Balochistan outrage

Dawn Editorial
THE charges are grave and must be answered immediately. The abduction and murder of three nationalist leaders has sparked riots across Balochistan amidst accusations that the state’s security apparatus was behind the killings. Official denials or attempts to shift the blame to nameless ‘anti-state elements’ will not soothe tempers in Balochistan.

Gen Musharraf’s army operation, the killing of Nawab Bugti and the forced disappearance of hundreds of civilians are still fresh in the minds of the Baloch people. Nor can they shake off the sense of alienation engendered by decades of neglect, exploitation and outright brutality by the centre.

As such it is understandable why federal agencies are quick to be accused of any new atrocity in Balochistan. This time round too the blame has been laid at the door of the intelligence agencies. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, ‘The facts strongly suggest that members of state security picked up the three victims, [and] tortured and killed them before dumping their bodies.’ Quoting ‘credible sources’, the HRCP said the three men were taken away in cars that were closely followed by Frontier Corps vehicles. Meanwhile, a lawyer in Turbat has claimed that the three were kidnapped from his chambers on April 3 by a number of men in civilian dress.

That said, judgment cannot be passed until the facts are known. Inquiries have been ordered and the Balochistan High Court has taken notice of the gruesome incident. It is now up to the authorities to get to the bottom of things and unmask the guilty parties. This is critical in many respects. First and foremost, justice must be served. Second, the security apparatus will remain guilty in the eyes of the Baloch people until its innocence is proved beyond doubt. This can only be done by tracking down the killers and building an ironclad case against them. While this may not be standard procedure – a person is, after all, innocent until proven guilty – the agencies need to provide solid evidence that they had no hand in the triple murder. For that to happen, the killers will have to be produced.

Balochistan’s troubles had been dying down since the 2008 elections, the PPP’s public apology for ‘atrocities and injustices’ committed against the people of the province, and the exit of arch-nemesis Gen Pervez Musharraf. More recently, the president travelled to Quetta in an attempt to bring dissidents on board and give reconciliation efforts a boost. Kick-starting much-needed development activities in Balochistan was also on the agenda. Progress may have been slow but at least the process had begun. In the light of what has transpired this week, the authorities must act swiftly and decisively because one tragic incident must not be allowed to derail the journey towards reconciliation.