Balochistan, being a hub of human rights violations, unexpectedly witnessed a relative calm this week. With almost 42 oil tankers set ablaze on Chamman border, the week concluded with one person abducted while three others dead, in different episodes of violence.

With NATO supply lines being cut off in the backdrop of air strikes on Salala check post, the oil tankers and containers strandedat Pak Afghan border are under attack by militants. At least 42 oil tankers and containers carrying military hardware and equipments to Afghanistan were set ablaze when unidentified armed men fired two rockets on them in Kharotabad area of Quetta on December 8. Similarly, four containers along with their drivers also went missing near Meezai Adda on December 11.

While observing the International Human Rights Day in solidarity with the people of Balochistan, Tahir Hussain, chairman of the HRCP Balochistan, on December 11, urged the government to take action against the perpetrators who are responsible for deteriorating law and order in the province. Furthermore, on December 10, Chairperson of Baloch Human Rights Organisation (BHRO) Nargis Baloch whilst demanding the interference of Supreme Court against the worsening state of human rights in Balochistan, severely criticized the role of army in Balochistan and entitled the present civilian government a ¿dummy–.

The Supreme Court has resumed the hearing of the Ricko Diq case on December 6 to avoid international arbitration in the backlash of Tethyan Copper Company petition for international arbitration to protect its rights.

Week in Review

a) Acts of Terrorism/Subversion and Abduction

• At least three Pakistani fishermen engaged in illegal fishing, were gunned down, and two others were injured by Iranian security forces on Wednesday, December 7, as they entered Iranian territorial waters near Pasaband area, about 40-kilometer off Jiwani coast in Pakistan. District Police Officer (DPO) Gwadar, Liaquat Baloch, confirmed the incident and said that the bodies had not been handed over to Pakistani officials yet. The fishermen belonged to Sindh province.[1]
• According to security officials, a Hindu trader, Dr. Ashok Kumar along with his driver was kidnapped on December 8 in the Ferozabad area, some 30 kilometers away from Khuzdar district in Balochistan. Dr Ashok Kumar, a resident of Hyderabad, was on his way to Naal from Khuzdar in his pickup truck when a group of armed men intercepted and abducted the trader along with his driver and two laborers at gun point but the latter two were set free later on.[2]
• Unidentified armed men fired two rockets on 32 oil tankers and 10 containers carrying fuel, hardware and equipments for NATO troops fighting in Afghanistan and set them ablaze in the Kharotabad area of Quetta on December 8. No casualty was reported and the assailants managed to escape. No group has taken responsibility for the incident.[3]
• According to local levies officials four NATO oil tankers, along with their drivers, went missing near the Quetta-Chaman highway (Meezai Adda) on Sunday, December 11, when they were on their way back to Karachi from Chaman because of the blockade of supply line on the border.[4]

b) Political Front

At least seven aircraft landed at Shamsi airbase in Balochistan on Wednesday, December 7, to airlift personnel and equipment out of Pakistan as Americans vacated the airbase on Thursday in the wake of NATO air strikes on Pakistani check posts on November 26. Shamsi airbase, located about 300 kilometers south of Quetta, has been used in past as a key launching pad to carry out drone strikes in Afghanistan and tribal areas of Pakistan.[5]

Chairperson of Baloch Human Rights Organisation (BHRO), Nargis Baloch, appealed to the Supreme Court, on December 10, to take suo-moto action of human rights violation by state agencies in Balochistan. She severely criticized the role of Pakistan Army in the province and said: Balochistan has been handed over to the army since former president Pervez Musharraf regime. Moreover, she titled the present civilian government in the province as a dummy government.[6]

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) observed the ‘International Human Rights Day’ in solidarity with the people of Balochistan on December 11. According to an HRCP report, as many as 225 bullet-riddled bodies of missing persons were found between July 2010 and November 2011. The Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VFBMP) puts the toll even higher, at 236, and says that all the victims had direct or indirect political affiliation with Baloch nationalist parties or student organizations. Tahir Hussain, chairman of the HRCP Balochistan said: the writ of the government does not exist in Balochistan. Minority community and settlers are migrating from the province because of the fear of target killing while those who stand up to defend such minorities or human rights violations also become the target. The HRCP Balochistan urged the government to bring the accused of human rights violation to the court of justice and should be punished.[7]

c) Economic Front

The Supreme Court has been moved to resume the hearing of the Reko Diq case on December 6 to ‘block the Tethyan Copper Company effort to frustrate the laws of the land through international arbitration’. Tethyan filed arbitration proceedings in Washington and Paris a few days ago in order to protect its legal rights, according to its CEO Tim Livesey. Tehthyan, exploring gold and copper deposits in the Reko Diq area, opted for arbitration after the Balochistan government turned down its application for granting a mining lease on November 16.[8]

Director General National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Balochistan, Maj. (Retd.) Barhan Ali, said on December 8 that the provincial chapter of the accountability watchdog has initiated inquiries into corruption charges leveled against seven provincial ministers, including four sitting ministers. He did not disclose the names of the corrupt ministers and nature of the cases because of the early stage of investigation process. According to NAB, the major ongoing cases include those against officials of railway, zakat, food, and health departments. The DG added: NAB has recovered Rs200 million out of Rs3 billion in 25 cases, and a total of 22 accused have been arrested.[9]

d) Social Front

Residents of Mastung have high hopes for the education enclave being constructed in the district, but the slow pace of work has started to disappoint many (reported in the press on December 5). Mastung, one of 30 districts of Balochistan, is the electoral constituency of Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani, who is also the chief of his tribe. This is why, residents say, there is no shortage of funds. The provincial government has allocated Rs280 million for the project, which is meant to be concluded by June 2012.[10]

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[1] Iranian forces gun down three Pakistani fishermen–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/303107/iranian-forces-gun-down-three-pakistani-fishermen/

[2] Hindu trader kidnapped in Balochistan–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/303658/hindu-trader-kidnapped-in-balochistan/

[3] Rocket Fire: 42 NATO tankers, containers torched in Quetta–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/303666/42-parked-nato-tankers-containers-attacked-in-quetta/

[4] 4 NATO oil tankers go missing near Quetta-Chaman highway–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/305026/4-nato-oil-tankers-go-missing-near-quetta-chaman-highway/

[5] Aircraft to evacuate American personnel, drones arrive at Shamsi base–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/303209/aircraft-to-evacuate-american-personnel-drones-arrive-at-shamsi-base/

[6] Rights violation: Balochistan has a ¿dummy civilian govt– , at http://tribune.com.pk/story/304528/rights-violation-balochistan-has-a-dummy-civilian-govt/

[7] Balochistan: The province where human rights are bullet-riddled ¿, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/304909/balochistan-the-province-where-human-rights-are-bullet-riddled/

[8] Copper-gold project: SC moved to resume Reko Diq case–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/302813/copper-gold-project-sc-moved-to-resume-reko-diq-case/

[9] Corruption charges : NAB begins inquiry against 7 ministers ¿, at tribune.com.pk/story/303840/corruption-charges-nab-begins-inquiry-against-7-ministers/

[10] Education enclave: Mastung key education project plagued by delays–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/302372/education-enclave-mastungs-key-education-project-plagued-by-delays/