The safety of Pakistani dissidents is a major concern even in well-governed democracies as they are pursued by local killers and conspirators, mainly with roots in Islamabad.
The recent killing of Saqib Karim, a young dissident from Balochistan, under mysterious circumstances in distant Azerbaijan in Central Asia, is a fit example of political exiles being hunted down. He was reportedly being targeted by Pakistan’s intel agencies, Islam Khabar reported.
Baloch National Movement (BNM) has urged the Azerbaijan government to investigate the Saqib case.
Pakistani dissidents have been targeted in various countries including the US, the UK, the Netherlands and France, Islam Khabar reported.
Is it to be noted that in 2020, the body of Banuk Karima Baloch, a political refugee and a BNM leader was found in Ontario Lake Toronto harbour front in Canada.
Amnesty International had called for a thorough investigation into Karima Baloch’s suspicious death. She was strong-spirited, and her determination was to apprise the world about Baloch human rights abuses carried out by the Pakistan army.
She moved to Canada to save her life but death threats chased her all along and finally, she met a mysterious death fate what her family and friends believe is a heinous act of murder.
Baloch has publicly stated that she was critical of Pakistan’s intelligence agency which is notorious for abducting human rights activists inside Pakistan.
Meanwhile, there are reports that missing Baloch people are being executed in the custody of Pakistani security forces in the country.
A statement was issued by Baloch human rights activist Mama Qadeeroch against the genocide of Baloch people which stated that the missing people are being killed in the custody of Pakistani security forces, local media reported.
With a spike in the number of enforced disappearances in Balochistan in the past few months, there is not even a single family in the province whose member or a relative has not been forcibly disappeared, reported a Canada-based think tank, International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS) earlier this month.
Enforced disappearances are used as a tool by Pakistani authorities to terrorize people who question the all-powerful army establishment of the country or seek individual or social rights.