Baloch Activist Mahrang Baloch Calls for Action on Enforced Disappearances in Balochistan
Baloch rights activist Mahrang Baloch has urged human rights organizations to take notice of the enforced disappearance of Baloch poet, Nadeem Bewas. Bewas was forcibly disappeared from Nasirabad, Balochistan, on August 26, 2024. Mahrang Baloch shared that his family still has no information about his whereabouts and called for human rights organizations to address his illegal abduction.
Earlier, Mahrang Baloch posted pictures of a woman holding photos of her brothers, who she claims were forcefully detained by Pakistani forces, demanding justice. She also called for the release of journalists Asif and Rasheed, who were forcibly disappeared.
On August 29, Mahrang Baloch expressed concerns about the mutilated bodies of enforced disappearance victims found in Balochistan, describing the situation as ‘deeply alarming.’ She accused the Pakistani state of forcibly disappearing people, holding them for years, and then killing them or discarding their mutilated bodies.
Mahrang Baloch, who organizes the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, praised the UN’s stance on forced disappearances of Baloch members. She highlighted the UN’s call for Pakistan to ratify the Convention against Enforced Disappearances and urged for more international pressure to address the issue.
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has called on Pakistan to investigate and prosecute reports of enforced disappearances involving politicians, public officials, human rights campaigners, and leaders of ethnic and ethnoreligious groups. Enforced disappearances remain a major issue in Balochistan, causing significant distress to the families of the disappeared.
Doubts Revealed
Baloch -: Baloch refers to people from Balochistan, a region in Pakistan. They have their own culture and language.
Mahrang Baloch -: Mahrang Baloch is a person who speaks up for the rights of Baloch people. She wants to help those who have gone missing.
Enforced Disappearances -: Enforced disappearances happen when people are taken away secretly by the government or other groups, and their families don’t know where they are.
Balochistan -: Balochistan is a province in Pakistan. It is known for its natural resources but also has many problems like people going missing.
Human Rights Organizations -: These are groups that work to make sure everyone is treated fairly and has their basic rights, like safety and freedom.
Nadeem Bewas -: Nadeem Bewas is a poet from Balochistan who has gone missing. People are worried about him and want to find him.
Nasirabad -: Nasirabad is a place in Balochistan where Nadeem Bewas was taken from.
UN -: UN stands for the United Nations, an international group that works to keep peace and help people around the world.
United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination -: This is a part of the UN that works to stop unfair treatment based on race. They want Pakistan to look into the missing people in Balochistan.
Prosecute -: To prosecute means to take legal action against someone who has done something wrong, like making people disappear.
