Pakistan imposes ban on Balochistan Human Rights Commission's website; exposes itself

In yet another act of suppressing the Baloch voices, Pakistani authorities have imposed an indefinite ban on the official website of Human Rights Commission of Balochistan. Quoting a local media agency, the Balochistan Post, news agency ANI said that the human rights group claims to be a non-profit organisation operating in the province. In an official statement, the Commission exhibited shock on this act and mentioned that they are a fair and unbiased "human rights organisation" and not "a party to the war in Balochistan."

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As per reports, the group has been actively working in Balochistan to collect information about the ongoing human rights abuses. They employed "a network of volunteers and supporters" that assemble and communicate information from the remotest corners of Balochistan, the media reported further.

As per The Balochistan Post news desk; authorities have banned the group's official website in Pakistan. If attempted to access, the website states that: "Surf Safely! The site you are trying to access contains content that is prohibited for viewership from within Pakistan."

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The Balochistan Post network is also banned in Pakistan. The subscribers to the media are obliged to use technical stratagem to bypass restrictions and access our websites - like using VPNs or online proxies. Some other media and human rights organisations are also banned in Pakistan.

Human rights violation in Balochistan

Talking tolocal news agency, a renowned activist from Balochistan on condition of anonymity said, "human rights abuses are mainstream in Balochistan. "Under the pretexts of "counter-insurgency" or "re-establishment of peace", security forces have executed uncountable misdeeds. Enforced disappearances are a major human rights issue in Balochistan. Despite the promising negotiations with the authorities, such disappearances continue unabated," he added.

"Baloch activists have also believed to be abducted from foreign countries, like Sweden or UAE. Such disappearances compelled Mama Qadeer Baloch - a renowned human rights activist from Balochistan - to break a world record by marching from Quetta to Islamabad. Mama Qadeer and his organization, Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), are protesting in front of the Quetta press club for the past ten years," the activist was quoted as saying.

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BLA bombs Paksitani army convoy

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) on May 9 claimed responsibility of bombing a convoy of Pakistani Army vehicles and motorcycles at Kallag, in the Tigran area of Kech District on Friday. A vehicle in the convoy was completely destroyed when it was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED) installed by the BLA, resulting in eliminating six Pakistani Army personnel including an army major and injuring several others, according to the BLA's statement.

"The Pakistani military has advanced operations in Tigran and other areas of Turbat over the past several days, targeting Baloch civilians, including harassing women and children," said BLA release.

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(inputs from ANI)