Baloch activist Karima Baloch, who escaped Pakistan in 2016 to take refuge in Canada, was found dead. Baloch, a dissident went missing on Sunday, her family said. She was found dead at Harbourfront. The police found her body drowned off an island just near Toronto’s lakeshore.
Forty days of mourning has been announced by the Baloch National Movement for the activist. Baloch’s body was identified by her husband Hammal Haider and her brother.
The Baloch National Movement said the death of the former chairperson of the Baloch Student Organisation is a great loss to the Baloch nation and the national movement.
Baloch, known to be a pioneer of women’s activism in the region, has been critical of Pakistan Army and government atrocities in Balochistan. She has also presented the issue of Balochistan in the United Nations sessions in Switzerland. Pakistani Army has been accused of grossly violating human rights by abducting and killing several innocents in the resource-rich Balochistan. The region has been in a state of insurgency for more than15 years.
The Balochistan Post said Karima’s death has raised serious concerns.