Human Rights Watch director demands probe into death of activist Karima Baloch
Dec 25, 2020
New York [US], December 26 : Condemning the killing of Baloch leader Banuk Karima Baloch in Canada, Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch on Friday emphasised the need for a thorough investigation into the death of the slain activist.
"A thorough investigation is needed as Karima Baloch becomes the second Pakistani dissident from Balochistan living in exile to be found dead this year. Her body is discovered in Toronto. Pakistani authorities had followed and threatened her in Balochistan," Kenneth Roth tweeted.
Karima Baloch's dead body was found in Ontario Lake Toronto harbour front last Monday morning after being missing on Sunday afternoon.
On Friday, the friends of Karima Baloch staged a protest outside the Toronto police headquarters and demanded justice for Karima Baloch.
The protesters were raising the posters "Who killed Karima Baloch? Pakistan", "Pakistan Intelligence Get out of Canada", "Toronto Police Do More Investigation" and "Justice for Karima Baloch".
Despite Christmas eve and COVID-19 lockdown, dozens of protesters managed to gather outside Toronto Police Headquarters.
The protesters rejected Toronto police findings of no foul play about her mysterious death.
The leaders of Hindu Forum Canada, the Committee of Progressive Pakistani Canadians, Indo-Canada Kashmir Council, Hindu Advocacy Council and Progressive Muslim Associations participated in this protest.
Hindu Forum Canada's press note stated that it was a well-known fact that Karima Baloch received many death threats and her family members and friends had been abducted and murdered in Pakistan-occupied Balochistan during the past 20 years.
Amnesty International has called for a thorough investigation into Karima Baloch's suspicious death. She was strong-spirited, and her determination was to beware the world about Baloch human rights abuses carried out by the Pakistan army.
She moved to Canada to save her life but death threats chased her all along and finally, she met a mysterious death fate what her family and friends believe is a heinous act of murder.
Baloch has publicly stated that she was critical of Pakistan's intelligence agency which is notorious for abducting human rights activists inside Pakistan.
