Issue Red notices against Pak Army Chief, PM, not against Bugti: Rights activist to Interpol

Dubai [United Arab Emirates], Sept. 2 : With the Pakistan Government intensifying its effort to get a Red Notice issued by Interpol against Baloch nationalist leader Brahamdagh Bugti, Baloch human rights activist Mehran Marri on Friday appealed to Interpol to issue Red notices against the Pakistan Chief of the Army Staff, Pakistan Prime Minister, Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence, heads of the Frontier Corps and the Rangers for "committing war crimes" in Balochistan and Sindh.

"I appeal to the Interpol to issue Red notices for Pakistan Chief of the Army Staff Raheel Sharif, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence Lieutenant-General Rizwan Akhtar, heads of the Frontier Corps and Rangers, because they are committing war crimes in Balochistan and Sindh," Marri told ANI.

Stating that it is not the first time that Pakistan has resorted to misinforming international communities, especially other nations, the European Union (EU) or the Interpol, to victimise its opponents, especially Baloch human rights activists and politicians, he said,: "In the past, they had done so; and I am sure, this is what they plan to do again." "Interpol is a credible organisation, which should put the names of Raheel Sharif, Nawaz Sharif, DG-ISI, and heads of the FCs and the Rangers on the list, because these are the war criminals and traffickers living in Pakistan.

They should be put on the list and they should be arrested whenever they leave Pakistan," said Marri, son of influential Baloch nationalist leader late Khair Bakhsh Marri.

Hailing Interpol as an international "credible" organisation, he said, "It knows that Pakistan has misused Interpol in the past to prosecute its political opponents and human rights activists from Balochistan and Baloch nationalists." "Interpol also knows that Pakistan harbours international terrorists like Hafiz Saeed, whereas the Pakistani Government has never requested the Interpol to issue a Red notice to Hafiz Saeed," noted Marri.

"If anyone should be on Red notice of the Interpol list then it should be people like Pervez Musharraf, the dictator, who should be tried for war crimes in Balochistan, and not Baloch nationalists and Baloch human rights activists," he added.

The Pakistan Government has accelerated the process in order to obtain Interpol's Red warrant against Baloch separatist leader and Baloch Republican Party (BRP) founder Bugti, who currently resides in Switzerland.

To complete the Red Notice application requirements for Interpol, the Balochistan Police Department has contacted the Interior Ministry for acquiring the required identification documents of Bugti, reported the Express Tribune.

After the required paperwork is complete, the Pakistan Government would formally contact Interpol for issuing a Red Notice against Brahamdagh for his extradition to the country.

Issue of Interpol notices are followed after international requests are made for cooperation or alerts allowing the police in member countries to share critical crime-related information.

Reports suggest that according to the identification details submitted by the Balochistan Police, the 33-year-old chief of BRP is known in his close circles as "Sahib".

He came to prominence recently after appreciating Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on the human rights violations in Balochistan which has clearly been denounced by Islamabad.

Brahamdagh is the grandson of former Balochistan chief minister Nawab Akbar Bugti, who was killed during a controversial military operation in Kohlu in 2006.

During the operation, he fled to Afghanistan and subsequently moved to Switzerland after Pakistan asked Kabul to hand him over in 2010.

He had reportedly sought political asylum in Switzerland in 2011 but his request was turned down in January 2016, citing Islamabad's decision of declaring him a "terrorist" wanted for multiple attacks.

So far, five separate cases under Sections 120, 121, 123 and 353 of the Pakistan Penal Code have been registered against Baloch separatist leaders, including Brahamdagh, Harbiyar Marri and Banyuk Karima Baloch, for hailing the Indian Prime Minister statements.

Source: ANI