The fact that there had been no letup in cases of missing Baloch persons is a cause for concern. Not only Wahid, there are numerous cases that remain unsolved as mystery shrouds these abductions allegedly done by security agencies. Another victim Dost Muhammad Baloch has been missing for the last four years who was also picked up from Karachi, but no clue has been found about his whereabouts. Statistics regarding the missing persons from Balochistan, Sindh and other restive areas are appalling. Reportedly, estimates of the number of disappeared in Balochistan “are between hundreds and several thousand.” In Balochistan, human rights situation is getting worse day by day. In Sindh, such disappearances have intensified in Awaran and Mashkai while it has become a general phenomenon in Makran. Mutilated bodies of missing Baloch men are found in Karachi, which is clearly troubling news. According to the latest media reports, 522 persons have been reported to be victims of ‘enforced disappearance’ in the hands of security forces in 2016 alone. This number excludes the persons who were killed and dumped on roadsides or killed in fake encounters. The bodies bore signs of severe physical torture. Those found dead were reported previously as missing persons. Though the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and Amnesty International are raising their voice, yet it seems that they are as helpless as other institutions like the judiciary that have failed to deliver justice to the missing victims and their families.
Silencing voices through the use of force cannot yield desired results. Rather, it would give birth to mutiny and more chaos in the country. Pakistan should not be made a banana state. Moreover, reluctance of the police to register missing persons’ cases gives birth to suspicion about the involvement of powerful authorities in these abductions. The problem is that certain powerful institutions do not want the involvement of courts where it would be difficult to prove their case. Therefore, it is easier to act as the judge, jury and the executioner themselves with no right of defence to the victim whatsoever, and justify it all in the name of national security and well being of people. It is hoped that poor Wahid Baloch’s case does not wind up as corpse covered in limestone.
Courtesy: Dailytimes Pakistan
