Protests were held in various cities of Balochistan and the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka against the alleged murder of activist Karima Baloch in Canada. Thousands of participants took to the streets, carrying placards and banners and chanting calls of justice for the deceased activist and demanding a fair and transparent inquiry on her death. The Pakistani security forces are reportedly trying to the squelch the uprising by threatening the organizers and participants of the protests.
Since the mysterious death of the Baloch activist a week ago in Toronto, Canada, the Baloch Solidarity Committee has been organizing protests throughout Balochistan. The Committee has also held demonstrations in other major cities of Pakistan, like Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.
On Monday, the Baloch Solidarity Committee held protests in several cities of Balochistan. Scores of people took to the streets in Washuk, condemning the alleged assassination of the student leader Karima Baloch and demanding that the culprits be brought to justice. Protests were also held in Ormara and Gaddani.
A candlelight vigil was held in Dera Bugti in the memory of the deceased activist. The participants said that they pay their tributes not only to Karima Baloch, but all the other “martyrs” of Balochistan as well.
The Committee said that it had planned to carry out a demonstration Awaran on Monday, but had to defer after its organizers and activists received threatening calls. Forces were also stationed on the press club, which made it practically impossible to carry out the demonstration in the planned fashion.
The leader of the Baloch Solidarity Committee said in a media statement that their organizers and workers had received calls from the Pakistani personnel which threatened them to not carry out the protests or else they will be “forcibly disappeared.”
The statement further said that the security forces shut the press club and stationed troops on it. They also positioned the members of the local death squad to keep an eye on the people.
The forces reportedly besieged Awaran and its environs in the dead of the night.
According to the sources, the forces also thwarted a demonstration in Tump, the hometown of the activist Karima Baloch. The locals, mostly women, reportedly gathered in front of the deceased activist’s house to start the protest but were stopped by the security forces.
The local sources say that the forces confiscated the mobile phones of the protestors and also attempted to arrest them.
Student leader Mahrang Baloch said in a tweet that the forces had harassed the females and threatened them to not participate in the protest.
“Residents of Tump the native town of Banuk #KarimaBaloch aren’t allowed to go to peaceful rally organised by BYC tump. Females have been harassed and threatened not to participate. Suppressing the masses from political movements is violation of their rights”, she tweeted.
It is pertinent to mention that the security forces reportedly raided the houses of the women who had participated in the demonstrations held against the alleged killing of Karima Baloch.
In Pasni, the forces reportedly raided the house of Sheeraz Akbar, but he was not home at that time. The forces also raided a house in Quetta and confiscated the mobile phone of a female activist for participating in the protests.
‘Muslim genocide in Balochistan’
Outside of Balochistan, a protest was also held in Bangladesh against the alleged assassination of Karima Baloch. Bangladesh Muktijuddha Mancha, a progressive platform, held a demonstration in front of the University of Dhaka on Sunday, demanding that the “Muslim genocide in Balochistan” must be stopped.
Muktijuddha Mancha, the president of the central committee of the Aminul Islam Bulbul, presided over the rally. Other rank-holders of the Mancha were also in attendance.
Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik, Former Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, addressed the gathering. “The killing of Karima Baloch, a female human rights activist in exile in Canada, has proved that the Pakistani government is a sponsor of terrorism and militancy. The Muslim genocide in Balochistan must be stopped. I demand exemplary punishment for those involved in the Baloch killings”, he said.
“The ISI has carried out a well-planned assassination. The Bangladesh Liberation War Mancha [Bangladeshi Muktijuddha Mancha] strongly condemns and protests against the killing. We also express solidarity with the freedom struggle of the Balochistan Muslims. The movement for independence of the people of Balochistan is very logical. Pakistan has presented itself as a sponsor of terrorism and militancy in the recent assassination of Karima Baloch in Canada, an international crime against Pakistan for the genocide of Muslim massacre in Balochistan, and the murder of human rights activist Karima Baloch”, Muktijuddha Mancha said.
“People in Balochistan have been incited, trained and armed by Pakistan’s notorious intelligence agency, the ISI, and mobilized against all progressive forces there”, one speaker said, referring to the death squads that allegedly operate in Balochistan on the Pakistani military’s behest. He also mentioned the 3000-kilometre historical long march carried out by the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons from Quetta to Islamabad in 2013, saying that government of Pakistan did not pay heed to their pleas.
“Thousands of Baloch political leaders, human rights activists, Baloch civilians, and the general public are being targeted by security personnel and jihadists. This kind of abduction has been going on in Balochistan since 1947 when the ruling group brutally occupied Balochistan”, the speakers said.