The Baloch American Congress (BAC) Sunday called upon U.S. Congressmen to help end the crimes against humanity being perpetrated by the Pakistan security forces in Balochistan.
“Pakistan security forces are carrying out unimaginable atrocities and war crimes against the hapless people of Balochistan, regardless of who is the civilian leader in Islamabad,” Dr. Tara Chand, president of the BAC, said in a letter to the leaders of the Tom Lantos commission, the leading human rights watchdog in the U.S. Congress.
“On Thursday a poor Baloch petty trader, who used to transport goods between two historically Baloch towns in from Pakistan and Afghanistan was summarily executed by Pakistan’s Frontier Corps. Hameed Ullah, 30, father of three young kids was shot dead by the soldiers of the Frontier Corps in the Nokundi area of Balochistan, close to the borders with Afghanistan and Iran. He used to ply his Zambad mini-truck in the no-man land between Pakistan and Afghanistan and Iran. The area is Balochistan— the land of the Baloch—, and Pakistani security forces are there illegally against the wishes of the Baloch people, to begin with.”
He said when the local people protested against the dastardly killing of the youth, the Frontier Corps opened fire on them leaving at least seven of the Baloch protesters injured.
He said there are reports that the security forces removed batteries from nearly 200 Zambad mini-trucks and put sand in their engines to lay them waste.
“Three of the drivers were reportedly killed as they walked through the desert in the scorching heat.”
Dr. Tara Chand said these actions of the Frontier Corps clearly fall under the U.N. definition of crimes against humanity.
Dr. Tara Chand asked the U.S. leaders to keep the solution to the national question of Balochistan on the top of their agenda with any talks with Pakistan leaders.
“Issues such as crimes against humanity and war crimes have always been a major concern for U.S. foreign policy. Balochistan should not be an exception,” the BAC chief said.
He said the area where Pakistan security forces carried out its atrocities is the same district where Pakistan carried out nuclear explosions against the wishes of the Baloch people in May May 1998.
He said this was not the first time such killings have happened in Balochistan.