Balochistan [Pakistan] August 14 (ANI): Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ) has rejected the statement issued by Pakistan’s military spokesperson, DG ISPR, following the reported bombing by military fighter jets in the Giddar area of Surab district in Balochistan, alleging that the statement attempted to distort facts and conceal alleged war crimes in the region.
As cited by a BVJ post on X, the organisation accused the DG ISPR of resorting to “extreme exaggeration” and attempting to construct a narrative that contradicts the situation on the ground.
BVJ claimed that the reality surrounding the incident could no longer be concealed by what it described as the distortion of facts.
Referring to an earlier incident involving the Pakistani military in Afghanistan, BVJ alleged that Pakistan’s military had previously targeted a rehabilitation centre and subsequently claimed that militants were present at the facility to justify the operation. The organisation said investigations and a report by Amnesty Asia had raised serious questions over those claims.
Against this backdrop, BVJ called on the United Nations, Amnesty International and other international human rights organisations to conduct an independent and impartial investigation into the Giddar bombing.
According to the BVJ post, such an investigation should establish the facts surrounding the fighter-jet operation in Surab and determine what happened at the site.
The organisation also pointed to what it described as “clear contradictions” between the statement issued by DG ISPR and remarks by Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, saying the differing accounts had raised further questions about the incident.
BVJ alleged that while the military spokesperson was attempting to present the incident from a different perspective and conceal the military operation, Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, whom the organisation described as being supported by the Pakistani establishment, appeared to be congratulating the military over the operation and the resulting civilian deaths.
The organisation further raised concerns over restrictions on access to the affected area, claiming that the site had been sealed off from members of the public, journalists and independent observers.
“if the state has nothing to hide,” BVJ questioned, why were independent media organisations, human rights defenders and international observers were being denied access to the area.
According to the organisation, preserving evidence and facilitating an independent investigation should be the responsibility of the state rather than isolating the affected area from outside scrutiny.
BVJ demanded an immediate, transparent and independent investigation into the Giddar incident. It called for independent observers and journalists to be granted access to the affected area and for all available evidence to be preserved.
The organisation also demanded that those responsible for civilian deaths be identified and held accountable, arguing that no state institution should be permitted to target civilians and subsequently conceal information about the incident.
BVJ further stressed that the protection of civilians, respect for human rights and compliance with international humanitarian law must take precedence over any state or military narrative.
The organisation urged the United Nations and international human rights bodies to intervene immediately and establish independent monitoring and investigations into what it described as incidents of state aggression and civilian killings in Balochistan. (ANI)