Thursday, November 2, 2017

#SaveBalochWomen - UNPO Strongly Condemns the Enforced Disappearance of Baloch Activists’ Families

On Monday 30 October 2017 at 12:30 PM, Pakistani Security Services raided a house in the Saryab area of Quetta city, in Pakistan. Baloch activist Dr Allah Nazeer Baloch’s wife and daughter, Fazeela and Popal, along with three other woman and children were all and taken into custody. In a separate incident on Saturday 28 October 2017, Muhammad Nawaz Atta, information secretary for Baloch Human Rights Organization and eight other students and children were taken into custody. Since the enforced disappearances, no information on their well-being has been heard. UNPO unequivocally condemns this crackdown and calls for their immediate release.
Fazeela Baloch was in Quetta for spinal surgery and treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following an aerial attack by Pakistan’s military in Awaran a few years ago when the raid on Monday happened. Her daughter and three other women as well as their children were also taken away during the raid and since, there has been no further information regarding their safety or wellbeing. UNPO voices its grave concern for the health conditions of those taken.
The government has confirmed three women in their custody, yet refuses to release their identity until after thorough investigations are done. The spokesman of the Pakistani government in Balochistan, Anwar Kakar, told BBC Urdu that the women were taken into custody from concerns of their affiliation with banned Balochi organizations. He further stated that they were in custody in Chaman, a town near the Afghanistan border.
In a separate incident, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan has stated that the information secretary of the Baloch Human Rights Organization, Nawaz Muhammad Atta, was taken in Karachi by Sindhi Rangers. According to the BHRO, his house was entered without warrant where his family encountered physical violence during which he was blindfolded and taken away. During the same night but in different properties, eight other teenagers and children belonging to the extended family of Mr Atta were taken as well. Since their disappearance, there has been no news regarding their whereabouts or wellbeing.
Following these incidents, the World Baloch Organization (WBO), the Baloch National Movement, the Baloch Human Rights Organization, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan and many other Baloch organizations have called on the United Nations, the American Government and others in the international human rights community to condemn the ongoing kidnapping and enforced disappearances occurring in Balochistan at the hands of the Pakistani government. UNPO reiterates its support for the Balochi peaceful struggle for self-determination, condemns these recent events and calls on the Pakistani government to immediately release all those who have disappeared. 
http://unpo.org/article/20431

#SaveBalochWomen - Balochistan: Sindh Rangers abduct eight Baloch IDPs including a woman and children

Pakistani security forces from Sindh Rangers have abducted at least eight Baloch Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) including and woman and six children from Kacha region of Sindh on Monday (31/10/2017).
According to details the Sindh Rangers and Pakistan intelligence agencies carried out a joint raid on the house of Sohnra Bugti son of Zahro Bugti, an IDP from Dera Bugti, and abducted his wife, his 12-year-old son Riaz and five other children.
It is pertinent to mention that Pakistani forces had already abducted partially blind Zahro Bugti (father of Sohnra Bugti) …

