Mama Qadeer Baloch. PHOTO: FILE
At the same time, they voiced hope that the Voice of Baloch Missing Persons’ (VBMP) plea would carry no serious legal implications.
The advocacy group’s leader, Mama Qadeer Baloch, who led a 2,800-kilometre march from Quetta to Islamabad for the recovery of Baloch missing persons, approached the UN last week and broached the possibility of intervention.
“This application is unlikely to have any legal implication, because the UN does not act over the applications of individuals,” lawyer Tariq Mahmood told The Express Tribune. But he cautioned that the appeal for intervention could defame the country’s reputation nevertheless.
Mahmood called upon the government to retrace a political path for the resolution of the Balochistan issue.
Another senior lawyer Akhtar Hussain said when a state violated its own laws, then there was no harm in approaching the UN for the redressal of grievances. “We cannot declare anyone a traitor on this ground,” he added.
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Kamran Mutaza, however, opposed Mama Qadeer’s move to approach the UN, saying this might invite foreign powers to intervene in the country’s affairs.
“We are also concerned over the missing persons issue in Balochistan but we want this issue resolved amicably within the country without inviting the UN,” he added.
Kamran said the SCBA was assisting the Supreme Court in Balochistan missing persons’ case and they were also convening all parties’ conference on Balochistan issue in next month.
Talking to The Express Tribune, a VBMP representative said they invited the UN to send a fact finding mission to Balochistan, from where, he claimed, more than 18,000 had gone missing.
Interestingly, there is a contradiction between Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) office’s record and the VBMP’s claim regarding the number of enforced disappearances.
A senior official in the AGP office said they had collected data of Baloch missing persons from different sources. “According to our assessment, around 700 persons are missing in Balochistan.”
Last year, the commission inquiring enforced disappearances also revealed that the total number of cases currently stood at 621. However this figure was contested by Baloch organisations.
Disagreeing with the figure of the VBMP, Defence of Human Rights Chairperson Amina Masood Janjua said the number of Baloch missing persons were in the hundreds.
She said around 60 enforced disappeared Baloch persons cases were pending in the apex court as she herself was dealing with 27 Baloch missing persons’ cases.
Opposing the move of the VBMP, Amina said the country would be defamed all over the world due to this act.
A senior government official said enforced disappearance was the crime against humanity.
“Therefore, UN organisations have the mandate to intervene in Baloch missing persons issue on this ground,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 10th, 2014.
COMMENTS (35)
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@A2Z: All those nawabs are friend of Islamabad.
@Rahim Baloch: Stop embarassing us by calling yourself baloch.
Looking at so many comments and like on comments, wondering how many of those have actually visited more than one cities / towns in Balochistan.
Plea triggers worry that it will tarnish image; better start worrying about the condition and neglect of Balochistanis on the ground...
Try them in the court of law if you are convinced but do not blame courts and aggrieved for the weak prosecution and lack of evidencce
@Akhtar Baloch
You mean the dossier that we have been hearing about the last few years, that Pakistan supposedly handed over to India with full proof of india's involvement? Do read this http://www.nation.com.pk/politics/12-Sep-2009/No-dossier-on-Balochistan-handed-to-India-Qureshi
Moreover, my question remains the same. If Pakistan does have this so called proof of India's involvement, why not go to th UN with it? Any state is free to take India, US, Israel, Afghanistan, to UN, all they require is proof. Maybe there is a reason why Pakistan has never done that.
If by US you mean Chuck Hegal, you can quote him, and i can quote you many more in US senate, Hillary Clinton in specific, who believes Pakistan is paranoid and delusional when it comes to India. At the end it all comes down to proof or in this case lack of.
And if what Pakistan claims is in fact true and India is involved in Balochistan, then we are only returning the compliments Pakistan has been giving India in Kashmir and tried in Punjab. If the medicine is so bitter, dont prescribe it to others!!
