Mr. Gordon Brown
Prime Minister of Great Britain
10 Downing Street
London SW1A-2AA
Subject: Appeal for British Intervention in Balochistan
Dear Mr. Prime Minister,
We would like to draw your attention to the cold-blooded murders of Baloch
political activists Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Sher Mohammad Baloch and Lala Muneer
Baloch by the Pakistani Military Intelligence Agency (MI). They were picked up
by the members of Military Intelligence on 3rd April, 2009 from the office of
their solicitor in Turbat, Balochistan. The Baloch leaders were blind folded and
taken to an unknown destination. They were tortured whist under military
detention. Next day they were shot and their dead bodies were thrown from a
military helicopter 20 miles away from Turbat.
Ghulam Mohammad, Sher Mohammad and Lala Muneer were among the well-known
nationalist political leaders in Balochistan and have worked steadfastly at the
forefront of the political mobilization for the genuine rights of the Baloch
people. During 2007, they were arrested by the security agencies, tortured, kept
in solitary confinement for long period before being released.
Your Excellency,
Balochistan is under a brutal military operation for the last five years in
which thousands of innocent men, women and children have been mercilessly
killed, hundreds of thousands have been displaced and thousands are missing. A
large number of prominent Baloch social, intellectual and political figures has
been targeted and eliminated by the state security agencies of Pakistan. The
state establishment of Pakistan has always remained very keen to silence the
voice of reason raised for the lawful rights of the Baloch people.
Crude military force has been the only mode of action adopted by almost every
Pakistani Government in dealing with the Baloch demand for national rights.
Extra judicial killings of the Baloch by the army, paramilitary and state
intelligence agencies, harassment, kidnapping and inhuman torture of the Baloch
political activists and intellectuals during the sustained military campaigns
have been permanent features of the state and Baloch conflict. Graphic details
of human rights violation in Balochistan have been published by different
non-governmental organizations and international humanitarian institutions
including some British based organizations.
Mr. Prime Minister,
Keeping in mind the extensive links of this country with the Pakistani State
Establishment, we believe that the British government is well aware of the
heinous
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crimes being committed by the Pakistani State Machinery in Balochistan. As the
British Government was the major player in the creation of Pakistan and the
subsequent occupation of Balochistan by Pakistan, it becomes the moral
obligation of the British Government and the people to take serious note of the
situation in Balochistan. For the Baloch, in the face of heinous crimes being
committed by the Pakistani security forces in Balochistan, the silence of
British Government is incomprehensible. We believe that no individual or state
should be above International Law. Those who are responsible for grave violation
of human rights must be held accountable in all circumstances.
The Baloch are facing systematic genocide. They need urgent help from the
civilized and democratic world. We hope that the honorable Prime Minister may
kindly take a personal interest in pushing for a thorough and independent
international investigation into the cold-blooded murder of the Baloch
nationalist leaders and other serious abuses of international human rights by
the Pakistani Army in Balochistan.
We appeal to your government to use its influence for the stationing of an
international peacekeeping force in Balochistan to save a whole nation from
being systematically wiped out.
We also appeal to you to use your personal influence to bring to justice the
perpetrators of these crimes against humanity by initiating cases against them
in the international court of justice in The Hague.
With profound regards,
Yours faithfully,
Baloch Human Rights Council
Info_bhrc@yahoo.co.uk
London 19 April 2009