PRESS RELEASE

Baloch Human Rights Council strongly condemns the abduction of Mr John Solecki, the Head of UNHCR in Quetta and those responsible for this dastardly act.

It is absolutely bewildering as to how this incident took place under the very noses of the ISI and other secret agencies in one of the most sensitive cities in Pakistan . For five whole days no one claimed any responsibility. However, when the pressure mounted on the secret agencies, suddenly a mysterious organization purporting to be the champion of the Baloch cause, hitherto unbeknown to anyone in Balochistan, claimed responsibility for Mr Solecki's abduction. The credibility of this claim appears to be doubtful at least on two counts. First, in its sixty years' long history the Baloch movement has never used kidnapping as a tactic. Secondly, the pattern and methodology of this venture clearly point to religious fundamentalists and their local allies who enjoy a special relationship with the secret agencies. Does it surprise anyone that Pakistani authorities have so far failed to incriminate these elements? In the wake of Mr Solecki's  kidnapping a government official's pronouncement that he might have been shifted to Afghanistan puts a huge question mark on this whole affair.

We believe that the Islamabad government knows all the facts about the circumstantial details that led to Mr Solecki's abduction.  Aware of the way the Pakistani secret agencies operate, we do not believe that any Baloch group was involved in this incident for the simple reason that it is not the United Nations but the Pakistani state which has persistently denied our people their basic human rights and has been responsible for untold atrocities in Balochistan. Nevertheless, even if a single misguided Baloch person is involved in this unforgivable circumstance we denounce this act most vigorously and demand that Mr Solecki is released immediately and unconditionally.

Dr. Habibullah Malik

President

Baloch Human Rights Council

Dare: 13 February 2009