HRCP aghast at the extrajudicial killings of three Baloch nationalists

Commission says it has credible information about killing of three Baloch whose bodies were found in Turbat* Says victims were forcibly picked up from lawyer’s office after a court hearingLAHORE: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has credible information about the killing of Baloch nationalists by the security forces, a statement issued be the commission claimed on Thursday.The killing was a dangerous provocation and a grave violation of human rights, HRCP said, adding that Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Lala Munir and Sher Mohammad – office holders of the Baloch Republican Party and the Balochistan National Party – were picked on April 3 by people in plain clothes, who were accompanied by two vehicles of the Frontier Corps that stood at a distance.Abduction: “It is reported by credible sources that the three victims were sitting in the office of their lawyer after having attended a court hearing when they were forcibly picked up, blindfolded and taken in cars, closely followed by vehicles belonging to the Frontier Corps. A number of people witnessed the abduction. Mutilated bodies of the three victims were found in an isolated place near Turbat in the early hours of the morning,” the statement said.HRCP claimed that members of the state security agency had picked up the three victims, tortured and killed them.Investigation: “HRCP is aghast at this brazen violation of human rights and calls upon the government to get this incident investigated thoroughly so that the perpetrators are brought to justice. It is crucial that the authorities condemn this act and warn the security forces from taking the law into their own hands. Persecution of Baloch nationalists must be stopped and the policy of hounding or maligning them through illegal means be abandoned by the authorities,” the statement read.HRCP said those involved in any criminal activity must be dealt with according to the law rather than through arbitrary and foul means. “It is imperative that the government set up a high level commission to identify those who indulged in involuntary disappearances, torture and extrajudicial killings of hundreds of Baloch activists during and after the Musharraf regime,” the statement said, adding that victims must be compensated and offenders identified and tried.It said HRCP warned that the free hand given to the security forces in Balochistan in violating the rights of Baloch nationalists would alienate the people of the province and escalate the level of violence there. “Political demands must be met with political solutions and not through brute force,” the statement said.http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009�410story_10-4-2009_pg7_3Press Release, April 9, 2009The killings, allegedly by the security forces, of Baloch Nationalists are a dangerous provocation and a grave violation of human rights. HRCP has credible information that Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Lala Munir and Sher Mohammad, office holders of Baloch Republican Party and Balochistan National Party, were picked up on 3rd April 2009 by people in plain clothes, who were accompanied by two vehicles of Frontier Corps that stood at a distance. It is reported by credible sources that the three victims were sitting in the office of their lawyer after having attended a court hearing when they were forcibly picked up, blindfolded and taken in cars, closely followed by vehicles belonging to the Frontier Corps. A number of people witnessed the abduction. Mutilated bodies of the three victims were found in an isolated place near Turbat in the early hours of the morning.The facts strongly suggest that members of state security picked up the three victims, tortured and killed them before dumping their dead bodies, which were discovered in a mutilated and decayed form. HRCP is aghast at this brazen violation of human rights and calls upon the government to get this incident thoroughly investigated so that the perpetrators are brought to justice. It is crucial that the authorities condemn this act and warn the security forces from taking the law into their own hands. Persecution of Baloch Nationalists must be stopped and the policy of hounding or maligning them through illegal means be abandoned by the authorities. Those involved in any criminal activities must be dealt with according to the law rather than through arbitrary and foul means. It is imperative that the government set up a high level Commission to identify those who indulged in involuntary disappearances, torture and extra judicial killings of hundreds of Baloch activists during and after the Musharraf regime. Victims must be compensated and offenders identified and brought to trial. HRCP warns that the free hand given to the security forces in Balochistan in violating the rights of Baloch nationalists will alienate the people of the Province and escalate the level of violence in the Province. Political demands must be met with political solutions and not through brute force.
Asma JahangirChairperson HRCP
http://www.hrcp-web.org/print.cfm?proId=698