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Karima Baloch

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Banuk Karima Baloch
Karima Baloch in a video message to the Indian Prime Minister[1]
Other namesKarima Mehrab
Known for100 Women (BBC), 2016, "campaigns for independence for Balochistan from Pakistan"

Banuk Karima Baloch (1985[2]–2020) was a Baloch human rights activist and Pakistani dissident.[3] She campaigned for independence of Balochistan from Pakistan and appeared in the BBC's list of 100 inspirational and influential women for 2016.[4]

Career

She started her career as activist in 2005, in Balochistan's Turbat area, where she attended a protest over missing persons carrying the picture of one of her missing relatives.[5] Later she joined the Baloch Students Organization (BSO-Azad) in 2006, serving in several different positions in the following years and became the chairperson of BSO-Azad in 2015.[6]

In an interview in 2014, she said[7]

For us, peaceful struggle has been turned into a lethal poison. During the previous three years, many of our members have been brutally killed and thousands have been abducted. Two months back, the chairman of my organization was kidnapped right in front of my eyes. Before that, in 2009, the vice-chairman of our organization Zakir Majeed was kidnapped by the secret services while he was attending a crowded procession. He is still missing. [...] the noose has been tightened around our necks.

In 2015, Baloch went into exile after terrorism charges were filed against her.[5] She was granted asylum in 2016 in Canada where she lived until her death in 2020.[8]

In 2016, Karima was chosen as one of BBC's 100 Women as a political activist who "campaigns for independence for Balochistan from Pakistan".[9][10] Dad Shah and Hatun Bibi inspired her.[7]

Family

Baloch had a brother and a sister.[11] In Toronto, she married a fellow activist, Hammal Baloch (also known as Hammal Haider).[11][3] Several members of her extended family have been linked to the Baloch resistance movement.[11]

Death and investigation

Karima Baloch was last seen on 20 December 2020.[12] On 22 December 2020, she was found dead in Toronto;[13][14] police stated that "her body was found near Lake Ontario, but no further details were given." [15] CBC News reports that a close friend, Lateef Johar, said police "officers had told her family she was found drowned in the water." [16]

Protests demanding an investigation into her death occurred in Balochistan and Canada.[17] Canadian police said they were aware of the concerns around Baloch's death but they had found no evidence of foul play,[17] and concluded that her death was "non-criminal".[18][19]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Baloch activist makes Rakhi appeal, asks PM Modi to be voice of their struggle". India Today. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ "Two Pakistani women made it to BBC's 100 Women 2016 list". Dawn. 23 November 2016. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  3. ^ a b Baloch, Shah Meer; Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (22 December 2020). "Karima Baloch, Pakistani human rights activist, found dead in Canada". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  4. ^ "Baloch activist vocal about Pakistan goes missing, found dead in Toronto". 22 December 2020. Archived from the original on 24 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Karima Baloch: Pakistani rights activist found dead in Toronto". BBC News. 22 December 2020. Archived from the original on 24 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Karima Baloch: Pakistani rights activist found dead in Toronto". BBC News. 22 December 2020. Archived from the original on 24 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  7. ^ a b Hussain, Jahanzeb (10 July 2014). "This woman is leading Baloch students in their struggle for independence from Pakistan". Global Voices. Retrieved 24 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ "Canadian police conclude investigation, term Karima Baloch's death 'non-criminal'". Dawn News. 23 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ BBC 100 Women 2016: Who is on the list? Archived 11 July 2017 at the Wayback Machine, BBC, 7 October 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  10. ^ "Prominent Baloch activist, vocal critic of Pakistan government, found dead in Toronto". Scroll.in. 23 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ a b c "Karima Baloch: Activist's family mourns a 'mountain of courage'". BBC News. 24 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  12. ^ Staff, Scroll. "Prominent Baloch activist, vocal critic of Pakistan government, found dead in Toronto". Scroll.in. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  13. ^ Mukhopadhyay, Ankita (23 December 2020). "Missing Pakistani activist Karima Baloch found dead in Toronto". DW. Retrieved 23 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ "Activist Karima Baloch, vocal about Balochistan's freedom from Pakistan, found dead in Canada". The Indian Express. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  15. ^ "Karima Baloch: Activist's family mourns a 'mountain of courage'". BBC News. 24 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  16. ^ "Missing Pakistani dissident Karima Mehrab found dead in Toronto". 22 December 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  17. ^ a b "Family of activist Karima Mehrab urge thorough investigation into her death". ctvnews.ca. 23 December 2020. Archived from the original on 24 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  18. ^ "Canadian police rule out 'foul play' in Pakistani activist death". Al Jazeera. 23 December 2020. Archived from the original on 24 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.|
  19. ^ "Canadian police conclude investigation, term Karima Baloch's death 'non-criminal'". Dawn News. 23 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)|
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