Journalist and HRCP Activist Siddiq Eidho and Yousaf Baloch Abducted near Gwadar

Journalist and HRCP Activist Siddiq Eidho and Yousaf Baloch Abducted near Gwadar

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Sign Asian Human Rights Petition, Oct 29, 2010 Two bodies found and eight persons disappeared
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Journalist and HRCP Activist Siddiq Eidho and Yousaf Baloch Abducted near Gwadar

Baloch Hal News | December 22, 2010

PASNI: In another case of ‘enforced disappearance’ of a journalist in Balochistan, a senior member of Pasni Press Club Mohammad Siddiq Eidho and one of his friends Yosuaf Baloch were whisked away by what the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) blamed as personnel working for the country’s intelligence agencies.

According to the details, journalist Siddiq Eidho and another friend of his, Yousaf Baloch, a tailor master by profession, were returning from Gwadar to Pasni in a police van after appearing before a court for a previous case when their van was intercepted by armed people supposedly working for the spy agencies.

When the police men refused to hand over the two persons, the attackers beat up the policemen and took Siddiq and his friend away to an known location. The incident occurred in Karwat area on the Coastal Highway.

Siddiq is a senior member of the Pasni Press Club and an activist of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).

In a statement issued here, the HRCP blamed intelligence agencies for “taking hostage” and expressed “serious concerns” that government agencies would subject Siddiq and his friend to severe torture during their “illegal detention”.

“We demand an early and safe release of the the arrested,” said the HRCP chairman.

In reaction to the enforced disappearance of the Baloch journalist-cum-human rights activist and Yousaf Baloch, a shutter down strike was observed in Pasni. All shops and public offices were shut down to condemn what they billed as abduction.

Addressing an urgent press conference, the family members of Siddiq Eidho was a law-abiding citizen who had appeared before the court in Gwadar to face previous charges. If he was a rebel, said his sister, he would not appear before the court to defend himself.

The family members said they were worried about the fate of Siddiq and his friend in the wake of recent killings of two Baloch journalists.

”The government has even deprived us of our right to live in peace,” said Siddiq’s sister, ” if the government does not trust its own courts then why does it not shut them down?”