- FALLING ON DEAF EARS: RISING INSTANCES OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN BALOCHISTAN
In January 2024, nearly 400 ethnic Baloch comprising of women and children, camped in Islamabad outside the National Press Club against the “kill and dump” policy of the government that impacted dissidents in custody. The extrajudicial murder of Balaach Mola Baksh, whom suspected officials abducted from the Turbat region marked a severe instance of custodial murder andenforced disappearance that is rampant in Balochistan. Police force, brutality and censorship remained a critical concern as recently as August 2024, when the Baloch Yekhjit Commission (BYC) was able to hold its press conference at the Karachi Press Club in Sindh. However, only the committee’s deputy organiser was allowed to speak, to the exclusion of all other relevant stakeholders. The press conference brought to the forefront the state of deteriorating human rights in Balochistan; a curfew has been imposed since 2023 from Gwadar to Makran; and plight of numerous protestors that have been arrested. As such, an extensive police force was deployed at the main entrance for the press conference which barred the presence and entry of anyone wearing the Balochi dress or masks. Police and security forces also opened fire on peaceful protestors and dug up surrounding roads to stop vehicular operation.
Further extreme incidents have been reported as recent as 9 October 2024, when immigration authorities barred BYC leader Dr. Mahrang Baloch from boarding a flight to New York despite having a valid US visa and an invitation from Time Magazine naming her as one of the most influential people of 2024. Her passport was confiscated and law enforcement agencies reportedly harassed her and her female companions, dragged out the driver and even used expletives on their way back from the airport. She had previously been charged with sedition for allegedly inciting rebellion in Khairpur, Sindh—a city she had never visited. Other instances include the arrest of human rights defender Idris Khattak, who documented enforced disappearances in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). He was held incommunicado from November 2019 to June 2020. Charged under the 1923 Official Secrets Act, a British-era law, he faced the possibility of severe punishment. In December 2021, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison by a military court under the Pakistan Army Act.
The PoJK has seen several protests in 2024 over the surge in human rights abuse. Political activists from PoJK and the Gilgit-Baltistan and organisations such as the National Equality Party JKGBL held a protest outside the United Nations in Geneva on 23 March 2024, demanding Pakistan to vacate and withdraw troops from the occupied territories, stating that oppression, lack of basic human rights and fundamental freedom in PoJK and Gilgit-Baltistan region have been the norm for the last 77 years.
The Pakistan media has been touted as a “graveyard for journalists” due to their lack of coverage of human rights abuses in Balochistan. Targeted abuses towards journalists span as far back as 2008 when the state authorities threatened anti-establishment reports and journalists who covered enforced disappearances. Many believe that the corporatisation of media in Pakistan, where major media outlets prioritize income. Most are concentrated in Punjab province due to its commercial and advertising interests, a factor that has significantly contributed to the lack of coverage of events in Balochistan. Balochistan, which traditionally lacks a strong economic and industrial base, is often overlooked in media reporting, resulting in limited attention to the region’s ongoing issues (including water, education etc.) and human rights abuses. Despite social media as a tool for independent reporting, internet shutdowns, power outages and excessive surveillance have disallowed locals to undertake adequate reporting.Additionally, many local journalists avoid reporting for fear of state retribution. There are clamps imposed by the government on insurance coverage and compensation receivable by family members on their death or injury. It is speculated that by restricting access to insurance benefits and perks, the state has successfully discouraged impartial reporting.
Recently, national organisations within Pakistan have also highlighted the growing abuse of human rights in Balochistan and PoJK. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) criticised the Pakistan government for adding the Baloch activist Sammi Deen Baloch to Pakistan’s Exit Control List in September 2024, stating that it violated her freedom of movement. HRCP also noted that several other individuals in Balochistan were placed under the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, implying that such individuals are subject to restrictions such as embargos on their passports, freezing of bank accounts, a ban on financial support and credit and employment clearance restrictions. While the Home Department issued no official notification, several individuals have been instructed to report to the Counter Terrorism Department and the local police based on recommendations of district security agencies. Thus far, 137 people have been added to the Fourth Schedule and 3000 people are set to be added to the Fourth Schedule. Most of these individuals are journalists and activists from BYC who actively reportedincidents and news in the region. Despite issuing a corrigendum that admitted the erroneous inclusion of the journalists, the names of the activists’ remained on the Fourth Schedule along with the applicable restrictive measures. Further, there are emerging reports that abettors and facilitators of banned organisations and individuals would also be included in the Fourth Schedule.
Physical abuse of criminal suspects in custody has reportedly led to injuries and deaths, while prolonged trial delays and a lack of accountability for officials responsible for these abuses have fostered a culture of impunity. Intelligence agencies, police, and security forces are accused of holding prisoners incommunicado, often refusing to disclose their locations. On 29 May 2023, the Islamabad High Court directed the federal government to serve notices to former leaders, including General Pervez Musharraf, Imran Khan, and current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, for their “undeclared tacit approval” of enforced disappearances. In response, a seven-member committee was formed to address enforced disappearances. In August 2023, a similar committee was established by the Balochistan provincial government to investigate missing persons. Of the 8,463 cases reported to the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances since 2011, only 3,284 were resolved. The commission has faced criticism from both the judiciary and civil society for its failure to take meaningful action on these cases.
The events in Balochistan have drawn also widespread international criticism. The U.S. “2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices,” released in April 2024, highlighted serious abuses in Pakistan, including unlawful civilian deaths, unjust arrests, internet restrictions, and violence against journalists. Ethnic minorities like the Pashtun and Hazara communities also face severe discrimination from the administration. Despite these violations, the Pakistani government has largely failed to hold officials accountable. Indian defence experts have noted that PoJK residents are treated as “aliens,” with resources such as electricity generated in Balochistan’s Gwadar port benefiting Pakistan’s Punjab and China, rather than the local population. This has led to protests, which are often violently suppressed by Pakistani paramilitary forces. PoJK activists have called for India’s intervention, drawing parallels with its role in Bangladesh. India has consistently raised concerns at the United Nations about Pakistan’s human rights abuses in PoJK, citing a lack of democracy, sham elections, and repression of political voices as key drivers of the ongoing crisis.
The escalating violence and human rights abuses in Balochistan and PoJK, including Gilgit-Baltistan, present a grave humanitarian crisis. With an alarming rise in enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings andrepression of political dissent, the situation in these regions continues to deteriorate. The suppression of freedom of speech, media censorship, and the targeting of journalists have further isolated these areas from international attention, despite efforts by local activists and international organisations to highlight injustices. The state’s aggressive tactics, including the use of anti-terrorism laws to silence dissent and the denial of basic rights, have been widely condemned. Global organisations and human rights defenders have called for accountability and immediate reform, as the impunity of security forces exacerbates the crisis. As the international community becomes increasingly aware of the human rights violations in Balochistan and PoJK, there is a growing demand for Pakistan to address these issues and take meaningful steps to restore the fundamental rights of the people in these territories. (Foreign Media)
