Karima Baloch's Death Raises Serious Questions on the Security of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Europe and North America
New
Age Islam Special Correspondent
23 December
2020
Activist Karima Baloch | Twitter | @KarimaBaloch
------
Karima
Baloch, the face of the feminist movement in Balochistan, Pakistan was found
dead in Toronto in mysterious circumstances. She had gone missing on Sunday. On
Tuesday her dead body was found by the local police. But the Toronto police has
termed her death as non-criminal. It raises some serious questions.
She was
living in exile in Toronto, Canada like many other human rights activists,
dissidents and journalists who wrote and spoke against the atrocities
perpetrated by the Pakistani army and government against the Baloch people and
feared for their life in their own country.
Karima was
among the 100 most influencial women of the world named by the BBC in 2016 and
had raised the issue of persecution of Baloch people, including women and
children in the Union Nations.
She had
also sought India's PM Narendra Modi's help in this regard and had wished him
on 'Raksha Bandhan'.
She is not
the first Baloch activist to die mysteriously. Sajid Baloch, a journalist and a
Baloch rights activist from Balochistan died in mysterious circumstances in
Sweden in April 2019 after his diappearance on 2 March 2019. He was also an
eyesore of the Pakistan government as he had written a series of reports on
human rights violations and forced disappearances in Balochistan. After getting
threats he sought asylum in Sweden and had been living there since 2017.
But in
April, 2019, he was found dead in the Fyris river in Canada. The Sweden police
started murder investigation but later closed the case as non-criminal death.
They said his death might be a suicide or due to an accident.
The
striking similarity in the deaths of Karima and Sajid and the opinions of the
police in Canada and Sweden hint at a deeper conspiracy.
Both the
deceased were activists working against the interests of the Pakistan
government and the governments of their adopted countries knew that there life
was under threat. The European governments are also well aware of the fact that
Pakistani secret service is active there. The role of the secret service of
China in their disappearance and death cannot be ruled out because China has
built the Gwador Port in Balochistan and has its huge investments in
Balochistan. Baloch people have been protesting against their deprivation of
their share in the natural resources of Balochistan and employment
opportunities. . Therefore, the activists and journalists have also been
working against the interests of China in Balochistan.
But the
attitude and the way of handling of the European countries of the issue of the
asylum seekers and refugees taking shelter there raises serious questions on
their policy on human rights and on the protection of refugees in their
countries.
Karima
Baloch had not only raised the issue of the atrocities on Baloch people by the
Pakistan government and securitg forces in the UN but also infuriated them by
seeking help from their arch enemy India's PM Narendra Modi. How can the
governments of Sweden and Canada term her death as non-criminal and close the
case?
If this
happens, the European countries will become killing fields of Pakistani and
Chinese secret services. It will deliver a severe blow to the fight against
human rights violations by oppressive governments and security establishments.
It's in the interest of the global human rights movement that the deaths of
Karima Baloch and Sajid Baloch be re-investigated and the culprits should be
brought to book.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-west/karima-baloch-death-raises-serious/d/123853
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism