Washington: Community members staged a peaceful demonstration outside the US-based Canadian embassy on Tuesday in connection with the death of Balochistan human rights activist Karima Baloch in suspicious circumstances. In a memorandum submitted to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, people in the community said, “People are demanding justice for their leader Karima Mehrab by organizing a massive demonstration in Balochistan. We demand an independent and impartial inquiry into the matter to instill a sense of security among the people of the community. The Baloch community and Karima’s kin are expected to get justice from the Canadian government.”
Waheed Baloch, former president of the Baluchistan Provincial Assembly, said the killing of Karima Baloch in Toronto was inspired by politics. He alleged that she was assassinated by the Pakistani army and the intelligence agency ISI.
Waheed said, “Karima was the voice of the oppressed people of Balochistan. She was a vocal critic of the Pakistani Army and its policies.”
Activist Nabi Bakhsh Baloch said Karima faced serious threats to her life in Pakistan and had sought political asylum in Canada in 2015, where she lived and advocated for the plight of the people of Balochistan.
The Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence agency constantly intimidated her in Canada by sending threatening messages to harm her and the family. Her family was targeted in Pakistan and her uncle was arrested, tortured and executed extrajudicially while in custody. Baloch leaders are being assassinated by Pakistani military death squads. We cannot rule out a targeted assassination as the cause of her sudden death,” Nabi Baksh Baloch added.
Earlier on Friday, hundreds of people descended on the streets of the city of Balochistan in protest against the killing of Baloch leader Karima Baloch.