The appointment of Sarfaraz Bugti as the head of a new committee on enforced disappearances by Pakistan’s caretaker government has sparked controversy and criticism in Balochistan. Bugti, currently serving as the caretaker Interior Minister, is a controversial figure due to his alleged involvement with “death squads” in Balochistan and his public stances on enforced disappearances.
The committee, comprising the Interior, Law, and Defence Ministers, was established following the federal cabinet’s approval on November 7. This initiative aims to address the long-standing issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, a region plagued by such cases for years. However, the decision to place Bugti at the helm has raised concerns among various stakeholders, including human rights activists and Baloch nationalist leaders.
Sammi Deen Baloch, General Secretary of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) and daughter of the missing Dr. Deen Mohammad, expressed skepticism about the committee’s effectiveness. She referred to the unsuccessful outcomes of similar past commissions, including COIOED and a commission led by Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal appointed by the Islamabad High Court. Baloch accused the government of toying with the emotions of the families of missing persons by appointing Bugti, who she claims downplays the severity of enforced disappearances.
Additionally, Dr. Allah Nazar Baloch, a prominent figure in the Baloch independence movement, called on the United Nations and human rights organizations to take notice of Bugti’s appointment. In a statement on the social media platform ‘X’, he described Bugti as a “puppet Interior Minister” and the head of a state-backed “Death Squad”. Dr. Allah Nazar Baloch emphasized that Pakistan’s appointment of Bugti to the missing persons committee is a clear indication of its disregard for human rights conventions in Balochistan, an action he believes should alert the international community to the situation.
This development has elicited strong reactions from Baloch nationalists and relatives of the missing, who have expressed doubts about the new committee’s potential to effect substantive change. They argue that Bugti’s appointment serves only to undermine the committee’s credibility and effectiveness.