Ottawa [Canada]December 23 (ANI): Canadian civil society has condemned the “murder” of Baloch activist Karima Baloch and demanded a further thorough investigation into her death.
In a joint statement, the Baloch National Movement, the Balochistan National Party-Canada, the World Sindhi Congress-Canada, the Pashtun Council Canada and the PTM Committee Canada demanded that the perpetrators be exposed and brought to justice under Canadian law.
“We condemn the murder of Karima Baloch and demand a thorough and transparent investigation into her murder. The culprits should be revealed and brought to justice under Canadian law. The murder of Karima Baloch has reminded us of the cold-blooded murder of Sajid. Husain, a Baloch journalist who was forced into exile in Sweden after covering violence, crime and a simmering uprising in Pakistan, “reads the joint statement.
The statement said that the Baloch people are one of the most persecuted groups in Pakistan. Thousands of people have disappeared without a trace in Balochistan since 2007. “A military-led operation was launched in early 2005 to eradicate the insurgency of ethnic Baloch groups fighting for a larger share of the province’s resources. Hundreds of Baloch political activists fled persecution from Balochistan and forced to seek asylum in other countries.
Civil society called on the Canadian Government to take diplomatic and political action only in case any foreign country or group was found to be involved in this brutal murder of this human rights activist.
Karima had been a fierce critic of ex-Pakistani army officers who settled in Canada and was one of the loudest advocates of Balochistan’s independence from the Pakistani occupation. She was a brave woman and a thorn in the side of ISI operators in Canada.
Naela Quadri Baloch, chairwoman of the Baloch People’s Congress, who also lives in Toronto, said: “The cold-blooded assassination of Baloch leader Karima Baloch is completely unacceptable to the Baloch people. It is a matter of serious concern for us – these Baloch activists who are not safe in Balochistan and raise their voices if they leave the country, the ISI-goons, their assassins, their target killers, they are chasing us. “Karima Baloch, an activist who had talked about the Pakistani army and the government’s atrocities in Balochistan, was found dead in Toronto, Canada, according to the Balochistan Post.
Karima was a Canadian refugee and was named one of the world’s 100 most “inspiring and influential” women in 2016 by the BBC.
She disappeared on Sunday and was last seen at 3 pm the same day. Toronto police had requested public support to find her. But now her family has confirmed that Karima’s body has been found.
Balochistan is a peaceful province where the Pakistani military is accused of indulging in serious human rights abuses, including the abduction and killing of innocent people.
Resourceful Balochistan has been gripped by an uprising for more than 15 years. Family members and relatives of Baloch’s political leaders and workers had always faced state brutality and barbarism in Balochistan.
There have been several cases where Pakistani security forces conduct operations on individual households, physically attack innocent women and children and rely on extrajudicial death groups to subdue Baloch civilians.
Thousands of Baloch political activists to escape persecution fled Balochistan and were forced to seek asylum in European counties. among these asylum seekers are journalists and human rights activists. (ANI)
Source: sn.dk