Friday 25 December 2020

Justice For Karima Baloch Collective's Statement For Endorsement

 Justice For Karima Baloch Collective's Statement For Endorsement

December 24, 2020

We, a collective of activists, journalists, academics, intellectuals and concerned citizens of the world express our grave concern over the mysterious death of exiled Baloch activist Karima Baloch in Toronto, Canada who went missing last Sunday on 20th of December and was located dead on 21st December in a lake in the city.

Karima Baloch was a well-known human rights and political activist who took refuge in Canada after fleeing Pakistan in 2015 due to serious threats to her life in Balochistan, owing to her political resistance against militarization, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killing in her homeland.

Karima Baloch was the first-ever woman President of the Baloch Students Organization (BSO-Azad), one of the largest student bodies in Balochistan. Karima Baloch was also a member of Baloch National Movement. She was named as one of the world's 100 most inspirational and influential women in 2016 by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for her courage and bravery. Karima Baloch through her political activism had been an inspiration for the Baloch young women. She changed the face of Baloch struggle for human rights opening new doors of political leadership for young Baloch women.

After moving out of the country for her safety to Canada, she continued raising her voice against the serious human rights violations in Balochistan, including (enforced) disappearances of people, arbitrary arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings. Karima Baloch was a strong critic of the “Kill and Dump” policy of Pakistani state authorities in Balochistan. In exile, she continued to receive threats for her activism from Pakistan security agencies, proof of which is available with her husband and other family members. Then her uncle was taken away in Pakistan, and her mother was told that he will be only released if she stopped her activism. When she refused to do so, her family received the mutilated body of her uncle. Previously, other members of Karima Baloch's family have been abducted and killed too – including her parent's siblings.

Karima's mysterious death is also alarming because it is not the first this year. Earlier in May 2020, Sajid Hussain, a journalist who wrote about human rights violations in Balochistan, was found dead in a river in Sweden, after disappearing for two months. Like Karima, he had also sought asylum after threats to his life in Pakistan.

Unfortunately, in both cases the police have been not very forthcoming with details and have called them either accidental deaths or suicide, although there are ample reasons to consider otherwise.

The husband of Karima Baloch, Hammal Haider, a Pakistani activist living in exile, has also emphasized this in an interview to The Guardian saying “We can’t rule out foul play as she had been under threat even in Canada.” Karima herself had mentioned how Pakistan Army linked people were being allowed to settle in Canada, who may harm her and other Baloch activists.

Soon after the news of death of Karima Baloch, troll armies of Pakistani security agencies started character assassination of Karima Baloch, and even celebrated the death of Karima Baloch as their success and threatened other Pakistani exiled activists saying they are next.

Another telling incident was when verified social media accounts in a public Twitter conversation with a Pakistan Army serving general, General Asif Ghafoor hinted at forming a Pakistani version of “Bozkurtlar”, a Turkish assassin group that kills dissidents at home and abroad.


Also, General Pervez Musharraf, former Pakistani dictator gave a television interview a few years ago, where he spoke about killing Pakistani dissidents abroad. Chaudhry Nisar, Pakistan's former interior minister has also revealed in an interview that the same general was contemplating the assassination of Altaf Husain, a prominent Pakistani political leader living in exile in London.

We urge that Canadian authorities consider the context in which all this is happening and it cannot be ignored. The pattern of Pakistani activists especially the Baloch being abducted, killed, and dumped in mysterious conditions in Pakistan and abroad has raised fears among the Pakistani exiled community, of not just the involvement of Pakistani security agencies, but also other hostile agencies around the world – especially China, that is deeply involved in Balochistan, and the two mysterious deaths this year are of people of Baloch origin.

All this needs your urgent attention also because Karima and Sajid met an unfortunate end but other exiled Pakistani dissidents continue to live in immense risk. And many of these exiled activists continue to face threats from the Pakistani security agencies directly and indirectly. Their family members back home continue to receive threats on their behalf, and are also persecuted.

We will also like to bring to your attention other incidents of harm against Pakistanis in exile. A Pakistani human rights activist Waqas Goraya was attacked in Netherlands outside his home. Exiled Pakistani Journalist Taha Siddiqui in France, exiled Pakistani activist Gulalai Ismail in New York and many Baloch, Pashtun and Sindhi exiled activists in European Countries have continued to receive intelligence assessments about dangers to their lives and have faced surveillance from people believed to be belonging to Pakistani diplomatic missions abroad.

