Five including BNM SG murdered as Pakistani military offensives continue across Balochistan

At least five Baloch including the Secretary General of pro-independence Baloch National Movement (BNM) were murdered during a military offensive in Mastung region of Balochistan Saturday morning.

Local sources reported that Pakistani forces attacked a house in Killi Dattu where BNM leader Dr Mannan Baloch and his companion were staying.

Two brothers Ashraf and Haneef were also killed during the unprovoked attack on their house whereas the other two victims have been named as Sajid Baloh (son of Dr Mannan Baloch) and Babu Nouroz Baloch.

Two days prior to his murder Dr Mannan Baloch had tweeted against the killing of previously abducted Baloch activists in staged encounters by Pakistani forces.

According to BBC Urdu a spokesperson of Pakistani forces claimed to have killed the victims in an encounter with security forces but BSO-Azad’s exiled member Lateef Johar Baloch rejected the Pakistani forces claim and said that all ‘the victims were shot in their heads.’

Previously on 28 January the Pakistan forces abducted a member of Baloch Republican Party, Mr Nazeer Jamaldini from Quetta.

On 29 January Pakistani forces abducted Jalamb s/o Guharam Bugti, Dishad s/o Noor khan, Ali Murad s/o Noor khan, Samreen w/o Noor Khan, Zar khatoon w/o Ali Murad, Salma bibi d/o Ali Murad, Ayaaz Ali s/o Ali Murad, and Sadia bibi d/ o Ali Murad from Uch area of Dera Bugti.

Pakistani military, ISI and others security forces along with their hired criminal gangs and religious extremist groups have been carrying out targeted killings of pro-freedom Baloch leaders and activists since the beginning of the current phase of Baloch freedom struggle in early 2000.

One of the earliest incident of target killing occurred in January 2001 where the Pakistani forces had attacked a house in Kalat Balochistan and murdered three Baloch namely Gul Bahar Pirkani Baloch, Sobdar Marri Baloch and Wahid Bakhsh Marri Baloch.

Other prominent victims of targeted killings of Pakistani state include Nawab Akbar Bugti, Ghulam Mohammad Baloch along with Lala Munir and Sher Mohammad Baloch, professor Sabah Dashtyari, Rasool Bakhsha Mengal, head teacher Nazir Ahmad Marri, aged political leader Malik Noor Ahmad Qambarani, student leader Raza Jahangir Baloch and countless other Baloch activists including women and children.

Meanwhile the Baloch National Movement (BNM) has announced a three days’ shutter down and wheel jam strike across Balochistan and 40 days of mourning against the murder of party’s Secretary General his son and three other companions.

Baloch pro-freedom leaders and parties have long been urging the United Nations, International Human Rights Organisations and the international media to take notice of Pakistan’s war crimes and crimes against humanity in Balochistan.