Stifling the Dissent, Uncovering the proactive role of Pakistan  army in suppressing the strife

Goraya was abducted on January 4th, 2017 by the ISI and taken to a torture cell at Bedian Road. After 8 long days, he was transferred to Islamabad and on 24th day back to Lahore cantonment. But he was not the only one, many more fell victim of ISI’s vile attempts to disperse and in some cases even disappear.

Victim 2: Kiyya Baloch:

 

Baloch human rights activist and spokesperson of the Baloch Republican Party(BRP)— Kiyya Baloch has been living in exile in Norway for many years, campaigning for the rights of Baloch people from within and outside of Pakistan. He recently reported to Norwegian authorities that he had been receiving multiple threats from both Pakistan Army and as well as ISI. These threats have included physical violence as well as threats of imprisonment and even death.

The Norwegian government has responded to these threats by providing safety to Kiyya Baloch. They have also launched an investigation into the threats he has been receiving, and are working to ensure that those responsible, are held accountable.

 

Victim 3: Advocate Fazal Khan and his son:

Advocate Fazal Khan and his son: On December 16th, 2014, son of a renowned advocate and human right activist Fazal Khan lost his life in the horrendous Peshawar Army Public School(APS) massacre. Khan had been studying in APS since 2013, and was in school on the day of the attack, which killed 141 people, mostly students.

Mr. Khan had long been critical of the Pakistan Army and their tactics in the country's tribal areas. In the months or even weeks leading up to the attack, he had been receiving threats from the military, so much so that the UK police had even warned him that Pakistan Army was allegedly trying to take his son's life.Sadly, their fears were realized when his son was among 141 people killed in the horrific attack.

 

Victim 4 : Mashaal Khan:

 

The killing of Mashaal Khan, a 23 year-old student and activist, in April 2017 have become a symbol of the jingoist blasphemy campaign that is being carried out in the name of religion in Pakistan.

Khan was a student at Abdul Wali Khan University and an active member of the student union. Khan had held a number of debates on various topics, and had spoken explicitly about various issues concerning the country. His debates often challenged the status quo and the orthodox beliefs that are associated with Islam in Pakistan.

Khan's outspokenness and critical views were not taken well by the right-wing religious and political factions in the country. He was targeted by a vicious jingoist blasphemy campaign which ultimately led to his death. In April 2017, Khan was brutally murdered by students and sympathizers of the Pakistan Army at his University.

 

Victim 5: Ahmad Noorani:

 

 

 

Journalist Ahmed Noorani was attacked by the members of Pakistan Army. Noorani was reportedly attacked near Motorway Toll Plaza, on the outskirts of Islamabad. He was on his way to attend a press conference, when he was stopped and attacked by the men.

The Pakistan Army has denied any involvement in the attack, but many sources have reported that the attackers were dressed in military uniforms.

Noorani was the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Times, one of the most influential independent newspapers in Pakistan. He is known for his critical reporting on the government and military, and has often been targeted for his outspoken views.

 

Victim 6: Absar Alam:

On Saturday, October 24th, 2020, Pakistan based Journo and Chairman of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), Absar Alam, was attacked by Pakistan Army officials while on his way to work.
Alam was ambushed by two unknown assailants while driving through Islamabad. He was shot multiple times and underwent emergency surgery at a local hospital. According to eyewitnesses, the gunmen were seen wearing military fatigues and drove away in a white car. This attack came at a time when rising tensions between the government and media outlets increased. Journalists have long been harassed by the military and ISI in Pakistan. Back then PTI government was in power and was supported by the establishment.

 

 

Victim 7: Asad Ali Toor:

 

 

 

Asad Ali Toor: A prominent journalist in Pakistan, was attacked by Pakistan Army in Islamabad.

The incident began when Toor returned to his residence in the Federal Capital after covering an event for his program “Two Minutes Toor”. At around 10 pm, four unidentified men, believed to be from the Pakistan Army, knocked on his door and forced their way in. Toor was assaulted, his belongings were taken, and was hospitalized.

The attack was widely observed as an assault to the ‘freedom of speech’. In a country like Pakistan, where the media is heavily censored, the attack on Asad Ali Toor was a reminder that the press is not only threatened but also fearfully repressed.

