Says they have been assured that they will be at peace very soon.
After covering thousands of kilometres on foot, the Voice of Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) long march participants reached the UN country office in Islamabad on Monday morning to present a memorandum.
VBMP leader Mama Qadeer Baloch, who seemed satisfied with the UN’s response, said they now planned to return home after presenting their plea to world’s largest representative body.
Having been welcomed by hundreds of people along the way, just two of the marchers — Mama Qadeer and Farazana Majid Baloch — were allowed to enter the UN office in Islamabad. They had a meeting which lasted for an hour-and-a-half.
After submitting the memo, Qadeer seemed relieved and had a big smile on his face. He sounded relaxed, yet anxious. He felt that submitting the document to the UN was just the first step.
He has now begun counting time till when the “real action” will start to provide answers to their unanswered questions.
“They have said that very soon we will be at peace. But, how soon is that time, we have yet to learn. This is our last resort,” he said.
“Where are these missing people? We fail to believe the government. We have failed to get answers from them. The positive response from the UN today gave us a hope,” said Qadeer.
“They said that they will take care of us, so now we will wait and see,” he added.
Qadeer said that the four page document submitted narrates issues being faced by the people of Balochistan.
The document demanded to investigate issues of missing persons, target killings, enforced disappearances, alleged involvement of agencies in heinous crimes, and a UN fact-finding mission to investigate mass graves and international standard DNA tests to identify bodies.
United Nations Information Centre Director Vittorio Cammartoa, who was also a part of the meeting, told The Express Tribune that UN Resident Coordinator Lola Castro, and ILO Country Representative Francesco d’Ovidio, who is also chair of the Human Rights Task Force, were part of the meeting.
Cammartoa said that the concerns of the marchers were handed over in the form a petition which was addressed to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
“The petitioners were assured that their request will be promptly forwarded to Secretary-General’s office in New York and to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva for follow up,” said Cammartoa.
VBMP Chairman Nasrullah Baloch said that a total of 2,825 were registered missing persons and around 1,500 persons have allegedly been killed.
The marchers started their journey from Quetta in October last year with 22 participants including 12 women and three children.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 4th, 2014.
COMMENTS (10)
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This Brave Dravidian should be supported by India to free himself of the clutches of Pakistani's.India will help its ingenious people like in Bangladesh, noo matter religion.Baloch people can count on it.
Then scrap the article and the whole judicial system. as per your argument, there is no need of any rule of law, whatsoever.
A little spark can kindle a great fire. I must say that the Govt. has done a good job by not creating any hurdles in the peaceful long march protest of the Voice of Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), which came to an end with the presentation of their plea to the UN Body. If the protesters had been obstructed by violent methods, it would have further emboldened insurgents to justify their struggle against the State. Now, when the protesters have dispersed, the media should not give more importance or publicity to the people who are starving for cheap recognition as HEROS. Mama Qadeer Baloch was not a known figure, but he has got much publicity at his credit.
Hope to see a swift end to state terrorism in Balochistan that has lasted decades.
What about the families of hundreds of families from Punjab and Sindh whose loved ones are killed by Baloch militants ? These people are teachers , professors , students , engineers trying to help Baloch nation but still they are killed in cold blood by the separatist militants. It is yet to be uncovered that who is sponsoring these separatists as you need millions if not billions to wage war against standing army. Would these families also get a closure and a 'voice' in Pakistan ?
Dear express Tribune team. I just want to say about these rebels. That they will be missed more and more if they will keep doing acts against Pakistan. And UN is really a puppet of anti Pakistan forces. The question is why UN is giving so much importance to these rebels and enemies of Pakistan? Killing of Kashmiri people since last four decades is there. Killig of Palestinian people by jews. Killing of maimer Muslims. And so mnay other kilings are out there. Why in always take notice of anti Islamic. and anti Pakistan people. Silence of government over this rebel activities mama sadder is also strange. This person should be charged to work against Pakistan. There are no missing person. If the persons will keep their activities againts our home land then these will kept missing in sha Allah.