January 5, 2016
Balochistan: Enforced Disappearances Reach Alarming Records in 2015
On 3 January 2016, the Chairman of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, Mr Nasrullah Baloch, stated that approximately 463 people were forcefully disappeared last year in Balochistan. The human rights organization, which represents the families of abducted Baloch persons, highlighted that the numbers could be higher, as the Government recently admitted having arrested 9000 people from Balochistan under the National Action Plan (NAP). Additionally, since 2008, the discovery of mutilated bodies of Baloch missing persons has continued to increase, with 157 mutilated bodies found in 2015 alone.
QUETTA: The Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) has said on Friday that approximately 463 people were forcefully disappeared while 157 mutilated bodies were found from Balochistan in 2015.
Nasrullah Baloch, Chairman of VBMP, made these revelation in Press Conference at Quetta Press Club. Voice for Baloch Missing Persons is a human rights organisation representing the families of abducted Baloch persons all over Balochistan.
He said, “The VBMPS report is comprised on documents received from Missing persons’ families, Human Rights Organization and political parties.
“Through-out the year 463 Baloch were disappeared and 157 mutilated bodies were found from various parts of Balochistan.”
He said that number of enforced disappeared person, in 2015, could be higher as the Government recently admitted to have arrested 9000 people under National Action Plan (NAP) from Balochistan last year.
The VBMP leader said that under national and international laws the government is bound to inform the relatives of persons arrested under NAP about their whereabouts but “this has not happened yet because the government has not explained where these people are kept?”
Nasrullah Baloch said that many people arrested under NAP have been detained for more than 90 days but they have not been presented before the court of law.
He said that discovery of mutilated bodies and enforced disappearances continues across Balochistan.
“We have also received reports about the abduction of Baloch women and children from Bolan area of Balochistan. They were abducted only because the government suspected their men to be involved in armed struggle.
“Under any circumstances women and children should not be harmed and detained,” the chairman of VBMP said.
Explaining about the cases being heard in Supreme Court Mr Baloch said, last year only four hearings regarding missing persons were held.
It is also pertinent to mentioned that last month Nasrullah Baloch said that the Supreme Court has dismissed cases of 197 missing persons from Balochistan.
He said, “The Supreme Court is the only hope for families of missing persons but the court is not taking-up one of most urgent issues adequately.”
He also urged the court to play its role for the recovery of all missing persons disappeared from Balochistan.
The VBMP chairman also criticized the Provincial and Federal Governments saying that former Chief Minister has conceded his failure regarding missing persons, “We do not have any expectations form the provincial government because they are serious to heal the bruises of victim’s families.”
The government had claimed that 164 mutilated bodies were found in 2014 and that number of such cases is decreasing but the VBMP had rejected government claims saying that 435 people were abducted and 455 mutilated bodies were found from Balochistan in 2014.
Nasrullah Baloch has urged the Human Rights Organizations to play their role and help VBMP in their struggle against enforced-disappearances and discovery of mutilated bodies across Balochistan.
The discovery of mutilated bodies of Baloch missing persons started in 2008 and continued to increase each year afterwards.
The Human Rights Organisations criticized the government for its heavy-handedness and kill and dump policy in Balochistan while the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons has marched from Quetta to Islamabad to highlight the issue of enforced-disappearances in Balochistan.
Photo courtesy of Radio Free Europe
http://unpo.org/article/18818
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