 

Victim 8: Advocate Shafiq Ahmed:

 

 

Advocate Shafiq Ahmed, a prominent human rights lawyer in Pakistan, has been abducted and tortured by the Army. On June 6th, 2021, Advocate Shafiq Ahmed was reportedly taken away by unidentified persons in plainclothes and subsequently tortured.

The abduction and torture of Advocate Shafiq Ahmed has been met with widespread condemnation from various human rights organizations and activists all over the world. International groups such as Amnesty International have spoken out against the gross human rights violation and disregard for the rule of law in Pakistan.

Ahmed has been a vocal for the rights of the marginalized and oppressed in the country. He has taken numerous cases against the Pakistan government and the military. In 2020, he was the lawyer representing the family of Junaid Hafeez, a university lecturer who had been arrested on charges of blasphemy in 2013 and was later sentenced to death by a judiciary bench.

 

Victim 9: Matiullah Jan: 

A prominent journalist, who was in the news recently for losing his job and being allegedly abducted by security forces. He had been working for Waqt TV, a prominent news channel in the country, for more than a decade. But recently, the channel terminated his contract. This happened shortly after he aired a report criticizing the country’s military establishment. As a result, he was left jobless. Unsurprisingly, soon after the termination, he was allegedly abducted by military authorities on July 21, 2020.

 

Victim 10: Gul Bukhari:

On June 6, 2019, Gul Bukhari, a prominent human rights activist and journalist, was abducted and forced into exile in an incident that had sent shock-waves across the country. The incident has been attributed to the Pakistan Army’s notorious intelligence service i.e, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Bukhari, a dual Pakistani-British citizen, had been a vocal critic of the government and military’s actions in the country. She had written extensively about the controversial use of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and military operations in areas such as Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan.

On the night of her abduction, she was on her way to a television studio in Lahore for a talk show, but, never made it there. A few hours later, it was reported that she had been abducted by unidentified men.

 

Victim 11: Sajid Hussain 

On April 23rd, 2020, Swedish police confirmed the death of Baloch activist Sajid Hussain, who was found dead in a river in Uppsala, Sweden. Hussain had been missing since March 2nd, 2020 . He was a prominent Baloch activist and editor-in-chief of The Balochistan Times, an online magazine covering the issues pertaining to the Balochs. He was living in exile in Sweden due to his resistance to the Pakistan government and its notorious intelligence agency.

He had written several articles exposing the atrocities committed by the Pakistan military. Hussain was highly critical of the establishment and continued to raise human rights abuses in Balochistan. His articles had also highlighted the anecdotes of extrajudicial killings of Baloch activists and intellectuals by the establishment.

 

Victim 12: Karima Baloch

Karima Baloch was born in Balochistan in 1976 and graduated with a degree in social sciences from the University of Balochistan, Quetta. She was an active member of the Baloch Students Organisation (BSO) and was elected chairperson in 2003, where she made a name for herself as a prominent Baloch rights defender.

Karima was forced to flee Pakistan in 2016, after being threatened and harassed by the ISI for her activism. She sought asylum in Canada, where she continued to lead the fight for the Balochs. She was vocal on social media and regularly wrote articles on the plight of Baloch people but found murdered in Toronto, Canada on December 21st, 2020.

 

Victim 13: Arshad Sharif

 He had been a prominent journalist in Pakistan and was widely known for his work in exposing corruption and powerful figures in the country. He was particularly vocal against the military establishment in Pakistan. His death has strengthened the speculation that he may have been silenced for speaking out against the military's alleged involvement in unethical activities.

These are only a handful of stories who stood their grounds and faced dire consequences. Worse are those whose stories of strife and struggle did not even manage to come forth. We know so many fatal incidents where missing persons were murdered, political workers were abducted and tortured by ISI. We have seen plucked nails of political workers, activists sodomized by the ISI.

Stories of dauntless men like Bilal Ghauri often go unheard where army not only controls the individual but right to free speech and expression as well. And today we are witnessing journalists and politicians wishing the perpetrators good and bidding farewell instead of reminding them of their heinous crimes. Journalists and politicians should be found standing with the common citizens but they were found standing shoulder-to-shoulder with their tormentors, indifferent and ignorant of their wrongdoings.

 

Scrutinizing the above harrowing tales, we’re reminded of the recent incident where 500 dead bodies of Baloch and Pashtuns were found in Nishtar hospital in Multan.

Who is responsible for their death? Who is accountable for their missing organs?
Do they not deserve the right to live?