NEWS

• Terrorists attacked the Lala Kundeo check post in the Jamrud Tehsil of Kyber district late at night. Police retaliated. In the exchange of fire, police officer Mujeeb was killed. As soon as the information was received, a large number of people reached the check post, but by then the terrorists had escaped. The police have mounted a search operation. (Qudrat Daily) 
• Hundreds of Pashtuns with Pakistani identity cards are being illegally arrested and tortured in different areas of Karachi, says Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party Sindh President Salim Khan Tarin. He addressed the media in Karachi along with his party Vice President Syed Ghafoor Jan, Deputy Secretary Abdul Rab Durrani and other leaders. They said that during the operation against illegal activities, the police are targeting Pashtun workers and Pashtun traders and businessmen with associated with various industries in Karachi city. They also alleged that the law enforcement agencies have demanded bribes from the arrested persons to set them free.     (Urdu Point)
•  In a coordinated and targeted operation in the Site Area, the Sindh Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and the Federation secret department nabbed four suspects – Amin alias Munna alias Chingari, Shahnawaz alias Salim alias Mechanic, Muaz Khan and Yasin Khan- belonging to the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). Police said Amin alias Munna and Shahnawaz are dangerous terrorists. They are said to be involved in murder and terrorism cases. Two 9mm pistols and two TT pistols were recovered from them. (Express Daily)
• Armed terrorists attacked the team of the Counter-Terrorism Department during an operation in the Kech district of Balochistan, and four terrorists of a banned organization were killed in retaliation. According to the CTD spokesperson, 7 to 8 armed terrorists attacked the CTD team today during an operation near Pasni Road Bank Bus Terminal, Turbat. The terrorists attacked the CTD team using SMGs, pistols, grenades, and RPGs. The CTD team returned the fire. The terrorists tried to flee the spot taking advantage of the darkness of the night but were pursued by the CTD team. A large number of arms and ammunition including 2 Kalashnikovs, a pistol, hand grenades, motorcycle-mounted improvised explosive devices, and two motorcycles  were recovered from them. (Dawn Daily)
• In its report, the Akhtar Mengal Commission set up on enforced disappearances and other allegations of Baloch students has said that there is oral and written evidence that law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies are involved in missing Baloch students. Pakistan’s army and security agencies have been denying these allegations and maintain that only families of people involved in anti-state activities in Balochistan file cases of enforced disappearance. Security agencies have also been denying the disappearance of Baloch students and their profiling in educational institutions. The commission submitted its 500-page report to the Islamabad High Court in February this year but has not been made public.   The report’s findings, available to Voice of America (VOA), state at the outset that harassment, ethnic profiling and forced disappearances of Baloch students have taken place in Balochistan in the name of National Security. The operation was carried out in such a way that some students were detained, arrested or kidnapped.  The operation has been going on for many years. The victims include women, children, elderly, political workers, journalists, teachers, students, doctors, lawyers, poets and writers.  After examining the report on Wednesday, the High Court summoned the caretaker prime minister, interior minister and defense minister for not recovering 55 missing students in a week. Additional Attorney General requested the court not to summon the Prime Minister but Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani rejected the plea. Former Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court Athar Minullah formed the commission headed by former Chief Minister of Balochistan Akhtar Mengal on a petition filed by advocate Iman Mazari. In a social media post, Akhtar Mengal, said that the order of the Islamabad High Court to summon the Prime Minister and other officials is very important for the Baloch people. He said judiciary should play its role in giving justice to the people of Balochistan. The Akhtar Mengal commission report points out that forced disappearance of Baloch students is a violation of UN Charter, especially Article 55, which protects basic human rights and freedoms. Time was wasted by the government and security agencies, in denying that they were not involved in the enforced disappearances of Baloch students. In fact, the enforced disappearance of Baloch students is part of the problem of missing persons. Until the problem of missing persons of Balochistan is not resolved, the Commission is confident that the case of missing students will continue to surface from time to time. Officials have been claiming that Balochistan has been facing militancy, extremism and armed resistance for a long time and that the government writ is being challenged. This situation is being used by anti-state elements and it is affecting the youth and students as well. In its report, the commission said that the main reason for the problem of Balochistan is the weakness of the federal and democratic system. Instead of democracy, an unconstitutional system is being thrust on the people in the name of patriotism and national interest. The real leadership of Balochistan is kept away from the political process, which leads to a lack of socio- political, interaction, and to mistrust towards the rulers. The role of provincial authorities and local law enforcement agencies is limited. More authority is given to federal agencies in Baloch affairs. According to the report, educational institutions in Balochistan are suffering from severe financial crisis and all 11 higher education institutions are provided limited financial support. Baloch students are not accepted by educational institutions across the country. Baloch culture and history are not given due place in the curriculum.  