http://balochwarna.com/

بلوچ خواتین آخر کہاں سے گرفتار کی گئیں؟


بلوچستان گمشدہ افراد کی بازیابی کے لیے مظاہرہتصویر کے کاپی رائٹGETTY IMAGES
Image captionحکومت نے سینیٹ میں تسلیم کیا کہ بلوچستان میں گذشتہ دنوں گرفتار کی جانے والی تین خواتین سکیورٹی اداروں کی حراست میں ہیں
پاکستان کے صوبہ بلوچستان سے تعلق رکھنے والے علیحدگی پسند رہنما ڈاکٹر اللہ نذر بلوچ کی اہلیہ اور بچوں سمیت دیگر خواتین کی گرفتاری کی خبر کو اگرچہ مقامی الیکٹرانک اور پرنٹ میڈیا میں کوئی جگہ نہیں ملی لیکن یہ سوشل میڈیا پر زیر بحث اہم موضوعات میں شامل رہی۔
بلوچ قوم پرست تنظیموں اور حلقوں کی جانب سے یہ الزام بھی عائد کیا گیا ہے کہ ایک اور گوریلا کمانڈر اسلم بلوچ کی ہمشیرہ اور ان کے بچوں کو بھی حراست میں لیا گیا ہے۔
حکومت نے تین خواتین کی گرفتاری کی تصدیق تو کی ہے لیکن حکومت بلوچستان کے ترجمان کے مطابق ان خواتین کو افغانستان سے متصل سرحدی شہر چمن سے گرفتار کیا گیا۔
ادھر علیحدگی پسند گروہوں، قوم پرستوں اور سوشل میڈیا کارکنوں کا کہنا ہے کہ انھیں کوئٹہ سے حراست میں لیا گیا ہے۔
ان خواتین کو کالعدم تنظیموں سے تعلق کے شبہے میں گرفتار کرنے کے بارے میں بتایا گیا لیکن تاحال ان کی شناخت کے بارے میں معلومات فراہم نہیں کی گئیں۔
حکام کے مطابق یہ خواتین ایک گاڑی میں سرحد پار کر کے افغانستان جانا چاہتی تھیں۔
دوسری جانب بدھ کو حکومت نے سینیٹ میں تسلیم کیا کہ بلوچستان میں گذشتہ دنوں گرفتار کی جانے والی تین خواتین سکیورٹی اداروں کی حراست میں ہیں۔
تاہم حزب اختلاف کے سینیٹروں نے اس جواب کو ناکافی اور ان کی فوری رہائی کا حکم نہ دینے پر اجلاس سے احتجاجاً واک آؤٹ کیا۔
بلوچستان نیشنل پارٹی (ایم) کے سینیٹر ڈاکٹر جہانزیب جمالدینی، پیپلز پارٹی کے فرحت اللہ بابر، پختونخوا ملی عوامی پارٹی کے محمد عثمان کاکڑ اور سردار محمد اعظم خان موسیٰ خیل نے مشترکہ توجہ دلاؤ نوٹس میں ایوان میں خواتین اور تین بچوں کی گمشدگی کا معاملہ اٹھایا۔
وزیر مملکت برائے داخلہ طلال چوہدری نے ایوان کو بتایا کہ انھوں نے ان خواتین اور بچوں کے بارے میں تازہ ترین صورتحال جاننے کے لیے بدھ کو بلوچستان کے چیف سیکریٹری، ڈی آئی جی کوئٹہ اور آواران کے ڈی پی او سے بات کر کے معلومات لی ہیں۔
ان کے مطابق یہ خواتین غیرقانونی طور پر چمن کے راستے افغانستان جانا چاہتی تھیں۔ ان کا کہنا تھا کہ اگر ایوان کو مزید معلومات کے لیے انھیں وقت دے تو وہ مزید معلومات حاصل ہونے پر ایوان کے سامنے رکھ سکتے ہیں۔
حراست میں لی جانے والی خواتین کی شناخت کے بارے میں تاحال نہ بتانے کی وجہ سے یہ معلوم نہیں ہو سکا کہ ان خواتین کا تعلق ڈاکٹر اللہ نذر بلوچ یا اسلم بلوچ کے خاندان سے ہے۔ تاہم اس سے فوری طور پر یہ تاثر ابھرا ہے کہ یہ ڈاکٹر اللہ نذر بلوچ کے خاندان کے لوگ ہیں۔
لیکن قوم پرست جماعتوں کے علاوہ سوشل میڈیا پر یہ کہا جا رہا ہے کہ ڈاکٹر اللہ نذر بلوچ کی اہلیہ فضیلہ بلوچ اور ان کے بچوں کو کوئٹہ شہر سے مبینہ طور پر حراست میں لیا گیا۔
قوم پرست جماعت بلوچ رپبلکن پارٹی کی جانب سے ڈاکٹر اللہ نذر بلوچ کی اہلیہ کی ایک تصویر بھی جاری کی گئی ہے۔
اس تصویر میں وہ بظاہر ایک ہسپتال میں زیر علاج دکھائی دے رہی ہیں۔
اگرچہ یہ نہیں بتایا جا رہا ہے کہ فضیلہ بلوچ کب کوئٹہ آئیں، لیکن یہ کہا جارہا ہے کہ ان کو کوئٹہ شہر میں سریاب کے علاقے سے گرفتار کیا گیا۔
قوم پرست جماعت بلوچ نیشنل موومنٹ (بی این ایم) کا کہنا ہے کہ فضیلہ کو ان کی بیٹی پوپل جان سمیت تین دیگر خواتین اور چھ بچوں کو 30 اکتوبر کو اٹھایا گیا۔
مظاہرہ
Image captionحکومت بلوچستان کے ترجمان کے مطابق ان خواتین کو افغانستان سے متصل سرحدی شہر چمن سے گرفتار کیا گیا
بی این ایم کے چیئرمین خلیل بلوچ کے مطابق ان میں بلوچ قوم پرست رہنما اسلم بلوچ کی ہمشیرہ اور ان کے چار بچے بھی شامل ہیں۔
خلیل بلوچ نے چمن سے ان خواتین کی گرفتاری کے بارے میں سرکاری موقف کو رد کرتے ہوئے اسے سرکاری پروپیگنڈا قرار دیا۔ انھوں نے کہا کہ بلوچ خواتین کو چمن یا افغانستان جاتے ہوئے نہیں بلکہ کوئٹہ میں سریاب روڈ سے اسلم بلوچ کی ہمشیرہ کے گھر سے اٹھایا گیا۔
خلیل بلوچ نے کہا کہ ڈاکٹر اللہ نذر کی اہلیہ ایک فوجی آپریشن میں زخمی ہوئی تھیں جس کے بعد ان کی کمر کا آپریشن ہوا تھا جو ناکام رہا۔ ان کا کہنا ہے کہ وہ علاج کی غرض سے کوئٹہ میں موجود تھیں۔
بلوچستان سے لاپتہ افراد کے رشتہ داروں کی تنظیم وائس فار مسنگ بلوچ پرسنز کے چیئرمین نصراللہ بلوچ نے کوئٹہ میں ایک پریس کانفرنس سے خطاب کرتے ہوئے ان خواتین اور بچوں کو فوری طور پر منظر عام پر لانے کا مطالبہ کیا۔
گذشتہ روز ان خواتین اور بچوں کی بازیابی کے لیے احتجاجی مظاہرہ بھی کیا گیا تھا۔

