BLF kills two Pak Army soldiers after an attack on Pak Army camp
The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) launched an attack on a Pak Army camp in the Mashkel area, which resulted in the deaths of two Army personnel.
In a statement released to the media, BLF spokesperson Major Gwahram Baloch said the attack took place on Friday, April 12, in the Nali region of Mashkel in Pak-occupied-Balochistan. “The brave Baloch Sarmarchars (fighters) have killed two personnel of the occupying Army forces in an attack on Friday, April 12, in Mashkel,” Major Baloch said.
He explained that the BLF fighters launched a “sophisticated and heavy attack” on the Pak Army camp stationed in the Nali area. “In the intense attack, two personnel were killed and one was injured,” the spokesperson added.
The BLF statement asserted that the group claims full responsibility for this attack, and vowed that the freedom fighters’ attacks on the Army forces and all of its interests will continue until the complete independence of Balochistan.
To maintain its illegal grip over the region, Pakistan has employed various oppressive tactics, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, profiling and abduction of students, and supporting death squads. In response to these circumstances, Baloch freedom fighters have undertaken an armed struggle against the Pakistani establishment, targeting occupying forces, convoys and infrastructure.
Dubai floods: Cloud seeding; vegetation and drainage gaps
Dubai, known as the financial hub of the Middle East, has been severely impacted by heavy rain and storms, resulting in widespread flooding across the desert nation. The unprecedented rainfall has caused flight delays and diversions, with vehicles stranded on waterlogged roads.
The catastrophic floods in Dubai have followed the heaviest recorded rainfall, reaching approximately 25 cm (10 inches), almost equivalent to the UAE’s typical two-year rainfall.
The heavy rainfall has been attributed to a larger storm system moving across the Arabian Peninsula and advancing over the Gulf of Oman. Scientists suggest that changing climatic conditions and global warming may have exacerbated the intensity of the rain in Dubai and Oman. However, there are at least three factors that may have led the heaviest rain to culminate into worst man-made disaster of Dubai.
Scarce tree cover
Despite its arid climate and limited rainfall, the UAE’s desert landscape, coupled with sparse tree cover, makes it vulnerable to floods as well. The forest cover in UAE is merely 4 per cent of the total land. Trees play a crucial role in absorbing water through their roots, reducing the force and volume of runoff. However, the absence of trees diminishes the soil’s water-absorbing capacity, leading to significant runoff and soil erosion. This erosion further contributes to raised riverbeds or seabeds, increasing the risk of floods.
Although, the initiatives of afforestation were taken but the urge of making UAE a modern dream place with advanced facilities outpaced the desire for sustainable UAE. In 2010, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the vice president and PM of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai announced 1 million tree initiative but that initiative never conceived its goal as, the place of nursery – where the plants would be grown before moving them across Emirates – was decided to be used for building Mall of the World, world’s biggest shopping centre. Later in 2016, plans were improvised to build Jumeirah Central. Hyper-development overpowered the environmental concerns, which were obviously not taken seriously back then.
Drainage system
Dubai’s drainage system has been a longstanding concern. In the 2000s, the city lacked a proper underground drainage system, relying on trucks to evacuate sewage waste from buildings, which often dumped them behind huge sand dunes or grounds outside the city. With time, administration realised the necessity and imminent harm to its prestige and things started to change. As of 2013, 70% of sewage waste was drained through the drainage system while rest 30% was still dependent on sewage truck. Majority of the latter, are the areas of Old Dubai. Though, Dubai has affirmed to get fully functional and proper drainage system by 2025, with a $21.8 billion sewage system plan approved in June 2023, the problem of inadequate drainage system still persists and may have augmented the detrimental consequences of the rainfall and flood.
Cloud seeding
Cloud seeding is another factor widely discussed in relation to Dubai’s weather management. The UAE has been experimenting with cloud seeding since 1982 as a means to enhance precipitation. This technique involves dispersing substances into clouds to stimulate rainfall. Different methods, such as dispersing salts or directing infrared into clouds, can encourage rainfall. While cloud seeding can provide relief to drought-affected areas and support various sectors, it also poses challenges and potential side effects. These include environmental harm, disruption of natural climatic patterns, and uncertainties regarding the effectiveness and duration of rainfall. Despite these challenges, cloud seeding remains a part of Dubai’s adaptive approach to weather management.
Some argue that, the cloud seeding may have impacted the natural cycle of climate with the latest floods as its ill effects.
