Baloch leaders being eliminated, EU chief told

Mengal called on EU chief and apprised him about the alleged military operation in Balochistan.

QUETTA: The president of the Balochistan National Party (BNP), Sardar Akhtar Mengal, is reported to have called on the head of the European Union in Brussels, Belgium, on Sunday and apprised him about the alleged military operation in Balochistan and also about “issues like missing persons, systematic elimination of Baloch political leaders and activists and violation of human rights at the hand of government functionaries”.

According to the BNP’s information secretary, Mengal produced a memorandum which he is reported to have already sent to the Secretary-General of United Nations, Ban Ki-moon. In the letter, Mengal accused security forces and secret agencies of carrying out targeted killings of Baloch political activists.

He said that corpses of executed missing persons are regularly being found, adding that the issue of missing persons is still awaiting proper attention.

During the meeting, the Baloch nationalist leader is said to have informed the EU chief about the deteriorating situation in Balochistan.

“Baloch political opponent are being brutally tortured in illegal torture cells and later their corpses are thrown in desolate places across Balochistan,” he told the EU chief, adding that “such incidents have become a matter of routine” and can no longer be tolerated.

Criticising the non-existence of law and constitution in Balochistan, he said Baloch political workers and students were systematically being killed and picked up in public places and all state institutions and organs “are endorsing the action by remaining silent”.

He said that it was his party’s “prime duty to highlight critical issues” confronting Balochistan to make international humanitarian organisations, the UN, EU and the world community aware of the brutal attitude of security forces against the Baloch people.

Sardar Mengal informed the EU chief that the BNP “will not remain silent on excesses” being committed against the Baloch people.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 22^nd, 2010.