Bilawal lashes out for holding back Sindh Zakat funds



Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday lashed out at federal government for holding back over 2-3 billion rupees funds of the Sindh Zakat Council since the last three months without any reason. 
“This ugly act is tantamount to depriving province’s 90,000 Zakat beneficiaries who are looking for what is due from the society and is collected and stashed into federal government accounts,” said Bilawal during a meeting with Sindh Zakat Council chairman Justice (retired) Zahid Qurban Alvi and Karachi chairman Khalid Lateef.
The Sindh Zakat Council delegation apprised about the council’s reformation process and the work being carried out by it. Bilawal suggested that the council should encourage and support mass weddings.
He said that the Sindh government would support the contributions for each couple. He also stressed that number of Zakat beneficiaries and the support amount should be gradually increased.

https://arynews.tv/en/bilawal-lashes-holding-back-sindh-zakat-funds/

Bilawal Bhutto strongly condemned increase in prices of petroleum products

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has strongly condemned the recent increase in the prices of petroleum products. “Everyone is going to be adversely affected by the petrol-bomb,” a statement issued Wednesday quoting the PPP chairman as saying. Bilawal said that PML-N government was pursuing ‘casino economy’ while poor were being squeezed and prices of the utilities had gone through the roof. The PPP chairman demanded immediate withdrawal of the price hike and threatened public protests otherwise. He said that rulers had dragged masses into a slew of debts and urged people it was time to rise-up. 

Meanwhile, Bilawal extended his heartiest congratulations to newly elected office-bearers of the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) on Wednesday.

In a message to newly-elected PBA President Mian Amir Mahmood, General Secretary Mir Ibrahimur Rehman and others, the PPP chairman hoped that the new body would work for freedom of the media. He said that the PPP had always fought for freedom of expression. Assuring complete support of the PPP, he hoped that new body would also play an active role in strengthening of democracy and democratic institutions. Separately, the PPP chairman Wednesday congratulated the newly elected office-bearers of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA). 

