Just three days ago, four people were killed and over twenty injured in an explosion in Khuzdar city. Over 800 bodies have been found in Balochistan over the past three and a half years, with the majority comprising political workers, teachers, student rights activists and journalists, but victims of domestic abuse and tribal disputes were also included. The horrifying realization is that this figure does not even account for the thousands that died because of bomb attacks, target killings and other forms of violence. After Khuzdar was uncovered in January, one is given to wonder how many mass graves are still hidden, and whether they will ever be found.
The judicial commission formed to investigate the mass grave in Khuzdar finally finished its report last week, but has refused to make the results public. Their official excuse is that they are waiting for the Chief Minister before they can release any information, but it is quite possible that the probe feels that keeping the information under wraps might delay the inevitable, and the worst fears about the conduct of the FC Corps might not be fully realised until later. Out of 17 bodies, an intentionally understated figure by the government according to rights activists in the province, the DNA identification of only 2 has been released since January.
The issues of the Balochi people have always gone unaddressed, with water scarcity on the rise, and education and health services all but non-existent. The separatists have used this to their advantage to increase support for their cause. The government and the armed forces need to realise that the policy of using state terror to keep dissenters quiet has backfired, and in order to make the Balochis feel like a part of Pakistan, the government must treat them with dignity and equality.