In which democracy (other than Pakistan) does one find an army equating an armed uprising by its own citizens as ‘war’? Rawalpindi’s gross mindset that “We don’t want any person to go missing but where there is a war, you have to do a number of (undesirable) things,” is reflected in its shameful act of ‘disappearing’ 54 Indian combatants who had been taken Prisoners of War during the 1971 Indo-Pak conflict.
But even during a full-scale war, which other army in the world sanctions the ‘enforced disappearance’ of soldiers or even civilians? Lastly, besides Pakistan’s military, which other civilised modern-day army follows the perverse ‘all is fair in love and war’ doctrine?
Whereas indiscriminate exploitation of Balochistan’s natural resources by Pakistan without caring for the welfare of its people has provided the Balochis a very strong ideological foundation to oppose Islamabad’s undemocratic practices, but it’s Pakistan army’s excesses against innocent Balochis and ill treatment of the womenfolk and children that has forced peace-loving Balochis to pick up guns.
The case of two young Balochis (Shahdad Baloch and Ehsan Baloch) who attained martyrdom on May 1 while fighting the Pakistan army shows how even industrious and well-educated youth are being compelled to abandon their academic pursuits and join the ‘armed struggle’ against the oppressive Pakistan army.
Shahdad was a diligent student, who after completing his Master’s Degree in Defence and Strategic Studies at Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad had enrolled in the MPhil program at the National Institute of Pakistan Studies. Though he did participate in university level political activities, he was a docile person by nature who abhorred violence and strongly believed that dialogue was the only way to resolve issues. Even though he had been abducted in 2015 and held in secret custody during which he was severely tortured by the ISI, Shahdad still did not turn to violence. But the continuing repression of Balochis forced him to join Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in 2019.
Ehsan too had completed his Master’s Degree in Gender Studies from QAU, Islamabad. In addition, he also held a Master’s Degree in English Literature from Turbat University, Kech, Balochistan and like Shahdad, he too was an assiduous student with no inclination towards violence.
But after realising that Islamabad wasn’t interested in talking to Balochis and believed in use of brute force through the army to intimidate the poor people of Balochistan, Ehsan too joined the BLA. Though both may have been martyred, but with highly educated boys like Shahdad and Ehsan joining BLA, Pakistan army’s big fat lie that rebel groups are recruiting gullible youth by emotionally blackmailing them and luring dregs of society by inducements, has once again been exposed!
Tailpiece:Human Rights Watch World Report 2019 (Pakistan) states, “During counterterrorism operations, Pakistani security forces often are responsible for serious human rights violations including torture, enforced disappearances, detention without charge, and extrajudicial killings, according to Pakistan human rights defenders and defense lawyers.
Counter-terrorism laws also continue to be misused as an instrument of political coercion. Authorities do not allow independent monitoring of trials in military courts and many defendants are denied the right to a fair trial.
Reference- indiadefencereview
But even during a full-scale war, which other army in the world sanctions the ‘enforced disappearance’ of soldiers or even civilians? Lastly, besides Pakistan’s military, which other civilised modern-day army follows the perverse ‘all is fair in love and war’ doctrine?
Whereas indiscriminate exploitation of Balochistan’s natural resources by Pakistan without caring for the welfare of its people has provided the Balochis a very strong ideological foundation to oppose Islamabad’s undemocratic practices, but it’s Pakistan army’s excesses against innocent Balochis and ill treatment of the womenfolk and children that has forced peace-loving Balochis to pick up guns.
The case of two young Balochis (Shahdad Baloch and Ehsan Baloch) who attained martyrdom on May 1 while fighting the Pakistan army shows how even industrious and well-educated youth are being compelled to abandon their academic pursuits and join the ‘armed struggle’ against the oppressive Pakistan army.
Shahdad was a diligent student, who after completing his Master’s Degree in Defence and Strategic Studies at Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad had enrolled in the MPhil program at the National Institute of Pakistan Studies. Though he did participate in university level political activities, he was a docile person by nature who abhorred violence and strongly believed that dialogue was the only way to resolve issues. Even though he had been abducted in 2015 and held in secret custody during which he was severely tortured by the ISI, Shahdad still did not turn to violence. But the continuing repression of Balochis forced him to join Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in 2019.
Ehsan too had completed his Master’s Degree in Gender Studies from QAU, Islamabad. In addition, he also held a Master’s Degree in English Literature from Turbat University, Kech, Balochistan and like Shahdad, he too was an assiduous student with no inclination towards violence.
But after realising that Islamabad wasn’t interested in talking to Balochis and believed in use of brute force through the army to intimidate the poor people of Balochistan, Ehsan too joined the BLA. Though both may have been martyred, but with highly educated boys like Shahdad and Ehsan joining BLA, Pakistan army’s big fat lie that rebel groups are recruiting gullible youth by emotionally blackmailing them and luring dregs of society by inducements, has once again been exposed!
Tailpiece:Human Rights Watch World Report 2019 (Pakistan) states, “During counterterrorism operations, Pakistani security forces often are responsible for serious human rights violations including torture, enforced disappearances, detention without charge, and extrajudicial killings, according to Pakistan human rights defenders and defense lawyers.
Counter-terrorism laws also continue to be misused as an instrument of political coercion. Authorities do not allow independent monitoring of trials in military courts and many defendants are denied the right to a fair trial.
Reference- indiadefencereview
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