The atrocities of the Pakistan military and Frontier Corps on the locals of Balochistan is posing a grave concern. The FC recently attacked a house in the province and assaulted a number of women present inside.
The incident took place on Tuesday when the Frontier Corps forcefully entered a house in Sui Tehsil of district Dera Bugti in Balochistan and tortured the women inside. Many women were injured during the attack, local media reported.The locals jumped to save them and had a clash with the FC. “Whoever wears a uniform in Balochistan thinks that he is God and has a license to do all kinds of atrocities,” residents said, as they condemned the hooliganism of FC.
The increasing atrocities of the military and Frontier Corps on locals from Balochistan who raise their voices against them is yet another major concern. Locals regularly protest against this but the military of Pakistan uses every possible means to suppress the voice of the Baloch nationals, local media reported.
The military and FC target local people to instil fear among them so they don’t raise their voices against any kind of injustice.
According to several reports, innocent Balochs are killed in fake encounters and their mutilated bodies are found in remote places.
An annual report of the Human Rights Council of Balochistan, which is an organisation that documents human rights violations in the province, has said that students remain the main target of these kidnappings both in Balochistan as well as in other regions of Pakistan.
The armed forces of Pakistan are widely accused of being responsible for the ‘disappearance’ of an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 persons. As per local media reports, activists from Balochistan are high on the list of the ‘missing’.
Families and activists have described being harassed, arbitrarily arrested and detained, and subject to violence for simply exercising their right to peaceful protest.
Besides, the incidents of attacks on women are also rampant in Pakistan. The country has been regarded as the sixth most dangerous country for women to live in.
The Human Rights Watch in its Annual World Report 2022 cited allegations of extensive rights abuses against women along with children in Pakistan, which ranks 167 out of 170 countries on the Global Women, Peace and Security Index.
“Violence against women and girls, including rape, murder, acid attacks, domestic violence, and forced marriage is endemic throughout Pakistan. Human Rights defenders estimate that roughly 1,000 women are killed in so-called honour killings every year,” said the HRW report.
Last year, Pakistan was placed 153rd ranking on the Global Gender Gap index. Amid the recent situation of flooding the country, such human rights violation issues have created outrage among the people who are suffering with food and shelter crisis.
As per a WHO report, “The heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan which started in mid-July 2022 are continuing in many parts of the country and have affected 116 districts (75 per cent) out of 154 districts in Pakistan. The most affected province is Sindh, followed by Balochistan.”
Thousands of Balochs in far-flung areas are still waiting for help from the government and welfare groups but the administration is busy pleasing their associates and influential people.