Requesting the United Nations to intervene in the mysterious death of Baloch activist Karima Baloch in Toronto, Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC) in a letter has said that Pakistan has "responded violently to the genuine demands of the Baloch people".
In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Naseer Dashti, BHRC Executive President, wrote, "Her family and political friends believe that Pakist secret agencies are involved in the death of Karima Mehrab and have rejected the initial report of the Toronto police."
"Taking into consideration the track record of human rights violations by Pakist secret services and the threat of many high-level military personalities including a former commander-in-chief of the Pakist army, to eliminate those dissidents who have taken refuge in western countries, we are requesting that you should kindly take personal initiative to ask Canadian authorities for conducting a thorough investigation taking into account the context in which Karima Baloch had fled Pakistan. We will be grateful if a United Nation committee could take the matter into its consideration," the letter said.
The Council further informed Guterres that with regard to human rights violations, Pakistan has not limited itself to "socio-economic exploitation, destruction of the language, culture, enforced disappearances, and physical elimination of the Baloch in Balochistan" but has expanded "its activities outside Pakistan".
"We strongly feel that Pakistan is behind the mysterious deaths of many Baloch activists who have taken refuge in Europe and North America," they highlighted.While requesting intervention by Guterres, BHRC said that despite "repeated calls by the Baloch political parties and human rights orgzations" to the UN, no "mengful action" has been taken against Pakistan to force it "to change its course of actions to spare innocent civilians and dissidents from this violence".
"Due to this indifference, the innocent Baloch civilians in general and the Baloch socio-political workers and human rights defenders continue to be targeted inside and outside Balochistan with impunity," the Council added.
Over 50 activists, journalists and intellectuals from all around the world have expressed concern over the mysterious death of exiled Baloch activist Karima Baloch in Toronto and urged Canadian authorities to initiate a "high-level and thorough investigation" in the matter.
In a statement, Justice for Karima Baloch Collective, a collective of activists, journalists academics, intellectuals and concerned citizens, said that Baloch's "mysterious death is alarming" because it is not the first one this year.
Karima Baloch's dead body was found in Ontario Lake Toronto harbour front last Monday morning after being missing since Sunday afternoon.
( With inputs from ANI )
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