Zahid Baloch – Seven years of enforced disappearance
Riaz Baloch
18th March, the completion of seven long years of enforced disappearance of Chairman Zahid Baloch. Zahid Baloch was abducted along with Asad Baloch from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, in the presence of Shaheed Karima Baloch and other eyewitnesses. He was the chairman of Baloch Students Organization Azad, the largest student organization in Balochistan. The state martyred Banuk Karima Baloch because she was an eyewitness in the disappearance case of Chairman Zahid Baloch, and she was also following the case of Zahid Baloch. The state is committing a huge mistake by thinking it can cover up its crime by erasing the evidence and witnesses.
Zahid Baloch, started his political career from the platform of BSO in 2003. He was also elected as the zonal president of BSO Pajjar Karachi Zone in 2005, In 2006 when three groups of BSO merged, and council session was held in Shall, Zahid Baloch was elected as a member of the Central Committee of the BSO.
Zahid Baloch is a highly sincere and committed political activist of the Baloch national cause, he had the ability to work hard and get work done from his fellow comrades. In November 2008, at the Central National Council Session of BSO Azad which was held at Balochistan University Quetta, Zahid Baloch was elected as Central Secretary General of the organization.
Zahid Baloch was active in Karachi and other major cities, including Balochistan. Baloch students who were studying in educational institutions of Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and other major cities, were joining BSO Azad in droves at that time. BSO is an educational institution for Baloch students and regarded as a mother organization in the Baloch movement. Students in BSO receive academic training in their respective fields and in politics.
Meanwhile, speaking at a BSO Azad event at LUAWMS University Uthal, in February 2010, Zahid Baloch warned Baloch students that now the state will target Baloch students through it's proxy Death Squad. He realized well that the state would no longer tolerate them and their ideology, because this state is completely devoid of understanding the language of democracy, it just speaks and understands the language of aggression and barbarism.
This fear of Zahid Baloch soon came true and on 2nd March, 2010, State's sponsored Death Squad personnel attacked Baloch students at Khuzdar Engineering University and another attack also took place in Khuzdar. In both incidents, Four students belonging to BSO Azad were martyred while several others were injured. At that time, the state had started a crackdown on Baloch pro-liberation organizations. In a short span of time, mutilated bodies of several political workers were dumped and thrown by state.
Zakir Majeed Baloch, BSO Azad’s Ex vice chairman was abducted in June 2009 and he is still missing after 12 years. These atrocities did not end there. In the next few years, the state agencies and forces started targeting the central and zonal members of BSO Azad and dumping their bodies in the desert. This never-ending cycle of aggression and barbarism continues till day.
Zahid Baloch is a political activist, who believes in Democratic way of struggle, who has been the chairman of a democratic political Baloch students organization. Zahid Baloch had never taken up arms. He spoke for Baloch students' education and Baloch national rights in a democratic way. Someone can disagree with one’s political ideas or school of thought, but one’s thoughts and ideology can never be suppressed by force of arms.
For the recovery of Zahid Baloch, his organization BSO Azad used all the tools and methods of peaceful protest and demonstration. They went on a hunger strike for 46 days, staged protest rallies, and Banuk Karima Baloch was leading all the protests at that time. BSO Azad ended its hunger strike protest on the assurance of the national human rights organizations that they would take positive steps for the recovery of Zahid Baloch as soon as possible and that he would be brought out of the dungeon safely, but seven years later he is still missing and his whereabouts are still unknown.
Zahid Baloch’s disappearance has not been brought to light. International human rights organizations have also expressed concern over his life and urged Pakistani state and installation to bring him to court of justice as soon as possible, but the Pakistani state does not listen to international law and international bodies. And neither able to act.
Zahid Baloch has completed seven years of inhumane and illegal custody and enforced disappearance. His family is suffering severely, sometimes they can be seen in Quetta and sometimes in front of press clubs of Karachi and Islamabad protesting against his illegal abduction and demanding his immediate release. His father died last year exhausted by his son’s separation and grief, his mother is old aged and sick, his sons have been deprived of his father’s affection and love for seven years, should his wife still consider herself the wife of Zahid, or a widow?
She ask this question to the state of Pakistan, to respond her, so that they can be told whether Zahid is alive and will come back or whether he has been martyred in torture cell. The only demand of his family is that if Zahid is guilty, then the state should present him in the courts set up by themselves. If he is found guilty, should be punished, if not then for what undone sin he is custodian for seven years?
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