Finally, all this should also be looked in a global context. In recent years, we have seen an increase in threats and attacks on the exiled activists around the world. Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Arab was killed in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct 2nd, 2018. Russia has a history of killing its dissidents on foreign soil. China is also involved in going after its dissidents abroad. Since 1979, the senior leadership of Iran has been linked to at least 162 extrajudicial killings of the regime’s political opponents in 19 different countries around the world.

Therefore we the “Justice for Karima Baloch Collective” demand the police to initiate a high level and thorough investigation into the mysterious death of Karima Baloch taking in consideration all of the above, especially the threats she and her family had been receiving from Pakistani authorities. We also request Canada and other countries around the world to take measures for safeguarding the lives of other exiled Pakistani and global activists seeking safety outside their homelands. We believe that it is the responsibility of international community to protect exiled activists and dissidents in their respective countries including Canada. No country should be given impunity to run covert assassination operations against dissidents on foreign soil.

Signed by:

1. Afrasiab Khattak , Human Rights Commission of Pakistan ( HRCP), Pakistan
2. Farhatullah Babar Former Senator/ Council Member Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
3. Gulalai Ismail, Human Rights Activist, Aware Girls
4. Taha Siddiqui, Journalist, South Asia Press, France.
5. Ousmane Diadie Touré, United Nations, Mali
6. Prof. Naela Quadri Baloch , Baloch People's Congress , Canada
7. Fahem Abed, The New York Times, Afghanistan
8. Mahkan Baloch, Trios college , Canada
9. Zafar, Baloch walfare Society , Pakistan
10. Gul Bukhari, Journalist, United Kingdom
11. Annie Zaman , Global Voices , Myanmar
12. Malik Faisal , Kalmat zone, Iran
13. Dr Hyder Lashari, G.M.Sayed Studies Board, Sindh
14. Aparna Sundar, University of Toronto, Canada
15. Saadia Toor, College of Staten Island, USA
16. Francesca Marino, Journalist , Italia
17. Ramish Fatima, Freelance , Pakistan
18. Holger Bergmann, Germany
19. Badal Khan , University of Naples , Italy
20. Yousuf Musti khan, Awami Workers Party, Pakistan
21. Salah Mohamed , Freelancer , Oman
22. Rozaan Baloch, Baloch Peoples congress, Pakistan
23. Raja Dahar Hyder joyo, World Sindhi Congress , USA
24. Lakhu Luhana , World Sindhi Congress, United Kingdom
25. Saleh Al Balushi , Educationist , Oman
26. AlamZaib Mahsud, Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, Pakistan
27. Najeeb Khan, PTM-USA and Pashtun Council America , USA
28. Asif Panhwar, World Sindhi Congress , Canada
29. Hajan kalhoro, World Sindhi Congress, Canada
30. Fattah Baloch, Canada
31. Naseer Dashti, Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC), United Kingdom
32. Siraj Moomand, Pashtun Council Canada, Canada
33. Saghir Shaikh, World Sindhi Congress, Inc., USA
34. Saba Ismail, Aware Girls, U.S
35. Aijaz h. Turk, Forum SAATH, USA
36. Shahzad Irfan , Association for Human Development , Mexico
37. Affaf Azhar , Human rights activist , Canada
38. Ghulam Memon, Indus C , United States
39. Syed Musharaf shah, Independent Filmmaker , New York
40. Naeem Ullah khan, Thailand
41. Supriti Dhar, Women Chapter, Sweden
42. Noor khaskhely, WCT, USA
43. Bushra Khan, Pashtun Council Canada, Canada
44. Nasir Murad, Baloch Student Organisation, Pakistan
45. Nasir Murad Murad, Baloch Student Organisation, UAE
46. Fayaz Panhwer, Sindhi Sangat of Saskatoon, Canada
47. Jan Baloch, World Baloch Organisation , Balochistan
48. Iqbal Khan , Pastun Tahafuz Movement, Pakistan
49. Mohammad S Adil, Niazamana online, USA
