The Joint Action Committee (JAC) Karachi, comprising dozens of different civil and Human Rights organizations, and NGOs, has endorsed the strike call for September 1, given by the opposition parties and also backed the black day call issued by the Sindh Qaumi Ittehad (SQI) on Thursday (Aug 31).

The approval was announced at a joint press conference held at the Karachi Press Club by the HRCP Secretary General, Iqbal Haider, accompanied by Karamat Ali of PILER, Nasir Mansoor of Labour Education Foundation, Raheel Iqbal of PPP and others.

These decisions, they said, were taken by the JAC at its meeting held a day earlier at HRCP office to consider the most disastrous and alarming conditions in Balochsitan and evolve strategy that JAC would participate in all those demonstrations, protests, rallies and strikes called to condemn the brutal killing of Baloch nationalist leader and head of JWP, Nawab Akber Bugti and would condemn the government for its inhuman, unlawful, and unconstitutional conduct.

While expressing grave concern over the continuing operation by the army and/or paramilitary forces in Balochistan, particularly after the shocking and tragic incident of August 26, the killing of Nawab Akber Bugti and his companions, has pushed the political situation of the country towards 1971 warlike situation of alienation and civil strife, he apprehended, adding that military operation in 1971 had resulted in dismemberment of the country and consequences of the present operation in Balochsitan were equally disastrous, if it was not withdrawn forthwith.

They also expressed concerned over the use of disproportionate and indiscriminate force and use of highly sophisticated unconventional weapons by the law-enforcement agencies, and demanded of the government to halt the army operation in Balochistan right away.

The JAC demanded of the government to hand over the mortal remains of Nawab Akber Bugti and his companions and other persons who lost their lives in the military operation of August 26 to their next-of-kin.

The meeting, they said, also demanded of the government to form an independent commission comprising impartial respected citizens from the civil society, to probe the causes as well as the facts and circumstances of Nawab Bugti’s death. It further demanded immediate access to the areas of the military operations in particular the spot of murder of Bugti to independent civilians, including members of the Human Rights organizations, lawyers, journalists, teachers, and engineers.

They said the meeting also demanded immediate cessation of the ongoing military operations in Balochistan, harassment, victimization, arrests and detentions of Baloch communities and their supporters in other provinces.

While strongly condemning the targeted killing of Bugti, they pointed out the grave violations of Human Rights in Balochistan, in particular the abduction and disappearance of the Baloch and Sindhi nationalists, their victimization, torture, illegal detention demanded of the government for immediate unconditional release. They also said that full provincial autonomy to all the four provinces that was guaranteed for all the federating units, should be given without which, country’s security is at stake.

They disclosed that meeting resolved that the resolution of all the outstanding issues, causes and disputes concerning Balochistan and its resources through political negotiations and transparent dialogues peacefully, as he said that a year before the parliamentary committee which was set up under Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Mushahid Hussain did not submit parliamentary report in the national assembly, thus precipitating the present situation. Had the findings of that committee been submitted in the parliament, the incident of such severity would never have occurred, he remarked.

Those who participated in the meeting and endorsed the strike call included, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Labour Education Foundation (LEF), Pakistan Institute for Labour Education and Research (PILER), Aurat Foundation, Pak-India People’s Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIFFPD), Shirkat Gah, Roots for Equity, Takheeq Foundation, Urban Resource Center, Labour Party Pakistan, Communist Party of Pakistan, Aahung, Action Aid, All Pakistan Trade Union Federation, Amnesty International, Karachi, Forum of Democracy, International Socialist Groups, Irtiqa, Democratic Lawyers Association, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) , Pakistan Muslim League (N), Pukhtoon Students Federation (PkSF), Pakistan Trade Unions Defence Campaign, Pakistan Trade Unions Federation, Pakistan Women Lawyer’s Association, Peoples’ Labour Bureau, Progressive Youth Front, War Against Rape, and Women’s Action Forum (WAF).

The joint declaration demanded of the government to make all fact-finding investigations public on the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti without any further delay. On this occasion, he also said that government must give due rights of the provinces as were sanctioned in the 1940 Pakistan Resolution.

Later, after press conference, representatives of all JAC members’ organizations participated in a protesting demonstration against brutal killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti and military operation in Balochistan, which was arranged by Awami National Party (Sindh Chapter) in front of Karachi Press.