Killing
Of Innocent People
In Balochistan
An Appeal from Asian
Human Rights Commission
25 July, 2006
Countercurrents.org
Urgent help is needed for 200,000 displaced victims of military
operations in Balochistan province
Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission
(AHRC) has received information through international and national media
as well a through local social and political groups of Pakistan that
the Pakistan Army is conducting military operations in Balochistan,
the southern province of Pakistan. Though this has been ongoing since
2001, since December 2005 the military government of Pakistan has been
conducting aerial bombings in several parts of the province. During
this period the army has conducted about 12 bombardments and have killed
more than 300 people. The areas that are continuously under fire are
Sibi, Hernai, Much, Kohlo, Dera Bugti, Sabsilla, Bhambhoor, Loti, Dhaman,
Pir Koh, Spin, Tangi, Babar Kach, Tandori and Sangan. The BBC and other
newspapers have quoted the local people and elected representatives
of the provincial assembly and Senate as saying that about four F16
fighter jets, gunships and helicopters have been used in the bombardments
on the civilian population. In fact the Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan
Air Force actually admitted to the aerial bombardment in Balochistan.
Due to the military operations
and aerial bombardments the local population have been forced to migrate
to safer parts of Balochistan as well as to the nearby borders of Sindh
and Punjab provinces. The military have cordoned off Hernai area for
the past several days making it impossible for people to come and go.
As a result the people are without food, medicines and drinking water.
The area where people have taken leave from are predominantly Mach,
Kohlo, Usta Mohamad, Sibi, Dera Bugti and some parts of Hanai. The two
district provinces of Sibi and Bolan are the worst affected areas of
military operations as well as the aerial bombardment. These two districts
cover more than 500 kilometres. The displaced are now settled in other
areas such as Dera Murad, Jamali, Quetta, Khuzdar, Hub in Balochistan
and Kashmore, Jackob Abad and the border areas of Larkana district in
Sindh Province. In Pubjab Province they have taken shelter in Dera Ghazi
Khan district near Usta Mohammad village of Balochistan. According to
newspaper reports the displaced are living in terrible conditions with
no safe drinking water. According to a report published in the daily
Dawn "It is unclear how many Bugti displaced people (DPs) actually
poured into neighbouring cities and towns following the outbreak of
hostilities between the warring tribesmen and the law-enforcement agencies
in the early summer of last year. The Dera Bugti Nazim, Kazim Bugti,
puts the number of DPs at over a hundred thousand. His assertions about
the involvement of army helicopters in Dera Bugti military operations
lend credence to the claims of the DPs. The accusation is stoutly denied
by the government, however". The displaced have to carry water
from at least one to three kilometers away. No medical help is being
provided to them. The are mostly children and women suffering from diarrhea,
dehydration, malaria and high fevers. Some cases of deaths have been
reported but not confirmed by any hospitals.
The local people in these
areas where displaced persons are settled, are not allowed by the intelligence
agencies of Pakistan Army to help refugees. Edhi center, a local charitable
organisation, has been stopped by the Pakistan Military from providing
medical assistance to the affected people and from making medical camps
in refugee settled areas. The main persons from Edhi center were summoned
to Pakistan's capital, Islam Abad by the Military intelligence and were
ordered to stop medical assistance to the victims. According to the
daily Dawn the displaced are lying in the open skies in summer where
temperature remains at 38 to 44 degrees centigrade. The conditions of
the displaced are deteriorating day by day and urgent help is needed
through from international organisations working for the rehabilitation
of refugees and displaced persons.
Additional information:
Balochistan is the most under
developed province of Pakistan. Balochistan has in fact very rich mineral
resources. However, all the resources in the province are controlled
by the federal government and no royalty or compensation has been paid
to people in Balochistan. Also, the country's most populous province,
Punjab, is controlling the military, the administration and utilitieses
of all the resources. In addition, the government has provided little
resources towards social welfare in comparison with other provinces.
