Sammi Deen Baloch’s life changed irrevocably on June 28th, 2009, when her father, Dr Deen Muhammad Baloch, was detained by “state intelligence agencies” while he worked at a hospital in Balochistan, in southwestern Pakistan. Sammi was 10 years old. She has not seen him since, and says he was forcibly disappeared.
Today, she is at the forefront of a campaign for human rights in Balochistan, one of the most volatile regions in the world.
Balochistan has experienced unrest for decades due to political, economic and ethnic tensions. Insurgent groups, primarily motivated by demands for greater autonomy or independence, have been active since the late 1940s, shortly after the region’s forced integration into Pakistan in 1948.
The conflict also stems from grievances over economic marginalisation, particularly around Balochistan’s natural resources, which Baloch people say have been extracted by the central government with little benefit to the local population. There are also long-standing issues of political underrepresentation and ethnic discrimination.
Military operations by the Pakistani government have often exacerbated the situation.
On Friday, dozens of armed insurgent attackers stormed a cluster of private coalmines on Friday, killing at least 21 miners. Such attacks – which often target migrant workers – have risen in recent months, said provincial governor Jafar Khan Mandokhel. “On one side you talked about your independence and your rights and on the other hand you are killing innocent labourers,” he told a news conference, referring to the separatist militant groups, adding: “We condemn it strongly and we will take all-out action against it.”
But counter-insurgency by the Pakistani state has led to claims that security forces are carrying out enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings – something the government denies.
Sammi’s father was a political figure who often spoke out against human rights violations. His story fits into a pattern of enforced disappearances where activists, intellectuals and political figures have been taken without due process by the state.
Since 2011, at least 10,078 enforced disappearances have been recorded by the Pakistan Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances. Of them, 3,485 took place in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 2,752 in Balochistan. Figures by human rights organisations and families suggest higher numbers.
For Sammi, what began as a fight for her father’s release evolved into a broader movement for Baloch rights. “Everything changed in the blink of an eye. We were forced on to the streets, staging sit-ins and protesting for justice. I realised that my family was not alone. Thousands of families were suffering from the same trauma.”
“There is widespread unrest and chaos,” says Sammi. “Extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and daily military operations have become a grim reality ... The political climate is stifling ... and freedom of speech all but non-existent.”
Sammi says the violence has plunged ordinary citizens into a state of fear and uncertainty.
“The state’s non-seriousness in addressing human rights violations only fuels the unrest,” she says.
“Enforced disappearances ruin entire families, both socially and economically. Mothers and wives don’t know whether to grieve or hope, unsure if their loved ones are dead or alive.”
“Commissions have been established to investigate the disappearances, but they have yielded no results,” says Sammi.
In recent years, the role of women in militant and non-violent resistance movements has gained attention. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group, has increasingly involved women in its insurgent activities, a development that Sammi finds troubling. “We never support violence,” she says.
However, she is heartened by the growing involvement of women in non-violent resistance movements. “It’s encouraging to see women participating in the Baloch resistance, even though the circumstances are tragic.”
Sammi is part of the Baloch Unity Committee (BYC), a civic movement. “BYC is different because it addresses the issues of ordinary Baloch people,” she says.
However, she says the path of non-violent activism is fraught with challenges. “We have faced state violence, beatings and jailings. Campaigns have been launched to discredit our voices,” she says, adding that despite the difficulties, she remains committed to non-violent resistance.
Sammi was recently barred from leaving Pakistan as she was about to travel to Oman and placed on an Exit Control List by authorities. She says no specific reason was provided for the travel restriction.
During a visit to Dublin earlier this year, she was honoured by Front Line Defenders, an international human rights organisation that provides support to human rights defenders at risk.
According to Sammi, the solution to the conflict lies in acknowledging the human rights violations that have plagued Balochistan for decades. “The state needs to take these violations seriously and listen to the political leaders and civil rights movements in Balochistan.”
“No one can change the fate of the Baloch people unless the state shows seriousness in resolving the issues,” she says.
Despite the threats to her life and the constant uncertainty, she remains resolute. “We will keep speaking out against state oppression until our last breath.” – Additional reporting: Reuters
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