NOSHKI, BALOCHISTAN: Drone Flights, Eviction of Citizens from Ancestral Lands, and Enforced Disappearances Unacceptable: All Parties Noshki
Addressing a crowded press conference at the Noshki Press Club, All Parties leaders Mir Khurshid Jamaldini, Haji Manzoor Ahmed Mengal, Farooq Baloch, Mufti Fida-ur-Rehman Reki, Maulana Ahmed Shah Kalani, Maulana Muhammad Qasim Mengal, Hafiz Ibrahim al-Hasani, Noshki Bar Council Advocate Mir Aqeel Khan Badini, GTA leader Babrak Baloch, and others said that the country’s constitution provides citizens with fundamental rights, and demanding these rights is not a crime rather, stripping citizens of their constitutional rights is unacceptable.
The local political and social leadership said that under curfew and at security checkpoints, approximately 98 percent of Noshki’s citizens are being treated like criminals; barriers have been erected and roads dug up on various routes, while movement on major highways, including the N-40, has been made difficult.
They demanded that the barriers established on the routes from Kachki to Kotal and from Zaro Chah to Albat be immediately removed, that the markets of Ahmadwal, Battu, and Jorkein be reopened, that fertiliser be provided to farmers, that gas supply be restored, and that unannounced electricity load-shedding be ended.
It should be noted that for several months, Pakistani forces have imposed a curfew in Noshki, restricting citizens’ movement, while the closure of markets and orders to vacate various areas of Noshki have left residents deeply distressed.
The All Parties leaders strongly rejected the possible eviction of the people of Mill Ahmadwal from the area by Pakistani forces officials, saying that the people there will under no circumstances accept relocation. They said that the state has existed for 74 years, while they have inhabited this land for thousands of years; they will not be evicted from their homes and ancestral areas — their graves may be made there, but they will not leave their land.
The leaders said that unnecessary restrictions, blockades, and strict checking on the N-40 have restricted citizens’ free movement. Patients, travelers, traders, and ordinary citizens are facing severe difficulties. They said the government should immediately end the lockdown and the restrictions imposed on citizens’ movement.
Expressing concern over alleged drone flights in Ahmadwal, the leaders said that respect for citizens’ privacy and the sanctity of their homes and personal lives must be ensured under all circumstances. Regarding those who have been subjected to enforced disappearance from Noshki, they demanded their immediate release and said that if anyone is accused of anything, they should be presented before a court in accordance with the law.
The leaders said that security forces should not act as judge themselves; if any citizen is accused of a crime, they should be presented before a court and proceedings carried out according to law. They said that depriving any person of the judicial process is not a solution to problems.
The All Parties leaders said that the responsibility of state institutions is to create ease for the public, not to increase their difficulties. They said the situation has become so severe that it is difficult to transport patients to Noshki’s hospital at night, and in case of emergency, taking them out of the city has also been made difficult.
The leaders claimed that vehicles carrying the deceased are also allegedly stopped for several hours in the name of security checking, while the lockdown has affected the educational activities of numerous government schools. Teachers and students are unable to reach school on time, and the education system is being severely affected.
They said that incidents of theft and robbery in Noshki have exceeded all limits; citizens feel unsafe, and no effective measures are visible to stop criminal elements.
The leaders also raised questions about the performance of the district administration, saying that despite orders being issued for the posting of the Deputy Commissioner of Noshki, the concerned officer gets his posting orders cancelled within a few days, as a result of which several important posts in the district administration, including that of Deputy Commissioner, remain vacant. They demanded that the permanent posting of administrative officers be ensured so that an effective administrative system exists to resolve public issues.
The All Parties leaders said that keeping the people of Noshki confined, powerless and deprived of basic facilities on their own land is intolerable. They demanded that state institutions take immediate practical steps instead of disappointing the public.
The All Parties leaders issued a clear and unequivocal ultimatum to the government and state institutions, saying that the restrictions imposed in Noshki must be immediately lifted, all routes opened, citizens’ free movement restored, the decision on the possible eviction of the people of Mill Ahmadwal reversed, and basic facilities including gas, electricity, education, health, and business immediately restored.
They made clear that if these demands are not implemented immediately and practically, the scope of protest will be widened by bringing together all parties, civil society, the trader community, and the public, and a full-fledged protest movement will be launched at the provincial and federal levels.
They said that today they are demanding their legitimate constitutional, civil, and human rights from state institutions; tomorrow, circumstances should not force them into even harsher protest. The patience of the people should not be tested further.
They said that state institutions are the protectors of the people, not the creators of difficulties for them. Instead of pushing the people of Noshki against the wall, their problems should be resolved otherwise, full responsibility for any protest reaction will fall on the concerned authorities.
The All Parties leaders unequivocally declared that the people of Noshki will not relinquish their basic rights, will not accept eviction from their ancestral land under any circumstances, and will continue their constitutional and democratic struggle until their demands are met.
