Pakistan's Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti recently urged the political fraternity of the country to hold a parliamentary discussion on missing persons. He said that the issue was interconnected with incidents of 'self-disappearances'.
Bugti stressed upon holding discussion to resolve the ongoing Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M)-led sit-in outside the Parliament House. He proposed the discussion while appealing the senators to desist from comparing Palestine with Balochistan.
The statement came just days after a senior politician and lawyer, Aitzaz Ahsan, filed a constitutional petition in the top court against the practice of "enforced disappearances".
Sputnik India tried to explore the "missing persons" and disappearances issue in an interaction with Global Strategic & Military Analyst Major Gen. (Retd.) Shashi Bhushan Ashtana.
Asthana explained one needed to first understand that the Baloch (people of Balochistan) were the "oppressed community". Balochistan, as of now, is Pakistan's largest province.
'Missing Persons' or 'Enforced Disappearnces'
So, when it comes to who is behind these missing persons, Major General Ashtana opined, "the needle of suspension will go to Pakistan Army. Simply because it is the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)* which has targeted Pakistan Army and Pakistan army is taking actions against them".
Stating that the "Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) is also in support of TTP", the Major General pointed out: "So, you find that these are the two organizations whether it is in Balochistan or it is in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where Pakistan Army is getting targeted, the maximum cases of missing persons are in these two areas."
The point is being raised by the political wing of Balochistan and the political party of Balochistan, and some other parties, he added.
Missing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Politicians
Asked but why even some of the Imran Khan-headed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) I politicians have gone 'missing', the military veteran pointed to former PM Imran Khan’s tenure. "Subsequently towards the end , the PTI supporters did attack some of the Pakistani Army establishments."
The attack had come as Khan was arrested by paramilitary Rangers on 9 May from the Islamabad High Court, a day after he blamed the army of plotting to kill him. He was grabbed from the collar and bundled into a prison van. It sparked off violence from his supporters.
"And therefore you would have seen that whole lot of Pakistani PTI leaders are in jail," Asthana opined.
And many, who must be the lower cadre, they must be under pressure, he stated.
"So, therefore considering the situation of Pakistan, the needle of suspicion goes on to Pakistan Army. Otherwise, there may be individual cases with individual stories," he added.
Asked if it means the enforced disappearance may be the handiwork of Pakistan Army, the veteran said: "You can say, it’s through coercion. I mean, it may not be directly but through coercion that anyone who is uncomfortable for the establishment. Now establishment and Deep State, in case of Pakistan, is supposed to be the Pakistan Army," the expert signed off.
* A terrorist organization banned in Russia and India.