50. Naseer Dashti , Baloch Human Right Council , United Kingdom
51. Keyya Baloch, Baloch National Movement (BNM), Netherlands
52. Noor, Canada
53. Nabi Baloch, United States
54. Chris Ozark, United States of America
55. Qamber Baloch, Baloch National Movement (BNM), Germany
56. Mohim Sarkhosh, BNSP, Sweden
57. Dadsha baloch, Justice for karima mehrab, Canadian
58. Soundkiller Baloch, Justices karima for baloch , Oman
59. Shahab Dad, Student, Pakistan, Balochistan
60. Imran Hakeem , Baloch National Movement, Netherlands
61. Fida Baloch, Humanity , Pakistan
62. Syed Imran Abbas, Self, Canada
63. Ahmed Baloch , Bahrain
64. Majeed Baloch, Doctor , Canada
65. Jamil Maqsood, United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP), Belgium
66. Waseem Baloch, Baloch National Movement
67. Lakhu Luhana World Sindhi Congress UK
68. Raza Mahmood Khan Aaghaz e Dosti Sweden
69. Pinaki Bhattacharya IAE Paris Sorbonne Business School France
70. Yasir Jameel Student Pakistan
71. Farid Baloch Baloch National Movement Germany
72. Salar Baloch Balochistan Liberation Movement Balochistan
73. Hidayat Bhutto World Sindhi Congress United Kingdom
74. Sohail Ahmed Student Pakistan
75. Waqas Riaz Self employed Korea
76. Shughla Ismail Young Feminists Movement Pakistan
77. Haroon Rashid Pakistan
78. Obaidullah Obaid Pashtun Rights activists United States
79. Muhammad Rahim Mehranpoto Social Activist Pakistan
80. Prof Paras K Pokharel MD,MD. BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences Nepal
81. Muhammad Nawaz Humanist Earth
82. Abrar Khan baloch Pakistan
83. Arman Amany Afghan/Pashtoon/Baloch solidarity UK
84. Atiqa Shahid Gothenburg University Sweden
85. Afzal Student Pakistan
86. Usman Malik Concerned Citizen of the World Pakistan
87. Nasrullah Tolwak University lecturer Afghanistan
88. Qasim Shafique National Textile University, Faisalabad. Pakistan
89. Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri United Kashmir people’s National Party (UKPNP) Switzerland
90. Imtiaz Ahmed Individual Pakistan
91. Irfan Brohi Private Canada
92. Dee Kay PTM Afghanistan
93. Sanjay India
94. Sinan Khalid Waheed Independent Pakistan
95. Habegger Abdul Swiss Kashmir Human Rights Switzerland
96. Mohammad S Adil Niazamana online USA
97. Salma Jafar Freelance Pakistan
98. Roghieh Jangizi Concerned citizen Canada
99. Shoaib Sanjrani Student Pakistan
100. Zohra Shahin Oman
101. Md. Asifur Rahman Student Bangladesh
102. Dilara Akther Bangladesh
103. Nasrat Social worker Pakistan
104. Abdullah Al Sakib No Organisation. Bangladesh
105. Sudipto Chatterjee Rajshahi University Bangladesh
106. Ekramul Kabir Catholic Relief Services Bangladesh
107. Amjad Gardezi United Kashmir Peoples National Party(UKPNP) Pakistan
108. Farid Mengal BSO Pakistan
109. Sam Baloch Oman
110. Nasser Mengal Lawyer Pakistan
111. Saeed Pakistan
112. Samir Al Zadjali Health, Safety and Environment Specialist Oman
113. Shah Nawaz Buzdar Baloch Raaj rarasham (zone) Pakistan
114. Mohammad Kadkhodaie BPP Denmark
115. Sultan Du Bangladesh
116. Golam Masum Innovation Bangladesh
117. A Z M H Sarwar S R Shipping Limited Bangladesh
118. Sardar Nasir Aziz Khan UKPNP Switzerland
119. Sohel Rana warker Bangladesh
120. Habibullah Kakar ANP Pakistan
121. Waheed Baloch Former Speaker of Provincial Assembly of Balochistan. Former Chairman of Baloch Students Organization United States
122. Nurul Quader EU Bangladesh
123. Arshad CSO Pakistan Pakistan
124. Naeem Hasan AB Party Bangladesh
125. Hasibul Mallick Student, FTBE Jadavpur University India
126. Man Ganok BSO Azad United Arab Emirates
127. Sameer Azim Pakistan
128. Jawad Ahadi Pakistan
129. Robi-Os-Sunny BGMEA University of fashion and Technology Bangladesh
130. Zahoor Hussain Private business Pakistan
131. Radesh Singh Tony National Council for Minorities Rights Pakistan

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