What image you talking about? Where we say we are Indian not Pakistani just to get along with the norm. Or the image that you can't even put a Pakistani visa in your passport coz we represent terrorism in the world......
@NotSoCommon: Even the US accepted that India is using Afghanistan to launch attacks to destabilize Pakistan. Many Indians are being captured and jailed for terrorist activities in KP and Balochistan. Nawaz Sharif even brought up this issue and provided a dossier to Manmohan Singh detailing Indian terrorism in Pakistan. The problem is that we should take India to the UN for its terrorism against Pakistan. Not only India, but Israeli, Karzai, US role should also be revealed.
Before you criticize me for being Punjabi or Sindhi or Kashmiri, I am Pukhtoon and I live in Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa where the bulk of terrorism is taking place against us. We are also aware of India's anti-Pukhtoon policies in Afghanistan. Shame on your proxy wars on Pukhtoons, Baloch, and other Pakistanis/Afghans.
@Sid not hypocrite like you and again buzz off and deal with the separatist insurgency you guys have like 10 or more so you guys deal with problem rather then pointing at us.
@Bakhtiyar Ghazi Khan
" I don’t know why Pakistan is not taking India, Karzai, Israel, and the US before the UN for supporting and funding these terrorists killing Pakistani civilians"
There is a simple explanation for that, a thing of fiction has no proof and without proof UN does not listen!
Time for another 1971 operation to free Balochistan.
@Khanakharab: Sir, you missed IK (PTI) and Jamat Islami from your list of sympethisers.
It is sad that such incidents do not move the Government to take swift action and redress the grievances of innocent people. They are still looking up to the world community to intervene. It is better that the Government takes immediate action before they turn to some other options - I mean, take the matters in their own hands. Why does the Government turns a deaf year to such pleas?
@Nikki: Hollow words and no proof is not courage its called ranting.
@saad:
"@ to all indian please its our matter and its our problem " ............ sounds very familiar. Hypocrites.
@Bakhtiyar Ghazi Khan: I agree with you whole heartedly. Let Pakistan for once "expose" Indian involvement. Arrest all Indian handlers and bring them infront of UN or International court to support what they have been claiming since BLA was born. Pakistan should listen to sane patriot like you.
As Pakistan has cheated them and is not implementing its "Aghaze-Haqooq-e-Balochistan package", the Baluch are asking UN, India, USA, Afghanistan, Switzerland and all others to implement "Azadi-Haqooq-e-Baluchistan package" for them.
I doubt that Pakistan's international image can get much worse - and if your really concerned about image I suggest you quit focusing on bolstering a false image and fix the problem.
@Bakhtiyar Ghazi Khan:
Well said, some one is speaking with courage.
The Balochs as a people have a very serious grievance against their legitimate human rights that no government has tried to resolve so far, indeed Musharraf aggravated the situation. That they have to turn to the UN for these rights is sad, but after all the universal human rights charter of which Pakistan is a signatory, has been trodden upon with impunity. Not only in the case of the missing persons, but lack of education, health, employment, minorities social inclusion, gender equality and more give food for thought. In our century, it is time our politicians worked for the welfare of its people in a holistic manner instead to total loss of touch with reality.
We are all for talks with outright barbaric terrorist group taliban which seeks to destroy the very fabric of the nation. But when it comes to the baloch who have, if not legitimate, atleast understandable greivances and demands, then we think of nothing but force. The govts. priorities are so distorted that we, the 'aam' citizens, can't even comprehend the path it wants to take. It is all looking going into the gutter for me. Make more provinces and give them full autonomy to govern it. That is the only way to go about this business.
Kashmiri's should also approach UN for the terrorism conducted on them by the Indians.
