On 23 May, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary, Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of the Pakistan Armed Forces, organized a press briefing with internal secretary Khurram Muhammad Aga in Islamabad. There, Chaudhary said that the Pakistani army is a responsible force, it is accountable to the people of the country, the media in Pakistan has allegedly freedom of expression, and the country respects the rights of religious minorities. He also claimed that Pakistan is a democratic state.
The purpose of these comments was to convince the public that Pakistan is better than its neighbor, India. During this, Chaudhary also said that India controls its media, detains journalists, targets workers, and deprives minorities of religious freedom.
These statements are not only far from the truth, but can be easily rejected, just by searching on the Internet “how the minorities are treated in Pakistan”. Pakistan has a disgusting history of persecuting Ahmadis, burning their places of worship, hurting their dignity and excluding them from society. Christians are treated even worse. For them often only manual labor related jobs are available, such as cleaning drains or taking care of toilets.
They are not considered equal and often they are not seen as humans. Many people are forced to live in small huts in the outskirts of cities, which are unable to live among the Muslim majority. It is also common in the country to kidnap minor Hindu girls and forcibly marry, forcing them to convert to Islam.
Those responsible for such crimes are often protected by the state. If the families of the victims oppose this, they are punished for tarnishing the image of Pakistan. The killings of Shia and Hazara community are more evidence of how the Pakistani state treats religious minorities within its borders.
The comprehensive claims about expression and freedom of press in Pakistan are not only wrong, but it is an attempt to make a false erection by the Pakistani Army and divert attention from its crimes and terrorist acts. The media in Pakistan is only independent when it serves the interests of the army and the ruling elite.
Journalists who report the cruelty by Pakistani forces, or Baloch, Pashtun, Sindhi, Muhajir, Kashmiri, Ahmadi, Shia, Christians and Hindus are targeted for journalists, and their news organizations are often banned or forced to unarmed. Many journalists face harassment for their work, and many are still in jail. On 24 May, a Baloch journalist was targeted and killed by Pakistani forces in Balochistan’s Avaran district, which further reflects the so -called freedom of the press in Pakistan.
The press briefing was filled with lies and misinformation. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary blamed India for the position of Balochistan and other parts of Pakistan, giving the example of an attack in Khujdar on 21 May. Without presenting any concrete evidence, a spokesperson of the Pakistani Armed Forces trusted social media posts and news reports, saying that because the Indian media reported the attack, India should join it, so India should join it, which was targeting a so -called military school bus.
The Pakistani government, army and media convicted the Baloch Liberation Army without any evidence. He even shared fake videos, in which the wrong claim was made that the children were targeted. Independent sources have reported that real targets were military personnel and many of them were killed. So far, no Baloch or other militant group has taken responsibility for the attack.
Ever since its formation, Pakistan has trusted spreading false enemies to justify its cruel tasks, which have been done against political activists and human rights guards. The state that massacred the Bengalis still sit in front of the press and blames India for supporting Bangladesh, it conveniently ignores its role, in which it denied the democratic mandate of Bengalis and forced them to demand freedom from the repressive rule of Pakistan.
Similarly, Pakistan’s claim that India supports Baloch armed groups is irrelevant. It was not India that captured Balochistan using military force in 1948. It was not India that carried out five major military campaigns against Baloch people, in which thousands of citizens were killed. India is not behind the forced disappearance of Baloch citizens.
India did not betray Aga Abdul Karim Khan and Nawab Naoroz Khan. It did not uproot the government of the elected National Awami Party. It did not test nuclear weapons without emptying the local people in the populated area of ​​f aghi. It did not kill Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti or Baloch National Movement and Baloch Republican Party leaders like Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Sher Mohammad Baloch and Lala Munir Baloch. It did not target Baloch Students Organization Azad or not kidnapped and murdered its countless members.
India did not kill academics like Professor Sabha Dashtiyari and Zahid Askani, who were known for their educational contribution and love for their homeland. Nor did it kill thousands of Baloch citizens in the torture camps, including the son of Mama Kadir Baloch and the father of Dr. Meharang Baloch.
It is a Pakistani state responsible for kidnapping and killing political activists and leaders, such as Smmi Deen’s father, who has been missing for 16 years. It is a Pakistani state that kills Baloch citizens and buried them in collective graves.
These are some examples of countless atrocities committed by the Pakistani state in Balochistan in the last 27 years. Pakistan’s ignorance and its failure to understand the Baloch issue is also clear in its language. The Director General of ISPR Baloch calls people “Balochi”, which refers to the language.
The person who does not even know the difference between people and their language claims the rights over them and decides who their leaders are. During his briefing, his tone and physical gesture shows deep hatred towards Baloch people, this feeling is not new to the people of Balochistan. This hatred is not new; It has been a stable part of the state policy.
Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary also attacked Dr. Mehrang Baloch, the lead leader of Baloch people, claiming that he did not have popular support. This is the biggest lie of the entire press conference. Dr. Mehrang Baloch is probably the only leader who has such widespread support from the Baloch nation in recent times. His popularity lies in his struggle and the belief of the people, and the lies and concocted stories of military spokespersons cannot reduce it.
The Pakistani state, its military establishment, intelligence agencies and so -called democratic governments have been continuously using cruel forces to suppress the struggle of the people of Balochistan. This mentality has been unchanged, and it is constantly reflected in their statements and actions. This was another attempt to divert attention from the press briefing Pakistani state to create its misleading image, harassment, human rights violations and state sponsored violence, especially in Balochistan. By comparing hollow with India and presenting itself as a democratic, tolerant and accountable nation, Pakistan keeps denying the harsh realities of its citizens, especially occupied Balochistan.
Incorrect information, historical negativism, and tried to attack reliable Baloch voices are the central components of the state promotional machinery. Nevertheless, no amount of manipulation in the nectar can eradicate the sorrow, sacrifice, or firm resistance of the nation.
Author: Hakim Baloch
(Hakim Baloch Baloch is a focal person for the State Department of National Movement and is an independent journalist)