and a grandson of Mr. Ali Dost Baloch were also among the deceased.
It is appalling that ten people were abducted by the forces. It is worth mentioning that three members of the targeted family had been abducted previously, killed and then dumped. Among them were Nakeef Bugti and Gullan Bugti. They were abducted by the military and then inhumanely thrown out of a helicopter in Noshki in 2008.
The websites quoting local sources claim that gunship helicopters are also taking part in the deadly operation and are indiscriminately bombarding the civilian populace of the area. Army helicopters have bombarded the small village of Beti since morning. Latest reports coming from area suggest that the army has handed over at least five more dead bodies of abducted people to the RD 238 police station. Death casualties may increase as the operation continues and the entire area of RD 238 is continuously under tight siege.
I urge you to press the authorities for the safe recovery of Mr. Nadir Advocate and the young student, Master Mehrab Baloch, who were abducted by the persons in uniform from their places of residents. Please also urge them to stop the disappearances after arrest by the security forces and respect the freedom and right to dissent of the Balochi people, stop the military action from Dera Bugti and Naseerabad districts, release all arrested persons and pay compensation to the bereaved families. The FC and other members of law enforcement agencies must be prosecuted for disappearing, torturing and extrajudicially killing Balochi people.
I look forward to your urgent attention in these matters.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Mamnoon Hussain
President of Pakistan
President’s Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92-51-9204801-9214171
Fax: +92-51-9207458
Email: publicmail@president.gov.pk
2.Mr. Mian Nawaz Sharif
Prime Minister
Prime Minister House
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1596
Tel: +92 51 920 6111
E-mail: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk or pspm@pmsectt.gov.pk
3. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan
Federal Minister for Interior
R Block, Pak Secretariat
Islamabad (Pakistan)
Tele : 0092-51-9212026
Fax: 0092-51-9202624
Email Address: interior.complaintcell@gmail.com
ministry.interior@gmail.com
4. Dr. Faqir Hussain
Registrar of the Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9213452
Email: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk
5.Mr. Muhammad Khan Achakzai
Governor Balochistan
Governor’s Secretariat,
Zarghoon Road Quetta 87300 PAKISTAN
Phone 081-9202176
Phone: +92819202176
Fax: +92819203399
Email: ps@governorbalochistan.gov.pk
6.Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch
Chief Minister Balochistan
Chief Minister Secretriate Queeta PAKISTAN
Phone +92819202161
Fax: +92819202240
cm@balochistan.gov.pk
ps.cm@balochistan.gov.pk
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
