India on Thursday condoled the death of Karima Baloch, a noted Pakistani political activist who had extensively worked for the rights of people of Balochistan. Baloch, who was living in exile in Canada, was found dead in Toronto, according to the recent Pakistani media reports.
“I have seen the reports about the death of Ms Karima Baloch, a noted Baloch activist. Our condolences to the family. It is not for us to comment on this matter. But I understand, her family has sought an investigation,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at a media briefing. The spokesperson was asked about the death of Baloch as well as how a section of the Pakistani media is trying to put the blame on India for her death.
A vocal critic of the Pakistani government and powerful military, Baloch had campaigned extensively against disappearances of people and human rights violations in Balochistan. In 2016, she was named on BBC’s list of 100 inspirational women with the channel noting that at 30, Baloch was the first woman to become the leader of the Balochistan Student Organisation.
She left Pakistan in 2015, after terrorism charges were levelled against her. The 37-year-old activist had gone missing on Sunday, and her family had filed a missing person complaint at a local police station in Toronto. Reacting to Baloach’s death, Amnesty International South Asia said in a tweet “the death of activist Karima Baloch in Toronto, Canada is deeply shocking and must be immediately and effectively investigated. The perpetrators must be brought to justice without recourse to the death penalty.”
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