Bilawal expressed hope that the new SCBA body would struggle for supremacy of the constitution and law to strengthen democracy and parliament.


http://paktribune.com/news/Bilawal-Bhutto-strongly-condemned-increase-in-prices-of-petroleum-products-279774.html

Clampdown on free speech has deadly consequences in Pakistan

Journalists embraced extremely hard times in Pakistan — a country where peace largely returns after around a decade’s long war against terrorism. 
My colleague, Ahmad Noorani, who survived a murder attempt last week is one of 271 working journalists since 1997 while more than 127 Pakistani journalists have been killed in line of duty by the unknown attackers during this period. Unfortunately, only some two dozen cases have been proceeding in different courts for years in Pakistan which ranks at 139 out of 180 countries. More than 46 Pakistani journalists left the country and now seeking asylums in different parts of the world. Today is Mr Noorani. Who would be the next?
Journalists stopped reporting in Balochistan after militant groups attacked many of them; some of them left their homes, as it has become most dangerous place for working journalists after the tribal areas. 
As ‘International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is observed today, Pakistani journalists have yet to know who killed Wali Khan Babar, Saleem Shehzad, Musa Khankhail and who attacked Hamid Mir, Umar Cheema, Raza Rumi, Matiullah Jan, Azaz Syed and this list goes on. Such attacks still remain a mystery. 
The data, this scribe collected so far from different sources, Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters without Borders in particular, more than 1, 610 journalists have been killed around the world since 1992.
Syria topped the list with around 235 journalists killed; Iraq was second with around 211, following Pakistan with 127.   Working journalists have been targeted by the militant groups in Balochistan, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other extremist groups since 2002. Baloch militant groups and TTP have also publicly taken responsibility for the deaths of several journalists. 
 Many commissions and committees were formed by the government to probe attacks on journalists, even the country’s top court took up this issue, but unfortunately outcome remained “Zero”.

Pakistan Journalists Cite Growing Threats From Government, Militants Alike

Journalists in Pakistan say they are facing increasing risks ranging from the government's expanding control over social media to extremist threats that have spread from long-volatile regions to the streets of the capital.
The latest attack left a journalist badly beaten on a street in Islamabad. Earlier this year, security agencies picked up several bloggers from urban centers who said after their release that they had been tortured and humiliated.
Threats to reporters have long been a problem in volatile Baluchistan and the tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan, but the recent incidents have reinforced complaints by media groups that the danger is spreading to the nation's heartland.
The victim of the beating in Islamabad was Ahmad Noorani, a senior reporter for the influential Daily News newspaper, who previously had been warned to close his Twitter account after criticizing the powerful military. The attack attracted widespread condemnation on social media, where many posts blamed Pakistan's intelligence agencies for the attack.
Other journalists have been charged with violating the country's vague Anti-Terrorism Act, which defines terrorism as creating "a sense of fear or insecurity in society." Critics say it has broad potential for abuse.
Several bloggers critical of the government or the military have vanished for weeks, later saying they had been kidnapped by the intelligence services.
Popular blogger Asim Saeed was snatched by unknown men earlier this year. He told the BBC in an interview last week that he was picked up by Pakistan intelligence agencies and tortured during his detention.
FILE - Members of civil society hold a banner with pictures of missing rights activists, Waqas Goraya, Salman Haider, and Asim Saeed, during a demonstration to condemn the missing human rights activists, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Jan. 10, 2017.
FILE - Members of civil society hold a banner with pictures of missing rights activists, Waqas Goraya, Salman Haider, and Asim Saeed, during a demonstration to condemn the missing human rights activists, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Jan. 10, 2017.
Digital media rights activists, meanwhile, are warning that Pakistan is attempting to cut back on internet freedom.
"In my opinion, the government is terrifying the social media activists," Usama Khilji, director of the internet freedom organization Bolo Bhi, told VOA's Deewa service. "Social media is a democratic medium where people can express their thoughts without any restrictions. However, it has been observed, when people share their thoughts, the government feels insecure."
Anwar Iqbal, a Washington-based senior journalist and correspondent for the leading English-language newspaper Daily Dawn, agreed.
"The Pakistani state feels vulnerable in the presence of growing social media and wants to stifle the discourse on topics it considers sensitive," he said.
The state does not want media to discuss sensitive issues like relations with the U.S., China, Afghanistan and India, Iqbal said, particularly in light of President Donald Trump's new policy for the region calling for Islamabad to crack down on terrorist safe havens.
Reports from watchdog groups
Human Rights Watch's 2016 report said media were being deterred from reporting on or criticizing human rights violations by the security services.
"Many journalists increasingly practiced self-censorship, fearing retribution from both state security forces and militant groups. Media outlets remained under pressure to avoid reporting on or criticizing human rights violations by the military in counterterrorism operations," the report said.
Reporters Without Borders, a global media watchdog, in its annual report this year, ranked Pakistan 139 of 180 countries on its Press Freedom Index, despite its reputation having one of the most free media environments in Asia. The report says the nation's media "are targeted by extremist groups, Islamist organizations, and the feared intelligence agencies" — all of which are on the group's list of "Predators of Press Freedom."
Even when the threats come from extremist groups, journalists say, the government has done little to pursue the perpetrators.
But Interior Minister Talal Chaudry defended the government's actions, suggesting the reporters should be doing more to protect themselves.
"We have included insurance for journalists in the journalists 'protection bill," he said. "Sometimes, journalists are not trained or not properly equipped, and that is why they become victims of violence. We understand journalists are sometimes victims of violence, and that is why we are bringing a comprehensive bill for working journalists in the parliament."
Journalists: Situation worsening
But many journalists say things are getting worse. A recent cybercrime bill has become a vehicle for curbing media freedom, allowing the government to censor digital content, criminalize internet user activity and access bloggers' data without judicial review. Media defenders say the country's blasphemy laws also are being used to cut off public debate.
"We have laws in place for social media, but it's not being controlled," Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Yousef told Deewa when asked how the government can avoid the blasphemy law from being misused against social media.
Such problems are longstanding in Pakistan's troubled southwestern Baluchistan province, where newspapers have been shut down and newsstands shuttered for more than a week amid threats from militant groups claiming the local media are too supportive of the central government.
"The resistance [militant] groups are calling on boycotting all media houses, threatening press offices and journalists," Behram Baloch, who is now working from home, told VOA. "To address this issue, we held a meeting here at the press club. We decided to suspend our activities for a while, and press club will remain closed. Our movement is limited, and many of our colleagues have left their jobs."
Militants from separatist groups, banned by the state, threw a hand grenade at an office of a newspaper agency in Turbat, Baluchistan, injuring eight people.
"Journalists as well as the Newspaper Editors Council received threats. As a result, our workers were forced not to leave their homes. They include press workers and hawkers. We were, thus, unable to pick up newspapers [for delivery]," said Mir Ahmed, general secretary of the Newspapers Wholesalers Association.
"Life and death are in the hands of God."
https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-journalists-growing-threats-government-militants/4095963.html

