“The Pakistan Army started military operations in Balochistan in 2001 to construct the cantonments and to have full control over the seaport of Gwader and routes connecting the Central Asian countries with those in South Asia. During this time, the clampdown in Balochistan has become serious. According to a January 2006 statement by Senator Sanaullah Baloch, at least 180 people have died in bombings, 122 children have been killed by paramilitary troops and hundreds of people have been arrested since the beginning of the campaign in early 2005. On Dec 8, 2005, the federal interior minister stated that some 4,000 people had been arrested in Balochistan since the beginning of 2005. This was the report of the Asian Human Rights Commission on May 2, 2006. Two years later, in its statement of May 6, 2008, the AHRC states: “Of all of the country’s provinces, Balochistan was the worst hit by the violence perpetrated by the armed forces, including the Army and Air Force. Since 2001 hundreds of people have been killed in aerial bombardments which allegedly utilised American-made and -supplied F16 fighter-bombers. At the same time the land forces displaced thousands of people in order to construct their cantonments and for the land of the Gwader Port Project. The political and nationalist forces are claiming that at least 4,000 persons are missing after arrests and 200,000 persons have been...
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