People in Balochistan blame the federal government for their plight
and point out that the benefits derived from the province's natural
wealth have not been returned to it.
This province is the richest
in natural resources, including gold, silver, copper, oil, natural gas,
iron ore and uranium. It supplies natural gas to the whole of the country
yet three quarters of the province does not have the access to natural
gas. Sui is the area from where natural gas is being supplied but the
military of Pakistan wants to keep its control, as a result of which
Sui is the worst affected area of military operations. The Government
of Pakistan pays a meager 5% of the total income from natural resources
as royalty to Balochistan.
Baloch people also suffer
from great poverty. According to the Karachi-based Social Policy and
Development Centre (SPDC), poverty levels in Balochistan are the highest
in the country. Every second person in Balochistan lives below the poverty
line. Only 50 percent of the province's seven million people have access
to clean drinking water, only half the children attend primary schools
and only a third of children between 12 and 23 months are immunised,
according to the SPDC.
This is the 5th time since
the creation of the country that the Pakistan Army has conducted military
operations and aerial bombardments resulting in the deaths of more than
12,000 people. Several people were hanged and thousands of people migrated
to other parts of the country. Since the military operation from 2001
about one thousand people have been killed and according to the statement
of Mr. Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Federal Minister for Interior Affairs
more than 4000 people have been arrested from Balochistan since the
beginning of 2005. Despite this, until now only 200 people have been
produced before any court and the Ministry of Interior has failed to
produce the names of those arrested. The Balochi resistance groups and
political parties are claiming that more than 1000 people have disappeared
since their arrest. The intelligence agencies such as the I.S.I, Military
intelligence (M.I.), along with the Intelligence Bureau (I.B), the Navy
Intelligence, the Pak Rangers Intelligence, and the Central intelligence
Agency of Pakistan (CIAP) are operating very actively. The Police department
is also not allowed to go in the torture camps of these with out the
permission from military authorities.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters of concern
to the authorities listed below voicing your condemnation at the actions
of the government in Pakistan.
Suggested letter:
Dear ____________,
PAKISTAN: Urgent help is
needed for 200,000 displaced victims of military operations in Balochistan
province
I write with grave concern
for the security and welfare of the people of Balochistan province.
I have recently learned that since December 2005 the military government
of Pakistan has been conducting aerial bombings in several parts of
the province. During this period the army has conducted about 12 bombardments
and have killed more than 300 people. The areas that are continuously
under fire are Sibi, Hernai, Much, Kohlo, Dera Bugti, Sabsilla, Bhambhoor,
Loti, Dhaman, Pir Koh, Spin, Tangi, Babar Kach, Tandori and Sangan.
Local people and elected representatives of the provincial assembly
and Senate have been quoted in the national and international media
as saying that about four F16 fighter jets, gunships and helicopters
have been used in the bombardments on the civilian population. In fact
the Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force actually admitted to
the aerial bombardment in Balochistan.
Due to the military operations
and aerial bombardments the local population has been forced to migrate
to safer parts of Balochistan as well as to the nearby borders of Sindh
and Punjab provinces. The military have cordoned off Hernai area for
the past several days making it impossible for people to come and go.
As a result the people are without food, medicines and drinking water.