Lt. Gen. Ayman Bilal Safdar quits Pakistan Army amid rising tensions with Asim Munir
The resignation of Lieutenant General Ayman Bilal Safdar, a contender for the position of chief of the Pakistan Army, has sparked significant controversy within Pakistan. While the country’s mainstream media outlets, often perceived to be under the influence of the military, have largely remained silent on the matter, independent journalists and YouTubers have extensively covered the developments surrounding Lieutenant General Safdar’s departure.
Surprisingly, Lieutenant General Ayman Bilal Safdar had made headlines by accusing the Pakistan Army of electoral rigging during a Corps Commander Conference on March 5, 2024. His unexpected resignation has raised eyebrows, particularly given his status as the commander of GOC 1 Corps in Mangala, with retirement scheduled for 2027. Many in Pakistan speculated him to be the next Army Chief in 2025. So probably, Lieutenant General Safdar’s ambitions for the top military post may have clashed with the plans of current Army Chief General Asim Munir, leading to pressure for his resignation.
Second dismissal of Corps Commander
This incident marks the second dismissal of a corps commander within the Pakistan Army in the past year. Previously, Lieutenant General Salman Fayyaz Ghani was removed from his position as GOC 4 Corps in Lahore following an incident where workers of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, PTI, vandalized the Flag Staff House in Lahore.
Journalist and Pakistan Democracy Forum convener Haider Mehdi has been credited with breaking the news of Lieutenant General Safdar’s resignation. Mehdi provided insights into the timeline of events, revealing that Safdar was abruptly relieved of his duties as commander of GOC 1 Corps on April 4, subsequently being summoned to report to GHQ in Rawalpindi. However, instead of complying, Safdar chose to resign from his post on April 2. His resignation has since been accepted by the Pakistani Army and the President. Currently, Lieutenant General Ayman Bilal Safdar is reported to be in Saudi Arabia for Umrah pilgrimage.
Baloch youth disappear after Pak Army camp summons; missing over a year
In a concerning incident of enforced disappearance, a young man from Awaran district in Pak-occupied-Balochistan has gone missing after being summoned to a Pak Army camp last year.
The missing individual has been identified as Zarif, son of Gumshad, a resident of the Malar area in Awaran. According to Zarif’s family, he was called to the military camp in Gishkaur on April 13, 2023 and was subsequently arrested and taken to an unknown location.
Since then, Zarif’s whereabouts have remained unknown, with his family and the local community desperately seeking information about his fate.
Enforced disappearances have been a persistent and alarming issue in the Pak-occupied-Balochistan province, with numerous cases reported on a daily basis. Baloch nationalist groups have been protesting against these disappearances for years, as the Pak security forces are the ones behind these abductions.
Furthermore, reports from the neighboring areas suggest the same pattern of abuse, where residents are often summoned to military camps and forced to report there every two days. They are also required to seek prior permission from the authorities even for routine travel.
The case of Zarif’s disappearance is the latest in a series of such troubling incidents that is continuing to instil fear and insecurity among the Baloch population.
Pak Army troubles POB residents by conducting another military operation in Dera Bugti
Pak Army have initiated a military operation in the Dera Bugti region of Pak-occupied-Balochistan. Reportedly, Army personnel are conducting thorough searches of residences in various areas of Dera Bugti and are purportedly seizing recently harvested wheat and gram grains belonging to local shepherds.
The military operations are said to be underway in Kordan, Habib Rahi, Landi, Traki, and Siya Aaf of Dera Bugti, with personnel committing human rights violations, crimes, oppressive tactics. Army is conducting raids, loots, physical violence, abductions and brutality. Sher Mohammad Bugti, spokesperson for the Baloch Republican Party (BRP), has confirmed the ongoing military activity in Dera Bugti through a post on social media platform ‘X’.
However, no official information regarding the operation has been provided by the puppet authorities. Many such operations have been conducted by Pak Army in the past in the resource-rich Balochistan province.
While the Army has remained silent on the operation, the local community fears the impending repercussions. With images emerging from Bolan and gripping fear among the residents, a humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the region. Earlier in Feb, Pak Army conducted a military operation in Bolan district and committed rampant violence and turmoil. Military operations have become frequent in Pak-occupied-Balochistan, innocent Baloch community are living in fear and atrocity since the forceful occupation in 1948.
