The issue of discovery of mass graves in Balochistan raised with members of US congress

Baloch patriot leader Hyrbyair Marri said on Wednesday that unearthing of mass graves in Balochistan is not only a tragedy for Baloch nation but it is also an international incident. “Pakistan has exceeded the limits of brutalities, savageness and barbarism against Baloch nation,” he said.

He said we [Baloch] have been saying from the beginning that Pakistan military has abducted thousands of Baloch and they’re being tortured to death in military’s torture centres.

Mr Marri said: “Pakistani security forces including Military intelligence and other secret security agencies have abducted 18000 Baloch. They have been telling lies to the world that the abducted persons have fled to Dubai and other foreign countries.

“But, now their dead bodies are being found from mass graves in military’s controlled areas.” Which he said confirms the concerns and point of view of the Baloch people about Pakistan military. He said he has highlighted the issue of enforced-disappearances, displacements and earthquake victims on all forums. He said in 2009 when John Solecki was seized from Quetta and people who were holding him had demanded from the United Nations to play its due role for the release of abducted Baloch.

Baloch leader said that during that time a delegation of United Nations approached him and asked for help with regards to Mr Solecki’s release.

He had constituted a ‘Baloch Qaumdost Committee’ consisting members of all pro-freedom parties to work for the release of John Solecki.

He said: “In my meetings with UN delegation I highlighted the issue of human rights violations, enforced-disappearances, military operations and the internal displacements.

“We had succeeded in securing John Solecki unharmed but the enforced-disappeared Baloch are not only still missing but Pakistan forces are abducting and killing more Baloch every day.”

He added: “Even several members of the Committee including shaheed Ghulam Mohammad have been killed, many including Zakir Majeed Baloch are still missing and some are forced to live in exile because of constant life threats by Pakistani forces in Balochistan.”

He said the United Nations has remained silent on these tragic incidents. Similarly, when the Pakistan military stopped the UN from helping the displaced Baloch, the UN should have raised this matter but it remained completely silent. “And the silence of UN and other international human rights organisations is encouraging Pakistan to commit more crimes in Balochistan. These crimes of occupying state are now shaping as a massive human tragedy,” He said.

Hyrbyair Marri said the silence of international media and human rights organisations on heart wrenching incident of the discovery of mass graves in Tootak area of Khuzdar Balochistan is encouraging Pakistan to continue its crimes against Baloch people. He said: “The same international organisations intervened and raised voice for East Timor, Kosovo and South Sudan whereas the Balochistan conflict is also of the same magnitude as Kosovo and East Timor but the human rights organisation are ignoring it.” He said it was not only the moral responsibility of UN and international human rights organisations but it is also their legal duty to take notice of Baloch genocide and human rights violations in Balochistan. Hyrbyair Marri said: “We raised the issue of discovery of mass graves with member of US congress during a recent meeting with them. We have also informed them about human rights violations including enforced-disappearances by Pakistani forces in Balochistan.” Recently Baloch leader Hyrbyair Marri and Khan Kalat Mir Suleman Daud held a detailed meeting with members of US congress about Balochistan conflict.

Expressing his views about mass graves in Tootak, Mr Marri said: “We suspect that the government is trying to remove the evidence from the site because the other day when locals were digging the mass graves, the Pakistani security forces opened fire on them and took control of the entire region. They are not allowing anyone including the media to go in that area, which illustrates that Pakistan army is busy in removing evidences.”

Referring to a statement of IG FC (Inspector General Frontier Corps) that ‘Baloch militant should not be called ‘angry Baloch’, Hyrbyair Marri said, Baloch nation has never said that they were angry in fact Baloch nation is struggling for their independence, which was snatched from them by Pakistan and Iran. He said that statement of Pakistani IG FC was an attempt to justify the mass killings of Baloch people.

The Baloch patriot leader said Baloch nation has the right to self-defence under international laws and Baloch are exercising this right in their national liberation struggle whereas occupying Pakistani forces are committing genocide of Baloch nation by labelling them as terrorists.