The area where people have taken leave from are predominantly Mach,
Kohlo, Usta Mohamad, Sibi, Dera Bugti and some parts of Hanai. The two
district provinces of Sibi and Bolan are the worst affected areas of
military operations as well as the aerial bombardment. These two districts
cover more than 500 kilometres. The displaced are now settled in other
areas such as Dera Murad, Jamali, Quetta, Khuzdar, Hub in Balochistan
and Kashmore, Jackob Abad and the border areas of Larkana district in
Sindh Province. In Pubjab Province they have taken shelter in Dera Ghazi
Khan district near Usta Mohammad village of Balochistan. According to
newspaper reports the displaced are living in terrible conditions with
no safe drinking water. According to a report published in the daily
Dawn "It is unclear how many Bugti displaced people (DPs) actually
poured into neighbouring cities and towns following the outbreak of
hostilities between the warring tribesmen and the law-enforcement agencies
in the early summer of last year. The Dera Bugti Nazim, Kazim Bugti,
puts the number of DPs at over a hundred thousand. His assertions about
the involvement of army helicopters in Dera Bugti military operations
lend credence to the claims of the DPs. The accusation is stoutly denied
by the government, however". The displaced have to carry water
from at least one to three kilometers away. No medical help is being
provided to them. The are mostly children and women suffering from diarrhea,
dehydration, malaria and high fevers. Some cases of deaths have been
reported but not confirmed by any hospitals.
The local people in these
areas where displaced persons are settled are not allowed by the intelligence
agencies of Pakistan Army to help refugees. Edhi center, a local charitable
organisation, has been stopped by the Pakistan Military from providing
medical assistance to the affected people and from making medical camps
in refugee settled areas. The main persons from Edhi center were summoned
to Pakistan's capital, Islam Abad by the Military intelligence and were
ordered to stop medical assistance to the victims. According to the
daily Dawn the displaced are lying in the open skies in summer where
temperature remains at 38 to 44 degrees centigrade. The conditions of
the displaced are deteriorating day by day and urgent help is needed
from international organisations working for the rehabilitation of refugees
and displaced persons.
I am appalled that a government
could treat its people in such a dreadful manner. As human beings these
people have rights that the government must ensure and respect. Evidently
this is not happening in Pakistan, in particular in the Balochistan
province, and this is unacceptable. I call on the relevant authorities
in Pakistan as well as the international community to see
to it that the aerial bombardments in Balochistan are ceased and that
people can return to their homes without fear for their security. I
further request the ceasing of all ongoing military operations in Balochistan
and urge that genuine steps be taken to consult with people in the province
to restore peace, and ensure the social welfare of the Baloch people,
who suffer from great poverty.
Yours sincerely,
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. General Pervez Musharraf
President
President's Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1422, 4768/ 920 1893 or 1835
Email: (please see -
http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/
WTPresidentMessage.aspx)
2. Mr. Muhammad Wasi Zafar
Minister of Law, Justice and Human Rights,
S Block,
Pakistan Secretariat,
Islamabad,
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 920 2628
E-Mail:[email protected]
3. Mr. Awais Ghani
Governor of Balochistan
Governor House,
Quetta,
Balochistan,
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 81 920 2178/ 2992
4. Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao
Minister of the Interior
#404, 4/F., R Block,
Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9212026
Fax: +92 51 9202624
5. Mrs Rifat Iqbal
Ambassador of Pakistan,
Embassy of Pakistan,
Ailesbury Villa,
1B Ailesbury Road,
Ballsbridge,
Dublin 4
U.S.A
Tel: +1 261 3032 / 01 261 3033
Fax: +1 261 3007
6. Ms Gay Mcdougall
Independent Expert on Minority Issues
c/o Global Rights
1200 18th Street, N.W.
Suite 602
Washington, D.C. 20036
Phone: +1 202 822 4600
Fax: +1 202 822 4606
7. Ms. Louise Arbour
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 917 9012/0213
8. Mr. Walter Kälin
Special Representative of the Secretary General the
human rights of internally displaced persons
Attn: Ms. Karen Gulick
OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE
IDPs)
9. Mr. Arjun Sengupta
Independent Expert on the question of human rights and
extreme poverty
C/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: INDEPENDENT EXPERT ON THE
QUESTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND EXTREME POVERTY)
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission ([email protected])
Tapan Kumar Bose
Email: [email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected]
South Asia Forum for Human Rights
3/23 Shree Darbar Tole, Patan Dhoka,
(Near Lalitpur Zila Hulak Office)
Lalitpur, NEPAL
Tel: +977-1-5541026, Fax: +977-1-5527852