Landmine blast kills 3 innocent children in Waziristan
In a tragic incident, three innocent children, Noor Mohammad, Naqeem-ullah, and Fakhruddin, lost their lives in a landmine blast in the heavily militarized and securitized area of Shawal in Upper Waziristan. This region has been under the tight control of the Pakistan Army, which closely monitors every movement in and out of the area.
It is argued that the military’s presence in the region — on the pretext to maintain security — instills fear among the local population, ultimately leading to depopulation and facilitating Pakistan’s control over the area for its own strategic interests, particularly in fostering terrorist activities.
With due consideration, the families of innocent children killed have pine nut forests at the strategically crucial area.
The installation of landmines, purportedly for security reasons, are instead a death trap for innocent civilians. Local residents denounce these measures as part of Pakistan’s colonial policy, which disregards the lives and well-being of the people in the region.
The landmine explosion on innocent civilians sheds light on the disproportionate use of force by the Pakistan Army within its own territory, while terrorist elements are often harbored and utilized across borders. Such actions raise serious concerns about human rights violations and the militarization of civilian areas, further exacerbating tensions and insecurity in the region.
Families of forcibly disappeared persons by Pak Army protest on Quetta-Karachi highway
The families of Abdul Lateef Bangulzai, Nooruddin Bangulzai, and Faheem Bangulzai have blocked the Quetta to Karachi highway near the Mastung Nawab Hotel, demanding the safe return of their loved ones who have been victims of enforced disappearances.
Abdul Lateef, son of Safar Khan, was forcibly disappeared on June 16, 2023 at an Isplinji Frontier Corps checkpoint while riding a motorcycle to attend a wedding. Nooruddin Bangulzai was forcibly disappeared on July 25, 2013, and his whereabouts have remained unknown since then. Faheem Bangulzai was forcibly disappeared on December 6, 2023.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee, an organisation involved in Baloch rights advocacy, has urged people from Mastung and nearby areas to support the families and speak out against the rise of enforced disappearances in the region.
Sadly, enforced disappearances have become increasingly common in Pakistan-occupied Balochistan, which has long suffered under Islamabad’s control since 1948. Despite the region’s rich resources, Balochistan has faced neglect and oppression from the Pak establishment.
In an effort to maintain power over Balochistan, the Pak Army has resorted to brutal tactics like enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the abduction of Baloch youth and students. They are supporting the notorious death squads in the region.
Former Pakistani minister issues death threats to Baloch students
Former Provincial Minister of Information Jan Muhammad Achakzai issued a threat through his social media post showcasing the true nature of the people in power. In retaliation to the recent deaths, he issued a threat to send the bodies of Baloch students studying in Punjab and those of Baloch residents in Punjab to Pak-occupied-Balochistan.
On his official “X” Twitter handle, he wrote a long threatening message to a Baloch user, stating that if the bodies of Punjabis are sent to Pak-occupied-Balochistan, the bodies of Baloch individuals will also be sent from Punjab. There are numerous Baloch students studying in Lahore, the capital of Punjab, and one crore Baloch people have been residing in southern Punjab for decades.
Later, after realizing that he had instigated the Baloch students through his hateful comment, Achakzai later deleted the tweet. However, the Baloch students and residents living in Punjab and Islamabad have been advised to remain cautious.
Baloch journalist Kiyya Baloch, based in Norway, tweeted that “the real threat to Balochistan is from people like him.”
Human rights activist and lawyer Imaan Mazari said that “it is very alarming that a former provincial minister of Pakistan is threatening the Baloch people with ethnic cleansing on social media.”
Mazari added that “instead of dealing with freedom fighters, these individuals are threatening innocent Baloch students throughout the country, which clearly demonstrates their intentions for ethnic cleansing.”
It is noteworthy that Jan Achakzai is known to be extremely close and supported by the Pak military, having been appointed as the provincial minister of Balochistan on the Army’s recommendation. He has a history of making controversial statements against missing persons.
Abdullah Abbas, the General Secretary of the Human Rights Council of Balochistan, described the former minister’s threats of “genocide Baloch people and target Baloch students in Punjab” as “extremely alarming” and indicative of “a worrying level of hatred” for the Baloch people.
Pak-occupied Balochistan has long suffered under the unlawful control of Pakistan, dating back to 1948. Despite being rich in resources, the region has been neglected by the Pak “establishment”.
In its efforts to maintain control over Pak-occupied Balochistan, the Pak Army has resorted to various oppressive tactics. These include enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the abduction of students. Additionally, reports suggest Pakistan’s support for death squads, further exacerbating the situation.