PPP deeply concerned over intimidation and profiling of Baloch Students of QAU

Islamabad: The Pakistan People’s Party has expressed deep concern over the continued disappearances of citizens with impunity in the country as well as the intimidation and profiling of Baloch students of the Quaid e Azam University in Islamabad.

“It is deeply disconcerting that recently instances of disappearances particularly of Baoch have not only increased in numbers but also witnessed an element of brazenness as in the case of Hafeez Baloch a student of M Phil Physics at the Quaid eAzam University Islamabad” said Farhatullah Babar secretary general of PPPP in a statement.

Reportedly Hafeez Baloch received threatening calls from some unknown caller a day before he mysteriously disappeared. Reportedly also the fellow Baloch students of QAU have some evidence of the alleged conversation of Hafeez Balochy with the unknown caller and Hafeez’s refusal to oblige the caller to meet someone at the University in connection with “some academic research”.

There have also been reports of gathering personal information about Baloch students in the University including names, photographs, addresses and ideological affiliations causing deep resentment and fear among the students. Complaints of systematic harassment, intimidation and profiling were lodged by the students with the security department of the QAU but no action has been taken so far.

Farhatullah Babar said that reports of harassment and profiling of Baloch students on the campus of QAU after the disappearance of Hafeez Baloch are extremely disturbing and do not augur well for the integrity of the federation.

Two days ago the peaceful protest demonstration of Baloch students before the National Press Club in Islamabad was forcibly disrupted by the police without any provocation causing injury to some students, he said.

The PPPP secretary general urged the authorities to look into these complaints of harassment before it spiraled. He also called for bringing state agencies under the ambit of the law in accordance with the unanimous recommendations of the Senate Committee of the Whole in 2015.