Pakistan - Crimes against journalists shouldn’t go unpunished: Bilawal Bhutto

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has stressed that crimes against journalist community shouldn’t go unpunished worldwide, including Pakistan and called for special initiatives to “End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists,” United Nations is observing an International Day for on Thursday.
The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is a UN-recognized day observed annually on 2 November.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, whose mother former Prime Minister Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto had thrown away draconian laws imposed press media by dictatorship in 1988, said his Party always works for creating an environment where working and professional journalists feel a complete sense of security.
“PPP leadership has been the target of a multi-million dollars and worst media trial in the history by opponents. But we always stood by freedom of media because of the foresightedness of our democratic founders,” he added.
He said that PPP has always condemned every act of intimidation, torture, victimization and murders of journalists all over the world and in Pakistan.
On the eve of International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pledged that his Party would remain in struggle for full protection to the journalists and punishment to the perpetrators of crimes against the journalists.

http://www.thesindhtimes.com/sindh/crimes-journalists-shouldnt-go-unpunished-bilawal-bhutto-zardari/

Bilawal Bhutto's message on International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists #EndImpunity

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has stressed that crimes against journalist community shouldn’t go unpunished worldwide, including Pakistan and called for special initiatives to “End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists,” United Nations is observing an International Day for on Thursday.
The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is a UN-recognized day observed annually on 2 November.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, whose mother former Prime Minister Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto had thrown away draconian laws imposed press media by dictatorship in 1988, said his Party always works for creating an environment where working and professional journalists feel a complete sense of security.
“PPP leadership has been the target of a multi-million dollars and worst media trial in the history by opponents. But we always stood by freedom of media because of the foresightedness of our democratic founders,” he added.
He said that PPP has always condemned every act of intimidation, torture, victimization and murders of journalists all over the world and in Pakistan.
On the eve of International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pledged that his Party would remain in struggle for full protection to the journalists and punishment to the perpetrators of crimes against the journalists.

https://mediacellppp.wordpress.com/2017/11/01/bilawal-bhutto-zardaris-message-on-international-day-to-end-impunity-for-crimes-against-journalists-endimpunity/