Pakistani army abducting people across Balochistan in crackdown to avenge attacks

New Delhi, Feb 11: Pakistan has launched a massive crackdown on Baloch people after a series of daring attacks on its border forces that killed scores of troops. Media reports say that over a dozen people have been abducted by forces in just three days from across the province.

In one of the latest abductions, Pakistani security forces reportedly took away four youngsters from Panjgur and Quetta and moved them to unknown locations. The Balochistan Post says that their whereabouts are not known.

In another incident, the newspaper says that the Pakistani forces raided the house of Haji Nisar Sarparra and took away his son Haroon Waleed Sarparra. "It is pertinent to mention that the Pakistani forces have reportedly apprehended more than ten individuals from the Sarparra family during several raids in Mastung, Nushki and Quetta. All of them remain missing to this day", reported the newspaper.

The arrested people include former soldiers, students and people who have been critical of the Pakistani government and the military. Among the people arrested includes Nazeer Rehmat, the brother of the General Secretary of Baloch Students Organization, Mama Azeem Baloch.

Geopolitical analyst and Pakistan watcher Mark Kinra told India Narrative: "Pakistan Army's reaction of abducting Baloch nations was expected as a consequence of the massive attacks on the Panjgur and Noshki FC camps. "On the other hand, the Baloch also would have anticipated and prepared themselves for these reactions considering decades of enforced disappearances. Such reactions will only seek to bolster Baloch freedom struggle".

In Khuzdar too, the forces detained Hafeez Baloch, a final-year MPhil student in the Physics Department of the Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad.

Kinra adds: "These arrests will not deter Baloch nationalist organisations from carrying out attacks in various parts of Balochistan including on check posts of the Pakistani Army. Pakistan PM Imran is raising salaries of Frontier Corps and Rangers by 15 per cent, as they guard most of the border areas and are the first targets of Baloch fighters. This increase in salaries shows that Pakistan is trying to keep up the morale of its soldiers who are otherwise being used as fodder by the establishment, considering that Pakistan is not looking for a solution to its Baloch problem".