Dear Friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the disappearance of a Baloch student leader, who was arrested two years ago, on 18 March 2014, by persons from the nation’s military intelligence agency, the ISI. Since then his whereabouts are unknown, and he was not presented in any court of law. Now, students and activists raising awareness about his continued disappearance are being harassed by State agencies.
UPDATED INFORMATION:
Mr. Zahid Baloch alias Baloch Khan, Chairman of Baloch Student Organisation Azad (BSO-A) was arrested from the office of BSO-A in the suburbs of Quetta City, the capital of Balochistan Province, on 18 March, 2014 by persons dressed in civilian clothes who identified themselves as officers of the ISI. They were accompanied by uniformed Frontier Corp (FC’s) personnel.
Baloch was holding a meeting with members of the executive committee of BSO-A. The ISI personnel raided the meeting place and arrested Baloch. They told the participants that since the BSO-A is a banned organization, therefore, the meeting is illegal.
A question must be asked: if the organisation is banned then why did the officers not arrest all of the participants? In fact, intelligence had been following Baloch for some time with the intention of arresting him. Please see this earlier Urgent Appeal.
In the latest development, many students and activists have been harassed and arrested who have been protesting against Baloch’s disappearance. A student, Lateef Johar, who held a hunger strike unto death for the recovery of Baloch, was also threatened and harassed by the State agencies, something that compelled him to leave the country.
Also, a frontline human right defender, Ms. Noor e Maryam Kanwer, has been harassed for her stand. Ms Kanwer is the Chairperson/Director of Pakistan Youth Alliance, an NGO working in fields of counter-extremism, peace building, conflict resolution, and social welfare.
In the past one year, she has been constantly harassed and pursued by the intelligence agencies for supporting Voice of Baloch Missing Person (VBMP) and for actively taking part in the Baloch rights movement.
Since the murder of Ms. Sabeen Mahmood, a female activist, Ms. Kanwer has been receiving threats to her life. She also had to leave the country for some months to avoid threats on her life. This forced her to discontinue her activism.
She was organising a protest and mobilizing the youth against enforced disappearance, particularly with respect to the disappearance of Zahid Baloch.
Mr. Baloch Khan told the BBC that he will be arrested in the coming days and will also be killed extrajudicially like other members of the Baloch community.
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SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write the letters to the authorities calling on them to immediately recover Mr. Zahid Khan Baloch from the illegal detention center of the ISI and Frontier Corp (FC). The government must file a case on the enforced disappearance of Khan Baloch and concerned officials of ISI and FC must be prosecuted for illegal arrest and disappearance. The authorities must implement the rule of law and provide security to citizens, their prime responsibility, not disappearances.
Please share your apprehension that Mr. Zahid Khan Baloch has been tortured severely during his illegal detention and that it is entirely possible that he has been or would be killed, as hundreds of Baloch people have been killed following their arrest by the State agencies.
The AHRC is writing a separate letter to the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances calling for their intervention into this matter.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PAKISTAN: Two years have passed still the student leader is missing, the government failed to fulfill its responsibility
Name of victim:
Mr. Zahid Baloch, alias Baloch Khan, son of Illahi Bux Kurd, resident of Naal, District Khuzdar, Balochistan
Names of alleged perpetrators: The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Frontiers Corps (FC)
Date of incident: 18 March 2014
Place of incident: Quetta, capital of Balochistan Province
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the disappearance of a Baloch student leader, who was arrested two years ago, on 18 March 2014, by persons from the notorious military intelligence agency, the ISI. Since then his whereabouts are unknown, and he was not presented in any court of law. Now, students and activists raising awareness about his continued disappearance are being harassed by State agencies. The ISI has yet not issued any denial of its involvement in his arrest and disappearance.
According to the information I received that Mr. Zahid Baloch alias Baloch Khan, Chairman of Baloch Student Organisation Azad (BSO-A) was arrested from the office of BSO-A in the suburbs of Quetta City, the capital of Balochistan Province, on 18 March, 2014 by persons dressed in civilian clothes who identified themselves as officers of the ISI. They were accompanied by uniformed Frontier Corp (FC’s) personnel.
Baloch was holding a meeting with members of the executive committee of BSO-A. The ISI personnel raided the meeting place and arrested Baloch. They told the participants that since the BSO-A is a banned organization, therefore, the meeting is illegal.
A question must be asked: if the organisation is banned then why did the officers not arrest all of the participants? In fact, intelligence had been following Baloch for some time with the intention of arresting him. Please see this earlier Urgent Appeal.
I am appalled that in the latest development, many students and activists have been harassed and arrested who have been protesting against Baloch’s disappearance. A student, Lateef Johar, who held a hunger strike unto death for the recovery of Baloch, was also threatened and harassed by the State agencies, something that compelled him to leave the country.
Also, a frontline human right defender, Ms. Noor e Maryam Kanwer, has been harassed for her stand. Ms Kanwer is the Chairperson/Director of Pakistan Youth Alliance, an NGO working in fields of counter-extremism, peace building, conflict resolution, and social welfare.
In the past one year, she has been constantly harassed and pursued by the intelligence agencies for supporting Voice of Baloch Missing Person (VBMP) and for actively taking part in the Baloch rights movement.
Since the murder of Ms. Sabeen Mahmood, a female activist, Ms. Kanwer has been receiving threats to her life. She also had to leave the country for some months to avoid threats on her life. This forced her to discontinue her activism.
She was organising a protest and mobilizing the youth against enforced disappearance, particularly with respect to the disappearance of Zahid Baloch.
Mr. Baloch Khan told the BBC that he will be arrested in the coming days and will also be killed extrajudicially like other members of the Baloch community.
For further details, please watch this video.
I, therefore call you to immediately recover Mr. Zahid Khan Baloch from the illegal detention center of the ISI and Frontier Corp (FC). The government must file a case on the enforced disappearance of Khan Baloch and concerned officials of ISI and FC must be prosecuted for illegal arrest and disappearance. The authorities must implement the rule of law and provide security to citizens, their prime responsibility, not disappearances.
I also apprehend that Mr. Zahid Khan Baloch might have been tortured severely during his illegal detention and that it is entirely possible that he has been or would be killed, as hundreds of Baloch people have been killed following their arrest by the State agencies.
The AHRC is writing a separate letter to the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances calling for their intervention into this matter.
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, +92 51 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
Tel: +92 51 9212026
Fax: +92 51 9202624
Email: 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 of Balochistan
Governor’s Secretariat,
Zarghoon Road Quetta 87300
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 81 9202176, +92819202176
Fax: +92819203399
Email: ps@governorbalochistan.gov.pk
6. Mr. Sana Ullah Zehri
Chief Minister of Balochistan
Chief Minister Secretariat
Queeta
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92819202161
Fax: +92819202240
Email: cm@balochistan.gov.pk, ps.cm@balochistan.gov.pk
