The human right activists claim that Pakistan’s powerful Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) is involved in extra-judicial killings of political opponents especially Baloch freedom fighters, journalists, bloggers, and anyone raising voice against army or government of Imran Khan. In May 2020, Arif Wazir, first cousin of Muhammed Ali Wazir, who is a member of National Assembly and leader of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, was assassinated. Sajid Hussain, a Baloch leader was found dead in mysterious circumstances in Sweden. He was a journalist and was the Chief Editor of online newspaper Balochistan Times. His dead body was recovered after two months of his disappearance. Sajid Hussain left Pakistan in 2012 as he was receiving death threats. According to his family members and a press freedom charity Pakistani agents were behind his disappearance and death. Hussain was writing against Pakistan security agencies about forced disappearances, organised crime, and drug smuggling.
Again, another Baloch human rights activist Karima Baloch went missing on December 20 and her drowned dead body was recovered next day. Although Canada police investigated the case as a non-criminal death, but the human rights activists claim that Pakistan security agencies especially ISI agents were involved in the disappearance and later death of Karima Baloch. Both Karima Baloch and her husband were getting death threats. As Pakistani dissidents take refuge/ asylum in western countries especially Europe and Canada, ISI is strengthening itself in these countries. They are also instigating pro-Khalistan elements and there are reports that Pakistan government is assisting retired army officers to settle in Canada and Europe. Once they are settled in these countries ISI uses them for clandestine operations.
In reality breakaway of East Pakistan is the only example in modern history where majority seceded from minority due to atrocities and mayhem by Punjabi rulers on Bengalis. The Urdu-speaking Muhajirs migrated from India, and were patronised by General Pervez Musharraf, are also demanding a separate state and their right on the resources of the country. Nonetheless after General Musharraf the security agencies resorted to raids, forced disappearances, killings etc of the leaders of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) which is the political party of Muhajirs.
The government passed new rules known as the Citizens Protection (Against Online Harm) Rules 2020. Under the rules it is obligatory for all international social media companies to delete all the objectionable material pointed out by the government. The companies will also have to provide data about all Pakistani nationals maintaining the social media accounts and they have to maintain their data centres within Pakistan. The media giants like Facebook and Twitter criticised these rules while Digital Rights Foundation Pakistan commented that these rules are stifling. The Committee to Protect Journalists has asked Pakistan government to withdraw these rules. Even before these draconian rules passed Pakistan was considered as one of the nastiest country for human right violations. According to another report Pakistan government has blocked more than 800,000 websites containing religious, social, and political material.
Human Rights Watch in its latest report mentioned that restrictions on media has swelled and journalists claim that Pakistan is passing through a darkest period. The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) which was passed in August 2016 under the garb of preventing blasphemy gave powers to law enforcing agencies to monitor internet material and prosecute those who are posting objectionable contents. The intelligence agencies especially ISI took advantage of these rules in suppression of Baloch, Pashtun, Sindhi, Seraiki, and even Punjabi dissenters in all fields of life including social media.
In 2017, Pakistan agencies abducted five bloggers from different cities who were criticising the army, when human right activists raised voices against the abductions; the security agencies charged these bloggers with blasphemy. After the acquittal, the bloggers narrated the shocking tales of torture during the custody. Again in 2017 security agencies arrested 27 bloggers under the charges of criticising government agencies especially Pakistan army. These bloggers were first kidnapped, tortured and then charged, as Pakistan army does not care for human right violations. Besides bloggers and social media activists the security forces also abducted, tortured, and arrested political opponents especially supporters of Pakistan Muslim League (N).
Besides abductions and torture the security agencies also resorted to extra-judicial killings. Muhammad Bilal Khan, a Jamiat Ulema-e Islam (F) blogger, was hacked to death in Islamabad in June 2019 as he was criticising army. He had large following in Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook and according to them he was killed as he was criticising army and ISI. Another journalist Aziz Memon who was working in a newspaper in Sindh and was threatened by local police was also abducted, tortured, and killed.
The Pakistani bloggers and social media activists residing in exile are criticising the security forces as well as civilian authorities. The Pakistan government is using multiple tactics to silence these critics. Recently Pakistan government wrote British government to take punitive action against Gul Bukhari who is a journalist and social media activist. Pakistan government charged that Bukhari is using Britain for her anti Pakistan activities. Besides writing to host governments, Pakistan security agencies are also intimidating, harassing, and prosecuting the relatives of the critics staying in Pakistan. Pakistan administration has also employed large number of troll groups to silene the voices of dissidents through constantly criticising, condemning, and harassing them. However, recently the deaths in mysterious circumstances of Pakistani dissidents staying abroad have raised suspicion on the activities of ISI.
Imran government has also stopped giving advertisements to ‘Dawn’ and ‘Jung,’ two important media houses as they were not toeing government line. Steven Butler the Asia program director of Committee to Protect Journalists was denied entry in Pakistan, also charged that Pakistan government was using advertisements to “punish and reward” the newspapers.
Pakistan security agencies especially army-controlled ISI was violating human rights with impunity in past too. However previously, the civilian government was trying to restrict the human rights violations, but Imran government is either cooperating or is not in position to act against ISI. The cases of persecution, torture and harassment of human rights activists have considerably increased after Imran Khan became Prime Minister in August 2018 with the help of army. It is high time that Imran government restore the democratic rights of the masses and the journalists, political leaders of opposition parties are allowed to criticise government policies.
All government institutions including army is run by the tax-payers money hence the public has right to criticise their faulty policies. Imran government should make sincere efforts to improve the economy of the country and its dependence on expansionist China may prove dangerous in long run. In view of the poor economic condition of the country Pakistan should also try to reduce massive expenditure on armed forces. The extra-judicial killings are deplorable and must be stopped immediately.
-The author is a New Delhi-based strategic analyst and member of United Service Institution of India (USI) and Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA). The views in the article are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
