The Vocal Media

Hi, I’m Sami Parvez, and welcome to the Vocal Media Podcast.

We cover and highlight the news and social and political issues regarding the voiceless people of Balochistan in this podcast.

This is podcast number two.

Let's take a look at the headlines of this week.

· After 10 days of the brutal killing of a university student, Hayat Baloch in Turbat, justice is yet to be delivered.

· Pakistani security forces whisked away 25 Baloch civilians including women and children.

· And A massive military operation is going on in several places in Balochistan for almost two weeks.

You are listening to the Vocal Media Podcast.

In Turbat, Pakistani paramilitary force killed a university student, Hayat Baloch, on August 13th. In the reaction of Hayat’s brutal killing, a large number of students, teachers, civilians, and human rights activists protested throughout Pakistan and also in Germany and Netherland. The protesters demanded all the culprits should be brought to justice and the government should ensure that such a tragic incident must not happen ever again. The demonstrators also asked Pakistani paramilitary force should be removed from the populations’ areas of Balochistan and must be shifted towards boarders. After more than 10 days the justice is yet to be delivered in the Hayat Baloch’s assassination case.

Pakistani security forces whisked away more 25 Baloch civilians including women and children in the third week of August from different regions of Balochistan. The Vocal Media is tracking the Baloch Missing person disappearances, since May 1st2020, where the total number of abductions are 245 people and released 54, so far. There is no report on their well-being and whereabouts.

Pakistan’s army is conducting a massive military operation in many areas of Balochistan, like in the surrounding areas of Panjgur, Washuk, Mashkay, Awaran, and District Kech for almost two weeks.

The security forces burned down many residents’ houses, wheat, and fields in the Gichk area of Panjgur. It is also being reported that security forces added poison to the spring water in the mountains areas of Gichk, Washuk, and Mashkay. Due to this poisoning water, many cattle and other animals died. The people of Balochistan are helpless; where there is no one to listen to their plea.

The international media and organizations are banned to visit in Balochistan and local media doesn’t give coverage on such critical issues and the online newspapers which give coverage are censored by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.

Background Music Credit: Ustad Rasool Bakhsh Fareed

Hi, I’m Sami Parvez, and welcome to the Vocal Media Podcast.

We cover and highlight the news and social and political issues regarding the voiceless people of Balochistan in this podcast.

This is podcast number one.

Let's take a look at the headlines of this week.

· Last Thursday, a university student, Muhammad Hayat Mirza was brutally killed by Pakistani paramilitary force in Turbat.

· In the second week of August,  22 Baloch civilians were forcibly disappeared by Pakistani security forces

· At the midnight of Friday, in Surab, Baloch human Rights Activist, Abdul Qadeer Baloch house was attacked as a result one person got injured.

You are listening to the Vocal Media Podcast.

Last Thursday, August 13th, Muhammad Hayat Mirza, a 25-year-old, was shot eight times and killed in a date farm by Pakistani paramilitary force, Frontier Corps soldiers after an IED explosion on their convoy. Muhammad Hayat was a final year BS student in the Department of Physiology at the University of Karachi.

According to local sources and eyewitnesses, last Thursday morning, the victim Hayat Mirza was working on a date farm along with his father, mother, and younger brother. Pakistani paramilitary force, Frontier Corps convoy was attacked by the Baloch militant group, in an IED attack on a road near to the date farm, “when they were heading toward Abdarak camp,” Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed in a press release, which is an armed separatist group, struggling for the independence of Balochistan.

After that attack Pakistan’s military squads had begun operation in the surrounding areas and entered in the farm where Mr. Mirza along with his family were working, the security forces directly went towards Hayat Mirza and slapped him then started brutally beating him with punches and kicks then dragged him towards the road. His parents pleaded to the security forces that he’s innocent but they didn’t listen to them at once, an eye witness said. One security personal snatched the Hayat’s mother's headscarf when she was pleading for his son and the FC personnel tied his hands, eyes and dragged him on the road. One FC man put his boots on his face and pumped 8 bullets.

This is not the only case; the security forces committed such crimes previously. Similarly, in the same area of Aapsar, seven years ago security forces raided in a house and killed Baloch National Movement leader Imdad Bojair and Baloch Students Organization Azad Secretary General Raza Jahangir in the eye witness of family members.

In the second week of August, 22 Baloch civilians were forcibly disappeared by Pakistani security forces in several regions of Balochistan and Sindh; one of them bullet-riddled dead body was found in the Buleda area of District Kech which was identify as, a young man, Rahim Dad who was enforced disappeared along with other two persons from Buleda.

In Surab, at the midnight of August 14th, the House of Abdul Qadeer Baloch, better known as Mama Qadeer, the human rights activist, was attacked by security forces dressed in the uniform of local levies force. Due to the attack, Mama Qadeer’s grandson was wounded. Mr. Qadeer is the Vice Chairman of the Voice For Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) who is raising voice against the enforced disappearances of Baloch civilians.

So that is this week's podcast, catch you in the next one. Stay tuned.

Background Music Credit: Ustad Rasool Bakhsh Fareed

This is episode zero and an introduction to The Vocal Media Podcast which is a weekly podcast. The purpose of this podcast is to cover and highlight the news and social and political issues regarding the voiceless people of Balochistan. 

Please join in and share this podcast with your family and friends so that we can be the voice of voiceless.

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