Pakistan attacks Baluchistan, again

Facebook

Twitter

Many civilian casualties, homes destroyed.

Musharraf’s ruthless suppression of the Baluch people.

London and Quetta, Baluchistan – 21 December 2007

Pakistan launched a renewed military offensive against the people of Baluchistan on 6 December 2007. The often indiscriminate attacks on civilian settlements took place mostly in the Kahan and Dera Bugti regions, and involved the deployment of heavy artillery, fighter jets and gunship helicopters.

The attacks have resulted in deaths of over 100 men, women and children. More than 200 houses and other buildings have been bombed and burned to rubble, particularly in Kahan.

Many farm animals were also killed in the attacks, depriving poor people of their livelihood.

Faced with this state terrorism by the Musharraf dictatorship, thousands of Baluch people have fled into the mountains to escape the military onslaught.

In addition, Pakistani troops have been poured into Jafar Abad, Sangseela, Pat Feeder, Gori, Loti, Panjgoor, Tirbat, Dasht-e-Goran, Dasht-e-Tala, Kohistan-e-Marri, Arand, Tratai, Siahgari and surrounding areas to suppress pro-independence agitations and protests against Pakistan’s murder of the Baluch nationalist leader, Mir Balach Marri.

According to Baluch campaigner Anjuman Ithehad Marri:

“The Pakistani army used helicopter gunships and carpet bombed innocent Baluchs in the Kahan, Taratani and Kamalan Kech areas. Dozens of innocent Baluchs, most of them shepherds and farmers, were shot dead by Pakistan’s terrorist army. In addition, hundreds of houses were burnt and livestock killed.

“Pakistan’s terrorist army arrested over 400 innocent Marri Baluch people in Kohistan Marri, including women and children, and took them to unknown places. No one knows about there whereabouts. Twenty-five of those arrested were tied to trees and shot dead.

“We appeal to international peace-loving communities and organisations, including the Red Cross, United Nations and Amnesty International, to send a fact-finding team to Baluchistan to see Pakistan’s barbarism with their own eyes,” he said.

According to another report smuggled out of Baluchistan:

“The army is operating a shoot-to-kill policy. Around 500 innocent civilians, mostly women and children, were kidnapped by the Pakistan army and transferred to detention camps, where they are being treated inhumanely. Over 2000 people from these areas have had to abandon their homes to take shelter in mountains and caves to save themselves from the fire power of the Pakistani military. Currently most of the affected areas remain encircled and closed off by the military. Nobody from the outside world is allowed into the region to witness the atrocities. The operation is on-going and continues unabated; bringing more suffering and further loss of innocent Baluch life. This new intense military operation is an attempt to silence and demoralise the rightful struggle of the Baluch people for their freedom. It comes in the aftermath of the killing of Baluch national hero, Mir Balach Marri, and the arrest of Mir Hyrbyair Marri in the UK.”

See below the Urgent Appeal by Mehran Baluch, the Baluch representative to the UN Human Rights Council, and links to the history and photos of the affects of the current Pakistan military offensive in Baluchistan.

Further information:

Sardar Attaullah Mengal is a Baluch nationalist leader. He is an ex-Chief Minster of Baluchistan whose government was illegally removed in 1973. This ‘coup’ was followed by a massive military operation in Baluchistan that resulted in the death of more than 50,000 Baluchs. Mengal remained in prison for seven years after his government was dismissed. He is the founder of PONM (Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement) and is currently the head of Baluchistan National Party. His son Sardar Akhtar Mengal, also an ex-Chief Minster, has been in prison for the last two years.

Urgent Appeal – Defend Baluchistan

By Mehran Baluch, the Baluch representative to the UN Human Rights Council

“I bring to your attention another grave situation that has arisen in Baluchistan. Since the 6 December 2007, a fresh intensive military offensive has been launched in Kahan and Dera Bugti Districts of Baluchistan, by the tyrannical and oppressive Punjabi-Pakistani armed forces.

“The Western-backed Punjabi army has been sent into the town of Kahan where it is operating with full force against the poor, peaceful and innocent Baluch civilians. The brutal, indiscriminate military tactics violate the ethics of warfare; involving despicable and atrocious war crimes. The condemnation of these crimes against humanity is a duty of the civilised world.

“The dictatorial, corrupt Musharraf and Kiyani regime in Islamabad has abducted over 500 Marri Baluch people from the town of Kahan, the ancestral headquarters of the Marri tribe. In addition, hundreds of homes have been burned, schools destroyed and livestock killed. The Pakistani military is carpet bombing the region and scores of Baluch civilians have been killed by indiscriminate bombardment and air strikes using gunship helicopters and fighter jets.

“The army is operating under shoot-to-kill orders from the Islamabad regime; resulting in thousands of people fleeing into the mountains. The occupiers have set up temporary concentration camps where those abducted are being ill treated.

“We request human rights organisations to visit the region and witness the slaughter for themselves. We also strongly urge the UN Human Rights Council to send a fact-finding mission to Baluchistan to investigate these attacks.

“Pakistan is determined to kill the Baluch people and has deployed its entire state machinery to crush and eliminate the Baluch nation. This is state terrorism and is in contravention of international human rights laws.

“We hope the international community will not ignore the situation in Baluchistan in the way that it stood back and allowed the genocide in Rwanda.

“Under the regime of Musharraf and his military chief, General Kiyani, the people of Baluchistan will always be abused as the enemy. The right to self-determination is the only solution for Baluchistan.

“The escalated military offensive is no co-incidence, but part of a pre-planned strategy to crush the Baluch people. It coincides with the killing of the legendary Baluch patriot, Balach Marri, in the Sarlat area of Naushki in a military operation on 21 November 2007, and in the arrest of his younger brother Hyrbyair Marri and fellow Baluch patriot Faiz Baluch in London on 4 December 2007.”

Briefings on the Punjabi-Pakistani oppression in Baluchistan

BALUCHISTAN DOSSIER (BNP) – 2006

http://www.bso-na.org/files/Balochistan_Dossier1.pdf

Photos relating to the current military attacks on Baluchistan

http://www.balochvoice.com/Army_Operation/Parts_of_jet_Bomb_thumnails_28-3-06.html

http://www.balochvoice.com/Balochistan/Pirco_foto_story.htm

http://www.balochvoice.com/Army_Operation/Children_Killed_28.12.05.html

http://www.balochvoice.com/Army_Operation/Bombing_5-1-06.html

http://www.balochvoice.com/Army_Operation/Damage_and_unexploded_rocket_shells_2-1-06.html

http://www.balochvoice.com/Humain_rights/drought.html

Background to the conflict

http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?ID=18476