On the occasion of the second martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed Banuk Karima Baloch, following the central call of the Baloch National Movement, commemorative programs were organized by Mashkay Zone and Pasani Unit while paying tribute to Shaheed Banuk Karima. Baloch National Movement also organised an online program in which BNM Chairman Dr. Naseem Baloch, former Chairman Khalil Baloch, Junior Vice Chairman Babul Latif, Foreign Secretary Hamaal Haider, Senior Joint Secretary Kamal Baloch and HRCB Coordinator Taj Baloch addressed.
On this occasion, the speakers paid homage to Shaheed Banuk Karima. They said that She is one of the distinguished personalities of Balochistan who enlightened Baloch national politics with a new dimension and influenced Baloch people not only with her character but also her activism. She was not only an ideal leader for the Baloch nation, but all the subjugated nations looked upon her with respect and dignity.
The speakers said that Banuk Karima presented the case of the Baloch nation with great bravery on every front. When the state crackdown against BSO was in full swing, BSO chairman Zahid Baloch and other cabinet leaders were subjected to enforced disappearance. She took over the leadership of the BSO and led a long and arduous struggle for the recovery of her comrades. We do not remember her today because she is not among us but she had made her place in her life, today we remember her more so that we can tell that we are following her footsteps.
He said that even after killing the martyrs of the Baloch nation, the Pakistani state is afraid of their graves. A locked coffin was buried in the grave of Shaheed Akbar Khan Bugti, while after 14 years, the dead body of Shaheed Banuk Karima was also mistreated. And even after two years of her martyrdom, her grave is not being allowed to be built, which shows the psychological defeat and moral degradation of the authorities of the state of Pakistan.
Dr. Naseem said that the martyrdom of the martyrs does not weaken us, rather they give us more energy and courage, just as our determination was strengthened after the martyrdom of Shaheed Balaach and Shaheed Ghulam Muhammad. The martyrdom of Shaheed Banuk Karima gave us more energy and we pledge that we would continue to fight with the same determination to fulfil her cause.
Former Chairman of BNM Khalil Baloch said that sometimes in her life we feel that maybe her voice is loud in the negotiation or she is sometimes harshly criticized because of her age and responsibilities, but today we understand better that she was a strong leader. When the need arose for a difficult journey under difficult conditions, she was second to none and ensured her presence wherever needed. She also had a prominent role in decision-making.
BNM Junior Vice Chairman Babul Latif Baloch said Banuk Karima and other martyrs have laid down their lives for the freedom of the Baloch nation, to end the dark era of slavery and may the Baloch nation also be blessed to see the bright day of freedom.
Hammal Haider said that Banuk Karima had shown the path of struggle to women in our backward society. Due to her political struggle, the participation of women in Baloch politics has increased significantly. Today, people are proud of their daughter’s and girls’ political participation, which is the result of Banuk Karima’s efforts. Shaheed Banuk Karima was a categorical person, when she knew something was wrong, she strongly opposed it and when she was sure of the truth of something, she stood firm on it.
Taj Baloch, the coordinator of HRCB, said that we should not pay tribute to Banuk Karima only in words. Rather, in the same way Banuk Karima’s family trained them and gave them the environment from which personalities like Banuk Karima were born, we should also give the same training and environment to our daughters and girls so that tomorrow they too can become Banuk Karima.
BNM senior joint secretary Kamal Baloch, who was part of her cabinet in BSO, said Shaheed Banuk Karima Baloch was always bound by organizational decisions. When BSO decided to go on hunger strike till death to recover the enforced missing BSO Chairman Zahid Baloch, she was the first to put forward her name to sit on the hunger strike but the organization decided that she would lead the organization in situations where it was desperately needed. Similarly, she did not want to go abroad under any circumstances, but BSO decided that Banuk Karima and Latif Johar would go abroad to fight the cause of the Baloch nation and do what is impossible in our homeland.
Kamal Baloch said that even when she was in Balochistan, there were serious threats to her life. She was called and told that her colleagues who had been forcibly disappeared were in their custody and would be released if they changed their ideas and program. But Banuk Karima did not accept deviating from her ideology in exchange for life and comfort but chose hard struggle and harsh life