SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
Abdul Qadeer Baloch, known as Mama Qadeer, is the founder of a group working for information on people who have “disappeared” during the long-running conflict between the government and Baloch separatist movements. He was the man who led a longest long march from Balochistan to Islamabad to raise voice for the missing people of Balochistan. He has become a true voice of the people of Balochistan but state seems to be working on other way. Previous month, Mama Qadeer was stopped from flying to US. He was being told by Custom officials that he is not allowed to fly for abroad and they cannot disclose from where they received orders. Human rights groups have long accused security forces of serious abuses in Balochistan, particularly kidnapping and killing suspected rebels and leaving their bodies by the roadside. According to Human Rights Watch, more than 300 people have suffered this fate — known as “kill and dump” — in Balochistan since January 2011. While Qadeer Baloch is raising voice for those missing people.
In a fresh episode, Mama Qadeer who was scheduled to talk to LUMS few days back but University surprisingly cancelled the talks. A talk, ‘Un-silencing Balochistan’ was scheduled at the university featuring guest speakers Mama Qadeer, activist Mohammed Ali Talpur, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Director IA Rehman, Secretary General Voice of Baloch Missing Persons (VMPB) Farzana Majeed, Quaid-e-Azam University Professor Aasim Sajjad Akhtar and rights activist Sajjad Changezi. However LUMS faculty member Dr Taimur Rehman said, “A delegation from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) visited LUMS in the evening and presented a letter calling for cancellation of the talks. They said that Balochistan is a sensitive issue and that the moot could be used to malign Pakistan,” said Dr Rehman, adding that the intelligence officials were firm in their directive. But it is also important to note that the decision to cancel the event was made by LUMS. While such pressure being exerted on institutions by the security establishment is not unknown, there is no obligation to act “on order from the government” — perhaps even less so if such orders come from the security services. In fact, LUMS would have been well within its rights to have insisted that such orders be routed through the proper channels, whatever they may be.
This shows that voice of truth has been suppressed by the agencies. They do not want Qadeer to speak on behalf of the missing Baloch persons. Furthermore this is violation of academic freedom and a curb on freedom of speech. The Baloch also have a right to express their reservations, this is their basic and fundamental right. Such moves by the state would further thicken the sense of marginalization among the Baloch Youth.
