A year later, still no sign of abducted BSO-A chief

Karachi
A year after Baloch Students’ Organisation-Azad (BSO-A) Chairman Zahid Baloch’s abduction from Quetta allegedly by the security agencies, the Baloch National Front (BNF) held a rally from 8 Chowk in Lyari to the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday hoping to shake the ruling elite from its deep slumber over the issue.
Over 500 protesters participated in the march, chanting slogans against the abduction of Baloch political activists whose tortured bodies are later found in different areas of the province.
Demanding an end to the continuous human rights violations in Balochistan, the protesters also asked the UN to break its silence over the matter.
Acting BSO-A chief Kareema Baloch told The News: “We will be on the roads until we are told where Zahid is.”
Referring to the 46-day hunger strike of BSO-A central committee member Lateef Johar last year, she said the strike was ended only after the Asian Human Rights Commission promised to take up the matter with the higher authorities including the EU and the UN, but they did not contact us after that.
Remembering Zahid, she said he was a beacon of peace and hope for the whole Baloch nation. “He believes in a struggle spearheaded by knowledge.”
Demanding that Zahid should be produced before a court and tried for whatever crimes the abductors thought he had committed, Kareema said: “There are laws in place for even the worst types of criminals, let alone for a peaceful person like Zahid.”
Veteran Baloch leader Mir Muhammad Ali Talpur while addressing the protesters said the rally was a continuation of the struggle launched on March 27, 1948.
“The Baloch are not asleep!” he exclaimed while speaking about the atrocities meted out to the people of the province.
Appreciating the youth for actively participating in politics, Talpur said the path to victory was indeed tortuous but the Baloch had the will to carry on.
Lamenting the sorry state of affairs in Balochistan, Khurram Ali, the National Students’ Federation-Pakistan central organiser, told the protesters that no media or even human rights organisations were allowed to visit the province.
“The more we try to suppress the voice of the oppressed, the sooner we would find ourselves crying over a separation such as that of Bangladesh.”
He said the NSF stood for the democratic rights of every citizen.
Recalling a chat he had with the BSO-A chairman a few months before his abduction, he said Zahid spoke of a peaceful struggle, not just for the Baloch but for all those facing oppression.
“Every country is trying to exploit the political situation in the province, but we do realise that asking them for help won’t do us any good... the real change lies only in the unity of the Baloch nation,” he said quoting Zahid.
Sami, a BSO-A activist and daughter of Din Muhammad Baloch who was abducted six years ago, said the situation in Balochistan had worsened with the number of abductees rising each day. “We will continue our campaign until Zahid is released.”