Pakistan: Balochistan administration declines to hand over bodies of 14 people to kin

Balochistan [Pakistan], February 2 (ANI): Despite huge protests by people in Balochistan against torture and atrocities, the provincial administration in Pakistan has refused to hand over the bodies of 14 people to their families, the Balochistan Post reported.

The bodies of 14 people have been kept in the civil hospital of Quetta, but the authorities are not handing over the bodies to their families.

The report stated that the sister-in-law of Salal Akbar (one of the deceased) from Paroom had been waiting to receive the body of Akbar. However, the administration did not hand over the body to his relatives.

The provincial administration also deployed a huge contingent of force to “harass” the waiting relatives, the report added.

The entire incident comes as the Vice Chairman of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons Mama Qadeer Baloch, National Party leader, Mama Ghaffar, and other family members of the deceased were present at the scene.

Balochistan recently witnessed several protests, sit-ins, and demonstrations by the general public against the levying of heavy taxes, revocation of wheat subsidies and massive load shedding in the area.

The struggle of the Baloch community has also been supported by activists from other provinces of Pakistan. Recently, political activists from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Gilgit Baltistan (GB) showed their solidarity with the Baloch while participating in a protest organized by the Baloch women.

During the protest, Baba Jaan, a political activist from Gilgit Baltistan in PoK region said, “It is noticeable that Pakistan has entered a huge disaster and yet the luxurious lifestyle of big political leaders is not coming to an end. Even during the county’s deteriorating financial condition, they intend to purchase luxurious cars, make bungalows for themselves, and exploit our natural resources for themselves but even then they are not satisfied”.

Another political activist Tahira Toqeer from PoK said, “For the last 75 years, the people of PoK have also been under the suppression of the Pakistani regime. Time and time again we have told the regime to stop their suppression of the people of PoK. But I want to support these daughters of Balochistan who have given us the strength and honor to stand with them in their protest against the oppressive regime of Pakistan”.

“There are several victims of Pakistani oppression in this protest. Several mothers and wives have lost their husbands and children, and there are children here who do not know whether they are orphaned yet or not. As they don’t know whether their parents will return from the Pakistani torture prisons alive,” he added.