Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of possible participation in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar on September 19, 2023. India immediately denied these allegations, labelling them ridiculous, and charged Canada with harbouring terrorists. Relationships between the two nations have never been worse due to a diplomatic feud, and neither side is ready to make concessions. India has stopped issuing visas to Canadians and requested that Canada match India’s embassy staffing numbers. The Five Eyes intelligence coalition of Anglo-Saxon nations and Canada are apparently working together to put pressure on India to cooperate with the inquiry.
While any country that upholds the rule of law is required to look into crimes committed within its boundaries, it sometimes happens that some crimes get more attention than others while others are just ignored. Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot and died on June 18, 2023, in front of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurudwara in Surrey, Canada. The investigation into the Nijjar case is still going strong and is getting considerable attention. The situation with Karima Baloch, however, is one of numbing silence. Concerns regarding possible foul play and the safety of Baloch political refugees have been raised in recent years following a string of inexplicable deaths of Baloch dissidents residing overseas. Despite the fact that these fatalities took place in various locations and under various circumstances, the instances’ commonalities have led to requests for more research and global attention.
Karima Baloch, a Baloch freedom activist who had to leave Pakistan in 2016 after receiving threats from Pakistani officials, is one such example. Karima maintained her activities in Canada despite persistent threats to her life. However, she left for a stroll on August 20, 2020, and she never came back. Two days later, her body was discovered close to Lake Ontario. Despite the persistent threats and harassment she had experienced, Toronto Police deemed her death to be non-criminal and that no foul play was suspected.
Karima’s situation brings to light the difficulties Baloch activists who live abroad confront. Her uncle was assassinated as a warning to her, even though she was fighting for refuge. Although she and her family were under constant observation and she often faced threats, Canadian officials chose not to look into the possibility of homicide in her death.
Even in Canada, Karima’s life has always been in danger. Her uncle was murdered in order to convey a message to her when she was seeking sanctuary. She was continually watched in Canada. Her brother, Sameer, remembered an instance when she was in the park with her three-year-old nephew when she received a call that outlined her everyday activities and even tormented her. It is strange that Canadian officials did not look into the possibility of homicide despite multiple threats. Her family and friends persisted in calling for an investigation, but the Canadian police were adamant about wrapping up the case, casting doubt on the country’s dedication to the rule of law.
In previous incidents involving Baloch dissidents, Canada has been accused of being complacent. A clear reminder of Canada’s involvement in dubious practices is the infamous example of Maher Arar’s extraordinary rendition, in which Canadian agencies agreed with the U.S. request to transport him to Syria despite knowing he was not a terrorist.
Similar to this, there are questions about foul play in the deaths of Sajid Hussain Baloch and Saqib Karim Baloch, who occurred in Sweden and Azerbaijan, respectively. Journalist Sajid Hussain vanished in Sweden in March 2020, and he was discovered dead in a river a month later. After fleeing Pakistan, Saqib Karim sought sanctuary in Azerbaijan; his body was later found in Baku by the sea. Even though there were suspicions that Pakistani intelligence agents may have been involved, both deaths were classified as accidental or non-criminal.
The Baloch National Movement (BNM) has demanded that investigations into these fatalities be conducted on a worldwide scale and pleaded with the international community to safeguard the lives of Baloch political refugees abroad from the military and intelligence services of Pakistan. Saqib Karim’s two brothers were also discovered murdered and maimed, the BNM notes, indicating a pattern of targeting Baloch activists and their families.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has highlighted concerns about the possible participation of Pakistani spies in assaults on foreign-based dissidents, using the attack on Pakistani blogger Ahmad Waqass Goraya in the Netherlands as an illustration.
These incidents highlight the necessity of rigorous and unbiased investigations into the overseas killings of Baloch dissidents. All people should be treated equally under the law, regardless of their political views or the nations they seek asylum in. Action must be taken by the international community to guarantee the security of Baloch political refugees and to hold those culpable for these enigmatic killings accountable. These three Baloch asylum seekers’ deaths in different places arouse questions and rumours. The international community must look into these incidents and take action to safeguard the lives of Baloch political refugees abroad from the military and intelligence services of Pakistan.
