Pakistani army rejects HRW report on disappearances in Baluchistan
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 29 July 2011 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Pakistani army rejects HRW report on disappearances in Baluchistan, 29 July 2011, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4e4a290dc.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
July 29, 2011
A Pakistani security officer searches a car at a checkpoint in Pishin, Baluchistan, in July 2011.
Pakistani Army officials have rejected a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report on enforced disappearances in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal reports.
New York-based HRW alleged in a report this week that Pakistani security agencies are involved in the disappearances and executions of Baluchi nationalists in Baluchistan, Pakistan's largest province.
But Major General Athar Abbas, Pakistan's army spokesman, rejected as one-sided the 132-page report, "We Can Torture, Kill or Keep You for Years: Enforced Disappearances by Pakistan Security Forces in Baluchistan."
"It is a one-sided report and we outrightly reject the conclusion drawn by this report," Abbas said.
Talking to RFE/RL, Abbas added that HRW representatives never approached Pakistani Army officials for their comments on the contents of the report.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Deputy Chairman Kamran Arif told RFE/RL that it contacted Frontier Corps officials in Baluchistan about the ongoing problem between nationalists and officials, but that no one would talk to his organization.
Abductions and summary executions of suspected Baluchi nationalists by Pakistani security agencies have reportedly fueled separatist sentiment.
According to the HRW report, disappearances of nationalists have been taking place in Baluchistan since 2006.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website