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Killing Of Innocent People In Balochistan
An Appeal from Asian Human Rights
Commission
25 July, 2006
Countercurrents.org
Urgent help is needed for 200,000
displaced victims of military operations in Balochistan province
Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information through
international and national media as well a through local social and
political groups of Pakistan that the Pakistan Army is conducting military
operations in Balochistan, the southern province of Pakistan. Though this
has been ongoing since 2001, since December 2005 the military government
of Pakistan has been conducting aerial bombings in several parts of the
province. During this period the army has conducted about 12 bombardments
and have killed more than 300 people. The areas that are continuously
under fire are Sibi, Hernai, Much, Kohlo, Dera Bugti, Sabsilla, Bhambhoor,
Loti, Dhaman, Pir Koh, Spin, Tangi, Babar Kach, Tandori and Sangan. The
BBC and other newspapers have quoted the local people and elected
representatives of the provincial assembly and Senate as saying that about
four F16 fighter jets, gunships and helicopters have been used in the
bombardments on the civilian population. In fact the Chief of Air Staff of
the Pakistan Air Force actually admitted to the aerial bombardment in
Balochistan.
Due to the military operations and aerial bombardments the local
population have been forced to migrate to safer parts of Balochistan as
well as to the nearby borders of Sindh and Punjab provinces. The military
have cordoned off Hernai area for the past several days making it
impossible for people to come and go. As a result the people are without
food, medicines and drinking water. The area where people have taken leave
from are predominantly Mach, Kohlo, Usta Mohamad, Sibi, Dera Bugti and
some parts of Hanai. The two district provinces of Sibi and Bolan are the
worst affected areas of military operations as well as the aerial
bombardment. These two districts cover more than 500 kilometres. The
displaced are now settled in other areas such as Dera Murad, Jamali,
Quetta, Khuzdar, Hub in Balochistan and Kashmore, Jackob Abad and the
border areas of Larkana district in Sindh Province. In Pubjab Province
they have taken shelter in Dera Ghazi Khan district near Usta Mohammad
village of Balochistan. According to newspaper reports the displaced are
living in terrible conditions with no safe drinking water. According to a
report published in the daily Dawn "It is unclear how many Bugti displaced
people (DPs) actually poured into neighbouring cities and towns following
the outbreak of hostilities between the warring tribesmen and the
law-enforcement agencies in the early summer of last year. The Dera Bugti
Nazim, Kazim Bugti, puts the number of DPs at over a hundred thousand. His
assertions about the involvement of army helicopters in Dera Bugti
military operations lend credence to the claims of the DPs. The accusation
is stoutly denied by the government, however". The displaced have to carry
water from at least one to three kilometers away. No medical help is being
provided to them. The are mostly children and women suffering from
diarrhea, dehydration, malaria and high fevers. Some cases of deaths have
been reported but not confirmed by any hospitals.
The local people in these areas where displaced persons are settled, are
not allowed by the intelligence agencies of Pakistan Army to help
refugees. Edhi center, a local charitable organisation, has been stopped
by the Pakistan Military from providing medical assistance to the affected
people and from making medical camps in refugee settled areas. The main
persons from Edhi center were summoned to Pakistan's capital, Islam Abad
by the Military intelligence and were ordered to stop medical assistance
to the victims. According to the daily Dawn the displaced are lying in the
open skies in summer where temperature remains at 38 to 44 degrees
centigrade. The conditions of the displaced are deteriorating day by day
and urgent help is needed through from international organisations working
for the rehabilitation of refugees and displaced persons.
Additional information:
Balochistan is the most under developed province of Pakistan. Balochistan
has in fact very rich mineral resources. However, all the resources in the
province are controlled by the federal government and no royalty or
compensation has been paid to people in Balochistan. Also, the country's
most populous province, Punjab, is controlling the military, the
administration and utilitieses of all the resources. In addition, the
government has provided little resources towards social welfare in
comparison with other provinces. People in Balochistan blame the federal
government for their plight and point out that the benefits derived from
the province's natural wealth have not been returned to it.
