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Balochistan human rights activist and Pak establishment critic Karima Baloch found dead in Toronto, Trudeau maintains stoic silence

December 22, 2020
The Commune

Anti-Pakistani activist Karima Baloch who was vocal about the atrocities and human rights abuses committed by Pakistan establishment in Balochistan has been found dead in Toronto Canada, according to Balochistan Post.

Karima entered Canada as a refugee from Pakistan and was named as one of the world’s 100 most “inspirational and influential” women in 2016 by the BBC.

On Sunday, December (20), Karima was reported missing and the Toronto Police had requested for public assistance in locating her. However, later her family confirmed that Karima’s body has been found.

Canadain Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has not spoken about this incident who had recently gone out of his way to comment on internal affairs of India. It is noteworthy to mention that Trudeau’s cabinet has Khalistani sympathizers and quite often resort to posturing against India to appease Sikh vote bank in Canada.  

Balochistan Post said that the sudden death of the activist has raised serious concern because another Baloch dissident, journalist Sajid Hussain was found dead in May under mysterious circumstances in Sweden. 

Karima Baloch was one of the pioneer women activists in Balochistan and had raised the issue of Balochistan in the United Nations sessions in Switzerland much to the dismay of Pakistan.

In 2019 interview, she accused Pakistan of systematically stealing the natural resources of Balochistan and the elimination of her people. Historically Balochistan has always had important geostrategic importance and with its huge untapped natural resource reserves, it became a perfect target for exploitation.

For the last seventy years, the natural resources of Balochistan have been usurped by Pakistan without giving any benefit to the local population. Pakistan has now joined forces with China under the umbrella of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to plunder the mineral rich region at industrial scale. 

Dissidents and critics of the Pakistan military, who are living in exile are often targeted with many living under constant fear both within and outside Balochistan. However, their anguish is well-founded because there is enough evidence of the Pakistani military indulging in human rights violations including abducting, extrajudicial killings of detainees and running of rape camps.

The most effective way for the Pakistan military to reach anyone who protests against them is by targeting the female members of the family. Once in custody, the women in the family are subjected to rape or eliminated leaving no choice. 

Pakistan military is also accused of running para-military death squads and non-state actors in the form of Islamic terror groups founded by the military to carry killings and to subjugate Baloch civilians.

At present, thousands of Baloch political activists are compelled to seek asylum in European counties and most of them are journalists and human rights activists.