The blisters of my feet have not fully healed from the Long March from Quetta to Karachi but it seems some people have already forgotten the main reasons behind the March. That is why we have decided to arrange this follow up conference to remind the government and you that we do not give up. We are not tired, neither hopeless nor afraid of raising our voice for freedom and justice. We chose 10 December because it’s the International Day of Human Rights to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 1948 two things happened that are important to us. First the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was passed but also in the same year our homeland Balochistan was forcefully occupied by Pakistan. With the illegal occupation of our country the killings and disappearances of our people started. Families of thousands of Baloch are pinning their hopes with us that our struggle will not go in vain and we will succeed in reuniting the abducted Baloch activists with their families. However, we have lost our faith in the federal and provincial governments of Pakistan. Since creation of this state it has been a military garrison. Rule of law and democracy have never flourished in this land and military and the secret agencies continue to pull the strings. That is why our hope and source of encouragement has always been the ordinary men and women and the youth of Baloch nation. We have no positive expectation from any department of Pakistan and I have to say including the judiciary and media. This is because our moral and political values are different. Truth and democracy are against their interests. The media seldom reports about Balochistan. When they do they distort the facts. On the other hand judiciary is simply an empty term. Judiciary in Pakistan is helpless before the army and security agencies. On this basis we urge the international community and international human rights organisations to take notice of human rights violations in Balochistan. They should take immediate and proper measures to stop the on-going military operations, abductions and kill and dump policy against Baloch people. In June 1993 world community held a conference in Vienna and collectively approved about 100 articles about human rights violations. The United Nations also later adopted this document – [url=http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/vienna.aspx]“Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.”[/url] I will quote a few articles from that declaration and try to explain how Pakistan has systematically violated them. Article 1 of Vienna Conference says: “The World Conference on Human Rights reaffirms the solemn commitment of all States to fulfil their obligations to promote universal respect for, and observance and protection of, all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, other instruments relating to human rights, and international law. The universal nature of these rights and freedoms is beyond question.”This article basically means that human rights and fundamental freedoms are the birth right of all human beings; their protection and promotion is the first responsibility of Governments. Sadly, Baloch are being deprived of these two fundamental rights. In that very same year 1948 when international community approved this document of human rights – Pakistan has violated it by forcefully occupying the free and sovereign state of Balochistan. Article 2 says: “All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status, and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.”Pakistan has also violated the second article because in 1947 when Baloch were asked whether they wanted to remain independent or to join Pakistan. People of Balochistan opted for independence. Pakistan, India and the British acknowledged Balochistan’s independence but almost a year later Pakistan attacked and invaded Balochistan. The very act of invasion was the obvious evidence of Pakistan’s illegal plan against the will of Baloch people. It was a clear violation of Baloch economic, social, political, legal and cultural rights. The world conference also talked against torture and they decided that torture is not allowed under any circumstances. But, as you all are aware in Balochistan it happens frequently and with complete impunity. Baloch prisoners of conscience are not only subject to brutal torture but they are killed-under custody. Their bodies are dumped in road sides and desolated areas. I’m going to read two articles of the World conference which are as follows:Article 55 states: “The World Conference on Human Rights emphasizes that one of the most atrocious violations against human dignity is the act of torture, the result of which destroys the dignity and impairs the capability of victims to continue their lives and their activities.”Article 56 states: “The World Conference on Human Rights reaffirms that under human rights law and international humanitarian law, freedom from torture is a right which must be protected under all circumstances, including in times of internal or international disturbance or armed conflicts.”The Vienna Conference affirmed that it is the responsibility of the state to take effective measures to prevent enforced-disappearances but in Balochistan the state itself is involved in illegal abductions and extra-judicial killings of Baloch political activists. The Army, FC and secret agencies are a law onto themselves and they do not consider themselves answerable to anyone including the highest apex court of Pakistan. Their refusal to appear before the Supreme Court is a prime example of not abiding the democratic principles and values. Article 62 of Vienna conference which is related to enforced-disappearances reads as follows: “The World Conference on Human Rights, welcoming the adoption by the General Assembly of the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, calls upon all States to take effective legislative, administrative, judicial or other measures to prevent, terminate and punish acts of enforced disappearance. The World Conference on Human Rights reaffirms that it is the duty of all States, under any circumstances, to make investigations whenever there is reason to believe that an enforced disappearance has taken place on a territory under their jurisdiction and, if allegations are confirmed, to prosecute its perpetrators.”Therefore, I would like to request the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, UN Human Rights Commission, European Union, UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and all other humanitarian groups to put pressure on Pakistan to respect the international laws related to human rights and stop it from committing more atrocities in Balochistan. All regional and international human rights groups must urge Pakistan to release thousands of abducted Baloch activists immediately and unharmed and bring to justice all perpetrators who are involved in enforced-disappearances and extra-judicial killing of Baloch political activists.