Due to the lack of elected student unions, and restrictions on extra-curricular activities and freedom of expression, fear is created among the students instead of political awareness. Universities are not given autonomy and there is surveillance and scrutiny on campus. Due to the deployment of security forces in the University of Balochistan, force is used on the slightest pretext, and protests are stopped without the permission of the university administration. The occupation of the official residence of the Vice-Chancellor by an FC officer for many years reveals the sad ground reality, said the Mengal Commission said, adding that most public and private educational institutions have neither the capacity nor the will to control ethnic profiling and enforced disappearance of Baloch students. When such incidents occur, the role of educational institutions is limited to reporting to local law enforcement agencies. Students, teachers and administration told the Commission that alienation, especially in the University of Balochistan, is getting deeper day -by -day. Baloch students are trapped in political and military conflicts. Because of this their educational life is affected. The Commission revealed that students who were forcibly disappeared were subjected to mental and physical violence. They were subjected to inhumane treatment which they and their families will have to face for the rest of their lives. Nothing has been done by the government to heal their wounds. There is no mechanism to rehabilitate these persons or pay any kind of compensation to their families. Two students who disappeared from the University of Balochistan in 2021 have not been recovered till date. According to the Commission, the National Commission on Human Rights did not play any role in this regard. In order to prevent these incidents, the Ministries of Interior, Defence, and Human Rights, Commission for Enforced Disappearances, affected families and student organizations should have created complete data base so that all institutions have complete details about each student. Formation of various committees and commissions regarding missing persons is a wasteful exercise since no committee or commission is achieving the desired results. The commission headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court is a case in point. It has failed to deliver any results so far though the concerned families of the missing persons sat on dharna several times. Mengal Commission says that profiling and forced disappearances of Baloch students and people are continuing. Pakistan Penal Code has provisions to deal with kidnapping, and illegal detention but these are not invoked. There is no law regarding enforced disappearance. The Commission said that the families of the victims of enforced disappearances have been protesting in Quetta for many years in very difficult conditions. The reaction of the government and security agencies on this issue is, however, disappointing. It is a financially difficult for the relatives of the victims from remote areas of Balochistan to come to Quetta to file their complaints. Many reports submitted in missing persons cases have not been made public till date. The Commission asked for a report regarding the mass graves in Tutak area of Khuzdar, which was not received till the submission of its report. The Commission members tried to meet the Corp Commander of the Southern Command, but failed even after repeated attempts. It is a sad matter that even during the work of this commission, disappearances of Baloch students and common people continued. In conclusion, the Akhtar Mengal commission said that political and social reforms are needed to solve the problem of ethnic profiling and enforced disappearances of Baloch students. It is not possible to solve the problem only by military method instead of political process. The commission made 22-point recommendations to solve the problem. One recommendation says consider forced disappearance and profiling of Baloch students as a national security issue and bring it to the notice of the National Security Committee headed by the Prime Minister. It is the responsibility of the State to protect the freedom and life of every citizen. If any state agency acts against freedoms, it is not acceptable.  