The spokesperson of the Baloch National Movement has said that the so-called Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of the police obtained the false confession of Mahal Baloch through torture. This statement testifies to the worst physical and mental torture inflicted on her during detention.
He said, Mahal belongs to a political family; Mahal’s sister-in-law Bibi Gul is the chairperson of Balochistan’s Human Rights Council and plays a prominent role in the movement for the recovery of forcibly disappeared persons. Similarly, Pari Gul has also been participating in demonstrations and sit-ins to recover forcibly disappeared persons. By arresting her widowed sister-in-law in a bogus case, efforts are being made to pressure the family into keeping quiet about human rights violations in Balochistan. At the behest of the Pakistan Army, the CTD wanted to tarnish HRCB’s reputation by linking Bibi Gul and Pari Gul to an armed organisation to sabotage Bibi Gul and HRCB’s human rights efforts.
The spokesperson said this is not the first time Pakistani forces have targeted women. In the past, children of Baloch political activists, women and people who were not personally part of any organisations have been targeted. Through this policy of collective punishment, Pakistan wants to stop the effects of the national movement in Balochistan so that the Baloch will be scared and withdraw from the freedom movement.
He said the Pakistani army brutally tortured Mahal after being picked up from her house and later revealed her arrest by CTD. At the time of announcing the arrest, CTD claimed that Mahal was a suicide bomber who was arrested outside the house with a suicide jacket. While CTD’s recent statement and Mahal’s forced confession present a new story. According to this, Mahal is not the alleged suicide bomber but a facilitator, who would deliver this jacket to someone else. It is feared that they will make more arrests based on false accusations in the future. The press conference included the name of “Pari Gul” who was at the forefront of the protest for Mahal’s release.
The BNM spokesperson said that their former Prime Ministers have often expressed concerns about Pakistani courts and termed them biased. While all institutions of Pakistan are on the same page against the Baloch nation. Pakistani courts are under the influence of the Pakistani army. Therefore, Mahal was continuously remanded in a false case, but the court did not intervene. Mahal fainted due to torture during the court hearing, but the conscience of the judges of the court continued to sleep. A statement obtained by torture during the detention of any criminal has no legal status, nor does the release of the confession of a detainee to the media fulfils the requirements of justice. This is just an attempt to relieve the pressure the Baloch nation has created due to protests, sit-ins and demonstrations. In the case of Pakistan, the cold-heartedness of the human rights organizations has given the Pakistani army an exemption for all kinds of crimes in Balochistan, which is increasing our concern. On the other hand, they are trying to throw dust in the eyes of the world to give this kidnapping a legal form. The Pakistani army is reluctant to produce Mahal in its courts, but his media trial is being conducted which should be given immediate attention by human rights bodies.
