Every state’s first responsibility is to the weakest members of society. Over the last few months, twice coalminers in Balochistan have been murdered by militants. On August 24, three coalminers were murdered in Marwar, Balochistan. In January of this year, 11 coal miners were kidnapped by armed militants and shot dead in Mach. Further, in April of this year there was the discovery of the remains of 16 coal miners in Shangla, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who were abducted and murdered almost a decade ago.
A statement issued by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) noted with grave concern “that the government continues to neglect coal miners’ right to life and security of person in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This is a grim reminder that miners’ lives have long been considered expendable. Not only must they contend with hazardous working conditions, but they are also at great risk as a result of poor law and order in remote mining areas, where militant groups commonly extort protection money from colliery owners.”
HRCP also demanded a swift inquiry into the Marwar killings and asked for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