This province is the richest in natural resources, including gold, silver,
copper, oil, natural gas, iron ore and uranium. It supplies natural gas to
the whole of the country yet three quarters of the province does not have
the access to natural gas. Sui is the area from where natural gas is being
supplied but the military of Pakistan wants to keep its control, as a
result of which Sui is the worst affected area of military operations. The
Government of Pakistan pays a meager 5% of the total income from natural
resources as royalty to Balochistan.
Baloch people also suffer from great poverty. According to the
Karachi-based Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC), poverty levels
in Balochistan are the highest in the country. Every second person in
Balochistan lives below the poverty line. Only 50 percent of the
province's seven million people have access to clean drinking water, only
half the children attend primary schools and only a third of children
between 12 and 23 months are immunised, according to the SPDC.
This is the 5th time since the creation of the country that the Pakistan
Army has conducted military operations and aerial bombardments resulting
in the deaths of more than 12,000 people. Several people were hanged and
thousands of people migrated to other parts of the country. Since the
military operation from 2001 about one thousand people have been killed
and according to the statement of Mr. Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Federal
Minister for Interior Affairs more than 4000 people have been arrested
from Balochistan since the beginning of 2005. Despite this, until now only
200 people have been produced before any court and the Ministry of
Interior has failed to produce the names of those arrested. The Balochi
resistance groups and political parties are claiming that more than 1000
people have disappeared since their arrest. The intelligence agencies such
as the I.S.I, Military intelligence (M.I.), along with the Intelligence
Bureau (I.B), the Navy Intelligence, the Pak Rangers Intelligence, and the
Central intelligence Agency of Pakistan (CIAP) are operating very
actively. The Police department is also not allowed to go in the torture
camps of these with out the permission from military authorities.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters of concern to the authorities listed below voicing
your condemnation at the actions of the government in Pakistan.
Suggested letter:
Dear ____________,
PAKISTAN: Urgent help is needed for 200,000 displaced victims of military
operations in Balochistan province
I write with grave concern for the security and welfare of the people of
Balochistan province. I have recently learned that since December 2005 the
military government of Pakistan has been conducting aerial bombings in
several parts of the province. During this period the army has conducted
about 12 bombardments and have killed more than 300 people. The areas that
are continuously under fire are Sibi, Hernai, Much, Kohlo, Dera Bugti,
Sabsilla, Bhambhoor, Loti, Dhaman, Pir Koh, Spin, Tangi, Babar Kach,
Tandori and Sangan. Local people and elected representatives of the
provincial assembly and Senate have been quoted in the national and
international media as saying that about four F16 fighter jets, gunships
and helicopters have been used in the bombardments on the civilian
population. In fact the Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force
actually admitted to the aerial bombardment in Balochistan.
Due to the military operations and aerial bombardments the local
population has been forced to migrate to safer parts of Balochistan as
well as to the nearby borders of Sindh and Punjab provinces. The military
have cordoned off Hernai area for the past several days making it
impossible for people to come and go. As a result the people are without
food, medicines and drinking water. The area where people have taken leave
from are predominantly Mach, Kohlo, Usta Mohamad, Sibi, Dera Bugti and
some parts of Hanai. The two district provinces of Sibi and Bolan are the
worst affected areas of military operations as well as the aerial
bombardment. These two districts cover more than 500 kilometres. The
displaced are now settled in other areas such as Dera Murad, Jamali,
Quetta, Khuzdar, Hub in Balochistan and Kashmore, Jackob Abad and the
border areas of Larkana district in Sindh Province. In Pubjab Province
they have taken shelter in Dera Ghazi Khan district near Usta Mohammad
village of Balochistan. According to newspaper reports the displaced are
living in terrible conditions with no safe drinking water. According to a
report published in the daily Dawn "It is unclear how many Bugti displaced
people (DPs) actually poured into neighbouring cities and towns following
the outbreak of hostilities between the warring tribesmen and the
law-enforcement agencies in the early summer of last year. The Dera Bugti
Nazim, Kazim Bugti, puts the number of DPs at over a hundred thousand. His
assertions about the involvement of army helicopters in Dera Bugti
military operations lend credence to the claims of the DPs. The accusation
is stoutly denied by the government, however". The displaced have to carry
water from at least one to three kilometers away. No medical help is being
provided to them. The are mostly children and women suffering from
diarrhea, dehydration, malaria and high fevers. Some cases of deaths have
been reported but not confirmed by any hospitals.
