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Merry Christmas! But not for Balochistan.
  • Baloch missing persons
    Baloch missing persons
December 25th is the day of happiness and joy for millions of people across the world and it is also one of the most important religious festivals for Christian people as it is the day when Jesus Christ was born. On this day the kids believe that Santa Claus comes in their homes and bring them many gifts and happiness.



Unfortunately for the people of Balochistan, Christmas is just another sad day like any other festivals. Even on Christmas Day, the Baloch people are suffering from abductions inhuman treatment at the hands of Pakistani army.



On this year Christmas Day, news from Gwadar Balochistan has broken out that another Baloch student Wahab Siyaal has become a victim of enforced abduction. Wahab Siyaal is a student who was studying in Quetta. He went Gwadar to visit his family, during his visit he was abducted by the mighty Pakistani army along with another student who was released later on.



Well-known human rights activist advocate Jalila Haider in her Facebook post condemned the abduction of Wahab Siyaal and said that “One of my Baloch friend who is a student in the Balochistan University, last year during winter vacation I asked him why he is not going to his village to see his parents. So he replied that “There are military operations in our area, and my mother fear that If I visit home they will disappear me as well, as I am young, a man and a Baloch student.” I said but you are just a student and having no violence history why would they arrest or disappear you? So he replied that “They don't see such, they just arrest and disappear without making any prior investigation and I don't want to get disappeared for years.”



Qazi Dad Rehan a journalist and a senior leader of Baloch National Movement who belongs to Gwadar shared the news of Wahab Baloch’s abduction and wrote that “ Wahab S/OF Siyaal a final year student of economics at Degree College Saryab came to his home for winter vacation in Gwadar and he was extrajudicially arrested and by the so-called Pakistani security forces and since no one knows about his whereabouts. Incidents like this are very common in Balochistan. Mostly victims of enforced disappearances are students those are being targeted according to the plans of the Pakistani army.”



Wahab Baloch’s only crime is that he is a bright young Baloch who wants to study and live a life with dignity. He was not part of any political party or movement. He is an ambitious student who joined the Baloch Student Action Committee which focuses on helping the students and provides them with more opportunities in their studies.



Wahab Baloch is not the only victim of this inhuman treatment of Pakistani security forces. Another elderly Baloch who came from UAE to Balochistan for medical treatment went missing on the 6th of December. Mr Sher Jan S/O Lal khan a retired police officer of Dubai police, according to a press conference of his family members he has worked in Dubai police for almost 40 years. When he was travelling from UAE to Pakistan (Balochistan) he was stopped and checked by the FIA. He was taken into custody for two days at the end of August. Later, he was released on bail. During the days of his captivity, he was interrogated, why he travelled to the European countries during his vacations. According to the press conference, Mr Sher Jan once again went missing on the 6th of December and since then there is no news of his whereabouts. The family asked the Chief Justice of Pakistan to help them to find their loved one who is suffering from inhuman torture and locked in the dungeons without any charges.



Christmas or any other festivals have never brought any happiness and joy for the people of Balochistan. Mothers across the world on this day cook amazing food and make delicious meals and desserts for their kids, but in Balochistan, an elderly mother is waiting for her missing son to come back from the dark dungeons of the Pakistani army. Rashid Hussain another victim of abduction, who went missing last Christmas since then no one has heard anything about Rashid Hussain. He was detained in UAE and now he is being detained in the Pakistani army torture cells.



Rashid Hussain, a Baloch Human rights activist whose only crime was to expose Pakistani brutalities. He himself became a victim of abduction and his mother has been protesting for him from last one year. Even tomorrow on the Boxing day when millions of people run into the shops to buy all the branded products on sale, a mother and many other families of Baloch missing persons will be protesting against the abduction of their loved ones. They will be protesting with this hope that one day the civilised world will come to rescue them from these inhuman brutalities of Pakistani security forces.



The sufferings of Balochistan and the stories of pain, agony and abductions are countless. Many stories have not been shared yet. Many victims don’t share their stories because they have no trust and hope from the Pakistani Human rights and civil rights organisations. They believe that the judiciary of Pakistan is not going to bring them their loved ones back has judiciary their selves are under attack by the Pakistani military establishment. Still, there is a hope in heart of them that, that one day a secret Santa will come to them with a bag of happiness and will get a gift of freedom and sovereignty from their secret Santa.
Hakeem Baloch
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