Baloch House

Jun 24, 2020 | Chris Burt
Much of the digital security apparatus operated in Xinjiang by China’s government, including biometric facial recognition, is making its way into cities in Pakistan as part of “smart city” or “safe city” projects as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), writes The Interpreter.The CPEC is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which now includes more than 3,000 projects, 60 percent of which have begun. Agreements have been signed by 126 countries and 29 international organizations. Islamabad, Peshawar, Lahore, Quetta, Karachi and Gwadar have all implemented Chinese smart city technology. Lahore installed Huawei’s technology for its project, which includes 8,000 CCTV cameras with facial recognition, automated vehicle license plate recognition and multiple tracking options. A fiber-optic cable between the two countries is being built, and Pakistan is reported to be considering Chinese-style internet regulations and a national firewall to control …

24 JUNE 2020Dr Qaisar Rashid, FDI Associate
Background On 8 June, the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) group staged a protest in front of the Quetta Press Club to mark the annual Baloch Missing Persons’ Day. The event was a scene of great sadness, with much wailing on the part of the siblings and mothers of the missing persons. Some members of the public also joined in to show solidarity with the aggrieved families.Some families of Baloch missing persons made their appearances and narrated heart-wrenching stories, which are making the rounds on social media. One of the voices was of a Baloch girl called Haseeba Qambrani, one of whose brothers had been picked up some time ago by the security forces and was returned as a dead mutilated body. Another two of her brothers have been missing since 14 February 2020. She fears that they may also be tortured to death.Qambrani said, ‘In other countries, the government supports their youth, but our brothers, for the education of whom we sist…