The local people in these areas where displaced persons are settled are
not allowed by the intelligence agencies of Pakistan Army to help
refugees. Edhi center, a local charitable organisation, has been stopped
by the Pakistan Military from providing medical assistance to the affected
people and from making medical camps in refugee settled areas. The main
persons from Edhi center were summoned to Pakistan's capital, Islam Abad
by the Military intelligence and were ordered to stop medical assistance
to the victims. According to the daily Dawn the displaced are lying in the
open skies in summer where temperature remains at 38 to 44 degrees
centigrade. The conditions of the displaced are deteriorating day by day
and urgent help is needed from international organisations working for the
rehabilitation of refugees and displaced persons.
I am appalled that a government could treat its people in such a dreadful
manner. As human beings these people have rights that the government must
ensure and respect. Evidently this is not happening in Pakistan, in
particular in the Balochistan province, and this is unacceptable. I call
on the relevant authorities in Pakistan as well as the international
community to see
to it that the aerial bombardments in Balochistan are ceased and that
people can return to their homes without fear for their security. I
further request the ceasing of all ongoing military operations in
Balochistan and urge that genuine steps be taken to consult with people in
the province to restore peace, and ensure the social welfare of the Baloch
people, who suffer from great poverty.
Yours sincerely,
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. General Pervez Musharraf
President
President's Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1422, 4768/ 920 1893 or 1835
Email: (please see -
http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/
WTPresidentMessage.aspx)
2. Mr. Muhammad Wasi Zafar
Minister of Law, Justice and Human Rights,
S Block,
Pakistan Secretariat,
Islamabad,
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 920 2628
E-Mail:minister@molaw.gov.pk
3. Mr. Awais Ghani
Governor of Balochistan
Governor House,
Quetta,
Balochistan,
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 81 920 2178/ 2992
4. Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao
Minister of the Interior
#404, 4/F., R Block,
Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9212026
Fax: +92 51 9202624
5. Mrs Rifat Iqbal
Ambassador of Pakistan,
Embassy of Pakistan,
Ailesbury Villa,
1B Ailesbury Road,
Ballsbridge,
Dublin 4
U.S.A
Tel: +1 261 3032 / 01 261 3033
Fax: +1 261 3007
6. Ms Gay Mcdougall
Independent Expert on Minority Issues
c/o Global Rights
1200 18th Street, N.W.
Suite 602
Washington, D.C. 20036
Phone: +1 202 822 4600
Fax: +1 202 822 4606
7. Ms. Louise Arbour
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 917 9012/0213
8. Mr. Walter Kälin
Special Representative of the Secretary General the
human rights of internally displaced persons
Attn: Ms. Karen Gulick
OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE
IDPs)
9. Mr. Arjun Sengupta
Independent Expert on the question of human rights and
extreme poverty
C/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: INDEPENDENT EXPERT ON THE
QUESTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND EXTREME POVERTY)
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
Tapan Kumar Bose
Email: tbose@safhr.com,
buboo_1946@yahoo.co,
bose.tapan@gmail.com
South Asia Forum for Human Rights
3/23 Shree Darbar Tole, Patan Dhoka,
(Near Lalitpur Zila Hulak Office)
Lalitpur, NEPAL
Tel: +977-1-5541026, Fax: +977-1-5527852
http://www.countercurrents.org/pk-ahrc250706.htm
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