Today was day 7 of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons long March from Karachi and day 34 from Quetta to Islamabad. Now more famous on social media as #VBMPLongMarch, led by Qadeer Baloch, Farzana Majeed Baloch, Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur and several other relatives of abducted Baloch have started their march from Quetta on 27 October 2013 and arrived in Karachi on 23rd November. They rested in Karachi for few weeks and restarted walking on 13 December 2013. They left from Pattan Colony area of Thatta region Thursday morning and reached to Sajawal city by the dusk.They are marching for immediate release of all abducted Baloch activists and arrest of perpetrators behind these heinous crimes. According VBMP at least 18000 people have been abducted by Pakistan military, intelligence agencies and FC. At least 1500 people among them have been killed under-custody. Talking to media person Qadeer Baloch, vice chairman of VBMP, said that he has been receiving threats from past three days to abandon the march. He, however, reiterated that the march will continue at all costs.He said callers from withheld numbers told him that his family and relatives could be in danger if he doesn’t quit the long march. He said the VBMP will decide their future course of action after reaching in Islamabad.Qadeer Baloch also said that he has been informed that some people are collecting donations in the name of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons without the consent of VBMP. He requested Baloch nation and well-wishers of Balochistan not to give money to anyone who uses the name of his organisation (VBMP).He urged the United Nation, International Human Rights Organisations and international media to take notice of on-going military operations, continued abductions of Baloch and Sindhi activists and the kill & dump policy of Pakistan in Balochistan. He said it was a shame that Pakistan being a member state of United Nations is committing heinous crimes against humanity in Balochistan but the UN Human Rights Council is playing role of a silent spectator.Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur said although this march is against enforced disappearances but this march also part of the wider Baloch struggle for their rights. Baloch have been deprived of their basic human rights from past 60 years, after their country was occupied by Pakistan. The Baloch are now adamant to continue their struggle until they become the masters of their own destiny. Farzana Majeed Baloch said her brother Zakir Majeed Baloch a senior leader of Baloch student Organisation-Azad was abducted in 2009. She said: “We know that he has been abducted Pakistani intelligence agencies and we have eye-witness of his abduction. If my brother or other Baloch missing persons’ abduction is related to the current political situation in Balochistan they must be presented to a court of law and given the right to defend themselves.”She said it was hard for the families of abducted Baloch to bear the suffering any longer and hence they started this march to give awareness to general public in Sindh (who are also victims of state atrocities) and in Punjab to expose the human rights violation that military is committing in Balochistan. The Sindhi nationalist parties, Baloch Qaumi Movement and people of Sindh have warmly welcomed the march. The BQM activists have been with the march from Gharo city in Sindh. The BMQ activist welcomed and joined the march at two places – Doola Khan Lashari Bridge and Mori Bridge in Sajawal district.Meanwhile, Nasruallah Baloch the chairman of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons expressed concerns about the security of VBMP Long March, adding that: “They have not been provided security after Thatta. There were two police officials with them but they have also gone now.”He said there were women and children in participating in march and if any unfortunate incident happened, the governments of Sindh and Punjab will be held responsible for inadequate security measures. He said few people have been abducted from Haiderabad on December, 4 and there is no news about their whereabouts. It suspected that will be subjected to brutal tortured or even killed like hundreds of other people in Balochistan and Sindh.
