Human Rights champion from Balochistan found dead in Canada

Karima Baloch, an activist, who had been vocal about Pakistan Army & Govt atrocities in Balochistan, has been found dead in Toronto, Canada, according to Balochistan Post.

Karima was a Canadian refugee & named as one of the world's 100 most "inspirational & influential" women in 2016 by the BBC.

She had gone missing on Sunday & was last seen at approximately 3 pm on the same day. Toronto Police had requested for public assistance in locating her. However, now her family has confirmed that Karima's body has been found.

Karima Baloch, a famous personality in Balochistan, is believed to be the pioneer of women activism there. She has also raised the issue of Balochistan in the United Nations sessions in Switzerland.

In an interview in May 2019, she had accused Pakistan of taking away the resources & eliminating the people of Balochistan, the province with immense geo-strategic importance & huge untapped natural resource reserves.

Balochistan Post said that the sudden death of the activist has raised serious concern.

This is not the first case that Pakistani dissident has been found dead. In May, Baloch journalist Sajid Hussain was found dead in Sweden. He had been missing from the city of Uppsala since March 2.

The dissidents & critics of the Pakistan authorities, who are living in exile are under constant fear as the criticism of the military in Pakistan has always been frowned upon. People who criticise the military & its policies are harassed by agencies.

Balochistan is a restive province where the Pakistani military is accused of indulging in gross human rights violations including abducting & killing of innocents.

Resource-rich Balochistan has been gripped by an insurgency for more than 15 years. The family members & relatives of Baloch political leaders & workers had always faced state brutalities & barbarism in Balochistan.

There have been several instances where Pakistani security forces conduct operations on individual households, physically assault innocent women & children, & rely on extrajudicial death squads to subjugate Baloch civilians.

Thousands of Baloch political activists in order to avoid persecution escaped from Balochistan and are compelled to seek asylum in European counties; journalists & human rights activists are among these asylum seekers. 

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