Pakistan opposition alleges 'disrespect' shown to Karima Baloch's body; Pak Army panned

Opposition members in the Pakistan Senate on Monday showed concern about the alleged disrespect with which the mortal remains of Baloch rights activist Karima Baloch were treated before she was laid to rest in Balochistan, as per Dawn's report. 

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Karima's brother Sameer Mehrab took to Twitter on Monday and said, "Pakistan’s army thought it was humiliating us today when it ordered our women, instead of men, to carry Karima’s coffin to the grave. But I’m glad it was the women. It’s symbolic. Karima struggled all her life for women’s empowerment. She would have been proud."

According to Dawn, Balochistan National Party-Mengal Senator Jahanzeb Jamaldini said that Karima's body had been "abducted" from the airport and that no one was allowed to accompany it to her native village. He also said that several wanted to attend Karima's funeral in Balochistan but a curfew was imposed in Makran, and mobile networks were suspended. 

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Karima Baloch found dead under mysterious circumstances

Karima's body was found dead in Ontario Lake Toronto harbourfront a few weeks ago under mysterious circumstances. The Toronto police on December 23, 2020, termed the death of Karima Baloch a "non-criminal death", but the family, friends, and her husband are demanding an independent inquiry into the case. The law enforcement officers of Toronto had said that the circumstances of the incident had been investigated and “no foul play is suspected”. 

On December 29, Baloch National Movement (BNM) members in the United States held a protest in front of the Canadian Embassy in Washington over the death of Baloch in Toronto. Protestors made calls for justice and demanded a formal investigation into the death of the human rights activist who was missing since December 20 and had made many enemies in the Pakistani dispensation for exposing its atrocities.

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Balochistan is a restive province where the Pakistani Army is accused of indulging in gross human rights violations including abducting and killing of innocents. Resource-rich Balochistan has been gripped by an insurgency for more than 15 years. Thousands of Baloch political activists in order to avoid persecution escaped from Balochistan and are compelled to seek asylum in European counties; journalists and human rights activists are among these asylum seekers.

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(With ANI Inputs)