@ to all indian please its our matter and its our problem and many baloch wants to earn their rights within the framework of pakistan constitution and secondly balochistan issue is not like kashmir issue its rather then naxal issue who want autonomy and more control over their province just like tamil nadu. Now indians gonna say kashmir is their land which is wrong because kashmir under Pakistan rule is much more peaceful and happier then indian kashmir where police have limited powers because army have taken over and any strike lead to a lot of chaos and people always wave pakistan flag 80% of kashmir are muslims and want freedom from india so why don't you indian worry about your own problems and let us deal our problem by us because UN has no resolution on balochistan nor any other country claim its own but kashmir has many UN resolution so buzz off and keep of the paksitani website if you can't post something nice :) which i am sure you guys won't because good and nice doesn't go with people of india :)
I support my government on this issue. Most of us Baloch are also against these criminals. Pakistan is doing the right job in keeping terrorists off Pakistan's streets and in jail where they belong.
All those involved in violence in Balochistan should be formally charged by the government of Pakistan. All those involved in bomb attacks or receiving military training from India should be openly revealed, along with their Indian handlers.
Baloch and Pukhtoons of Balochistan will be more than happy to hunt down these traitors. I don't know why Pakistan is not taking India, Karzai, Israel, and the US before the UN for supporting and funding these terrorists killing Pakistani civilians. We should not be afraid to defend our national sovereignty.
Pakistani people are sick of these proxy wars waged against us by outside powers. Pakistan should take a tougher stance against those who aid these terrorists.
Everyone is worried about country's defamation as if it was worshipped abroad. The country is already defamed by Taliban, their sympathizers, such as ISI and Pak Army who mentor them. But those poor people whose loved ones have been forcefully taken, where shall they go? They had to take this step because their voice was not heard by Pakistan and its powerful elite.
Such actions shall not stop here, there shall be more and more in future we will be hearing, if issues are not met sensibly.
Pakistan's image abroad ? Getting tarnished?? What are we talking about?
Ask help from their Nawabs who are looting them and do not want peace to keep them strong.
Hundreds of young educated Baloch men are killed and their bodies dumped like pieces of garbage strewn about the countryside. For five long years their fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters of the dead and missing appeal to the government - nothing results. they appeal to the courts - nothing happens. they appeal to the media - nothing comes of it. Then some of them walk over a thousand miles to voice their protest and nothing results. So having given up on Pakistani and it's institutions (that have completely failed to protect anyone) they appeal to the UN for that most basic human rights - the right to live and breath as humans. Finally something happens - they are adjudged them to be traitors.
Don't care about a tarnished image, care about doing the right thing. That requires courage, and that's what the Establishment doesn't have.
Baluchistan's freedom is guaranteed with Indian support
He knew about his son's activities. Jalil Rekki was commander of Brahmdagh Bugti, killed several innocent settlers and why Mama is weeping now.
The idea to seek help from the UN is injected by his Indian, and Afghan fellows.This is not UNO's business, he must ask from his own people e.g. BLA and those are destroying energy lines in Balochistan.
'Legal experts are worried that a local advocacy group’s appeal for UN intervention in Balochistan’s enforced disappearances could tarnish the country’s image abroad".
What world are these people living in...... for legal experts to think using legal means to seek justice is tarnishing country's image abroad and secondly to think Pakistan has a positive image aborad in the first place!
"Mahmood called upon the government to retrace a political path for the resolution of the Balochistan issue." Both federal and KPK govt are too busy in coaxing TTP terrorists to come to negotiations as equal partners. We hear army is capable to defend the country but it has been 50 thousand dead, maimed, bombed, blown and beheaded. Yet there is no decisive action against these terrorists. Why should we negotiate with Bloch when we can make them disappear? To those who talk about Pakistan image, it was not tarnished when the acid is thrown on women, Mukhtar Mai incident and deaths by Polio, hunger and preventable diseases. Our reputation does not suffer when we keep OBL and his harem for 8 long years. Our reputation would suffer by talking about missing people who are killed one after the other.
Dravidian Baloch are requesting the UN for help from Pakistani occupation.