It has also been suggested that Parliament should be made the center of decision-making in order to end this problem. Another recommendation calls for confidence-building measures which inter alia mandate immediate recovery of the Baloch students. All the missing students should be produced in the courts. Forced disappearances should be stopped in the future. The process of scrutiny should end in educational institutions, especially the institutions of Balochistan. To counter the security threats, the right to fair trial should be given instead of forced disappearances. The commission suggested that a democratic environment should be promoted within the framework of the constitution. Balochistan should be involved in important decision-making. Fiscal and administrative powers should be given to true representatives of the people through free and fair elections. According to the report, the federal government should establish a parliamentary oversight system for the accountability of security agencies. By making enforced disappearance a crime, all security agencies should be bound to work within the framework of the constitution and law. Moreover, the federal government should formulate a policy regarding detention centers and bring them under the ambit of law. The Ministry of Interior should prepare a complete database of Baloch students and other missing persons. The federal government should also make public the reports of all the commissions and committees formed at the judicial and government level so far. Finally, the Akhtar Mengal Commission has made a strong case for better educational opportunities to Baloch students across the country and called for equal opportunities to Baloch youth in the matter of jobs. (Asim Ali Rana, Urdu Voice of America)  
• Women and children blocked the Quetta-Karachi national highway at Mughalzi against the shutdown of gas pressure and prolonged load shedding of electricity. (Urdu Point)

Editorials/Commentaries

• Sindh’s interiors are already notorious for dacoity and now Sindh’s capital and megacity, Karachi, is becoming a robbers’ and kidnappers’ hub. A police team led by a trainee DSP and four outsiders decamped with Rs.1.90 crores and 80 tola gold from the house of a merchant at Orangi Town. The enquiry committee set up under IGP, has indicted the SSP, South Karachi and his   trainee DSP and their other police officials for the robbery. SSP has been shifted and DSP has been arrested. These actions are not enough. There must be a thorough probe into the Orangi town robbery and those giving protection to such culprits should be exposed. (Pahenji Akhbar Edit, Nov.23)  
• Doctors at Chandka Hospital, Larkana have not been paid their salaries for the past five months. And now they have hit the agitational path. The doctors staged protests in front of offices of MS, and Director, Finance.   Authorities should look into doctors’ grievances immediately. Otherwise, doctors’ protests can affect patients visiting the hospital every day. (Sindh Express Edit)  
• Nowadays, a lot of land on the coast from Badeen to Karachi is being taken over by the government in the name of modernization of agriculture. Pakistan Fisherfolks Forum staged a protest against the government plans on November 21. Fishermen make a livelihood from farming and fishing. So much so fishermen in large number reached the protest site at Badeen. And all of them are worried that their lands might be snatched away from them.  Artists of a local theatre group with their performance highlighted that the government plans to take over a staggering 13 lakh acres of land belonging to fishermen.    The Fisherfolks Forum chairman, Mehran Shah, said the fishermen will not allow the takeover of their lands.  And every inch of the land will be protected. He also made it clear that his organization, Pakistan Fisherfolk forum, will not allow the government and outsiders to take over the fishermen’s lands. Fisherfolk Forum, Badeen chief, Nabi Baksh Malah warned that we will die but will not allow controlling or taking over of our lands. Senior media person Ishaq M said Badeen people’s struggle is entering the second generation. Sadly, the media and political parties are quite silent on this issue. Muqadas Tahir, woman leader of Pakistan Fisherfolks Forum said seasonal changes have affected fishing. She said fishermen used to be very happy when there were a lot of timber trees around but these days mafia groups are cutting down timber trees. A senior lawyer, Saleh Alaudin lamented that his 300 acres of land has been taken over, and added that he has moved the court to get back his land. (Rashid Lagari in Sindh Express)
• During the last few weeks, there has been a new wave of terrorism, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In North and South Waziristan and Bajaur seven persons including security officials were killed and five injured in four bomb blasts. A convoy of security forces was targeted in Razmak in which Lance Naik Ehsan Badshah and Lance Naik Sajid Hussain were killed. Security forces are taking action to eliminate any terrorist present in the area. An officer was killed during an attack on a police check post in Khyber district. Four persons including tribal chief Aslam Noor and his sons lost their lives in a bomb blast in Wana. Aslam Noor was the winner of the Presidential Award. Two civilians were killed in two separate IED blasts in Bajaur. ISPR says that the security forces are committed to end the menace of terrorism. More than 650 incidents of terrorism have occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during one year. Special measures are being taken by the Pakistan Army to increase the efficiency of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police. As many as 23,792 personnel have been trained in modern techniques so that all the security agencies can completely eliminate the scourge of terrorism. This initiative is commendable as it has become necessary to identify and remedy the causes of resurgence in terrorism. (Jang)  ####