Turbat incidents Expose Baloch Miscreants’ Cruelties

Sajjad Shaukat

As a result of the elections 2013, the government led by a nationalist leader Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch has been established. Being progressive and moderate man, he ensured that socio-economic justice would meet with success, while playing a key role in empowering Baloch leaders to manage the affairs of their province and also to participate in Pakistan’s decision-making process. And on December 7, 2013; local bodies elections were largely held in a peaceful manner in Balochistan.While terror-acts still keep on going in Balochistan, but without grasping reality, and speaking in the tone of external entities, some politicians, human rights activists and media persons of Pakistan have been propagating against Pak Army, Frontier Constabulary (FC), country’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI) including other law-enforcing agencies regarding subversive acts in the province. It seems ridiculous when some of them allegedly say that security agencies are behind terrorist activities in Balochistan. 

It is mentionable that India, the US and Israel have been internationalizing the Balochistan issue in accordance with their secret designs. In this respect, in connivance with the Baloch separatist leaders who have taken refuge in Switzerland, Sweden, US and London, these foreign elements use media, various NGOs and human rights organizations for false propaganda against Pakistan’s security forces and ISI in relation to extrajudicial killings, mutilated bodies and the missing persons.It is notable that Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) is also in collusion with some US Congressmen to get foreign support so as to animate the scheme of separatism in Balochistan. For the purpose, BLA and the Baloch feudal lord, Khan of Kalat had planned to take the issue of Balochistan to International Court of Justice (ICJ) and expected that India would pay $2.4 million lawyers’ fee to contest their case in ICJ. As Indian support did not get materialized, BLA and Khan of Kalat went over to US leaders to press forward their case. 

In February 8, 2012, three Republican Congressmen including Dana Rohrabacher, Louie Gohmert and Steve King tabled a bill before US Congress stating, “Balochistan is currently divided between Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan with no sovereign rights of its own. In Pakistani Balochistan the people are subjected to violence and extrajudicial killings.” The bill favoured Baloch rights of self-determination, having a sovereign state. Earlier, the US subcommittee on ‘Oversight and Investigations of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs’ convened a hearing on extrajudicial killings and violation of human rights in Baluchistan. Rohrabacher chaired the meeting, while Lt. Col. (R) Ralph Peters testified.  Lt. Col. (R) Peters is the architect of infamous 2006—New Middle East map and is an advocator for the disintegration of Muslim states on sectarian and religious lines. His map shows a number of Islamic countries including Pakistan as truncated. While writing in the June 2006 issue of The Armed Forces Journal of the US, he had suggested Washington about the creation of a “Greater Balochistan” which would integrate the Baloch areas of Pakistan with those of Iran—and the Frontier Province (Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa) should be incorporated into Afghanistan.”

Although the US Administration quickly distanced itself from Congressional hearing by Rohrabacher and Peters’ testimony, yet US denial does not augur well with ground reality, as American think tanks, NGOs and websites go on instigating the separatist elements in Baluchistan. US State Department which funded National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and Voice of Baluchistan (VOB) have been instrumental in fomenting dissension and nationalistic feelings in the province. It has been pressurizing Pakistan to allow opening of a US consulate in Quetta. The aim is to execute America’s clandestine aims against Islamabad. As regards the deteriorating situation of Balochistan and the missing persons, everyone knows the foreign-backed separatist groups such as the BLA, Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and their affiliated outfits including another group, Jundollah (God’s soldiers) which have been fighting for secession of the province get logistic support from American CIA and Indian RAW—these miscreants kidnapped and killed many innocent people and the security personnel in the province. They also massacred many persons through suicide attacks, bomb blasts, targeted killings and sectarian violence. Therefore, they are responsible for dumped bodies and extrajudicial killings in the province. On a number of occasions, these militant outfits claimed responsibility for their subversive acts. 

In fact, miscreants in Balochistan employ coercive techniques and cruel methods to intimidate local people to expand their influence and enlarge their support base. Their oppressive tactics are extremely harsh, as they cruelly kill innocent people and throw away the dead bodies to inflict psychological pain to the bereaved families, impersonating their frightening clout and masquerading posture. These ruthless killers demonstrate their real mischief by shifting the blame of their heinous crimes to law-enforcement agencies including FC, MI and ISI. Hence, by playing the double game, they manage to conceal their brutalities, and present themselves as victims. Unfortunately, due to their vested interests and insular mindset, some media analysts and political leaders of Pakistan fall prey to the elusive schemes and deceptive plans of the Baloch miscreants. In this regard, investigative media, judiciary and elite leadership have not been able to uncover the real designs of the militants who frequently assassinate innocent civilians in Balochistan through cruel techniques, and then openly grumble through media by insinuating that security forces and law-enforcing agencies are responsible for such killings. 

In this respect, illegal abduction and cold blooded murder of the 14 years young boy, namely, Chakkar, son of Khuda Dost, resident of Turbat city, is a case in point. On January 7, 2014 at 4 PM, a group of unknown motorcyclists kidnapped Chakkar from Turbat city’s fish market. After three days, his bullet-ridden body was found from Kech Kour-Koshkalat area of Turbat, and handed over to his family. Later on, the miscreants propagated that ISI was involved in abduction and killing of an innocent child. But, technical probe, undoubtedly, proved that miscreants of the BRA were involved in kidnapping and merciless killing of that young boy. After knowing the true picture of the incident, on January 16, 2014, a protest demonstration was staged by family members and relatives of the late Chakkar at the Main Chowk in Turbat in front of Press Club Turbat, District Kech. 

The aggrieved protesters chanted slogans against BLF and BRA for targeting guiltless people. They demanded from the government to eliminate terrorist organizations which have been targeting innocent persons of Mekran Division and are disturbing law and order situation in the area. Another similar demonstration was held on January 18, 2014 at Press Club Turbat by the relatives of Javed, resident of Azian, Tehsil Tump, District Kech, who was also killed by the Baloch miscreants of the BLF on December 21, 2013 in Hochat area, Tehsil Dasht, District Kech. Besides, on November 27, 2013, in Turbat, District Kech, Abdul Karim from Zehri (Khuzdar) was abducted by the BRA culprits and his body was thrown away on November 28, 2013. The poor fellow was a popcorn seller, but was eliminated by trigger-happy and power hungry culprits of the BRA. Similarly, on November 12, 2013 in Turbat city, four miscreants of the BRA murdered two sweepers and fled away. Both the deceased persons were government servants, employed at Technical Training Centre Turbat and belonged to Sindh.

While, on November 14, 2013, the cruel insurgents of the BRA killed a laborer, namely, Qadir Bakhsh, resident of Sindh. The incident took place at Dashti Bazaar Turbat, District Kech and the youth was brutally massacred, due to pistol used by the BRA terrorists. And on November 18, 2013, three innocent persons belonging to Dera Ghazi Khan, namely, Mulazim, Abdullah and Mustafa were killed by the terrorists of the BLF in Josak area, Tehsil Turbat and District Kech. Now, instead of shifting the blame game to the security forces, ISI and other law-enforcing agencies, our responsible media anchors and commentators must expose the real face of foreign enemies—assisting the Baloch miscreants who are not only involved in kidnapping the innocent civilians, but are also behind their cold blooded murder including mutilated bodies and extra-judicial killings. They cunningly pose themselves as victims whereas they are the real killers of innocent people. In this context, without any doubt, Turbat incidents have become a test case which exposes the Baloch miscreants’ cruelties.