Pakistan: Activists protest against enforced disappearances in Quetta

The provincial capital of Balochistan, Quetta, saw the Balochi women protest against the enforced disappearances in their region. The protest was led by Mama Qadir Baloch of 'Voice for Baloch Missing Persons'. They blamed Pakistan’s secret agencies for Rashid Hussain’s abduction. Rashid is a political activist and a student from Balochistan, who was arrested by UAE’s secret police from Sharjah in November 2018. 

Balochi activist Rashid Hussain missing 

The UAE’s secret police handed over Rashid to Pakistan’s law enforcement agency in June 2019. Since then, he has been kept in an undisclosed location. This disappearance has added to the misery of Rashid’s family. Farida Baloch, the sister of Rashid Hussain said that it has been three months since Pakistani authorities have claimed that Rashid has returned to India. However, he has not yet been provided with a legal representative or presented in the court of law.  

Farida said, “We were thinking that he will be produced in court after a few days in remand. But authorities have not produced him anywhere. We have no information about his whereabouts. In our opinion, a person cannot disappear like this. If you have charges against him, he should be produced in court”. She added that "This is against the UN human rights convention and he should be given a free and fair trial."  

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Balochi activists in New York talk about atrocities 

A Baloch activist Kehkashan Haider, belonging to the Muhajir Qaumi Movement spoke to Republic TV a few days ago and said, "Since the time we went to Pakistan and till date, from past 72 years, we haven't got a government job, we haven't got a federal job, we don't have a government job or a federal job or in army or police, we don't have a job anywhere. Pakistani authorities have demolished our offices and we are not allowed to vote. We don't have political freedom and the door of opportunities has been shut on our face". 

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Another Balochi activist had spoken to Republic TV in New York and said, “Pakistan was made in the name of Islam, but I would like to clarify that a country does not work in the name of religion, a country needs a democratic base. Also, I’d like to say that Imran Khan is a puppet, the Prime Ministers that have come before him, including Imran Khan have no role in the country’s decision making. The Army has time and again influenced democratic decisions. Now, he is using Islam’s card even on us, they have been killing people by saying that the Balochis are the citizens of Israel, America, and India. But we have our own democratic rights and individuality, we want our freedom and we are not some other country’s agent.”

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(With ANI Inputs)