Category — Bugti

Dr Wahid Baloch is President of the Baloch Society of North America and is considered close to many senior leaders in Pakistan and Iran. He is a medical professional living in Florida . He spoke to Nagesh Bhushan of the Rediff.com on the recent Indo-Pak joint statement in Egypt and what it means for the Baloch fight for freedom.

Question:The recent Indo-Pak joint statement in Egypt raised considerable ruckus in India for including restive province of Pakistan, Balochistan. Do you think that Baloch issue is internationalised by this?

Answer: Depends on what you mean by internationalised? If you think internationalising means people around the world came to know about what is going on inside Balochistan, then yes, but if you mean recognition of Baloch struggle for freedom by United Nations or world leaders, then no. At this point, neither the UN nor the world leaders have recognised Balochistan as an illegally occupied land which the Baloch people are demanding.

Question: In Pakistan some groups questioned not including Kashmir in the joint statement. Why do you think Kashmir was excluded?

Answer: The Kashmir issue is created by Pakistan. There is no Kashmir issue. Unlike Balochistan, which is an occupied land, Kashmir was and is an integral part of India. Kashmiri separatist religious movements only exists and is based in Pakistani occupied Kashmir, where the Inter Services Intelligence and military men train Kashmiri terrorists and send them to India to kill innocent people.

Question: Is India aiding the Baloch struggle?

Answer: No, not yet. We have not seen any help coming from India or any other country so for, but we ask all the nations including India to help us and support our just cause for freedom.

Question: In the past Pakistan made similar allegations that they had proof of Indian involvement in the Baloch region but didn’t produce any evidence. Why do you think Pakistan included Balochistan in joint statement now?

Answer: Pakistan is trying to divert the attention of Indian government and world community from its involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks and other Taliban sponsored activities. They also want to use this ‘threats in Balochistan’ and ‘Indian involvement’ as a pretext to pave the way to intensify their ongoing military operation in Balochistan and to justify their inhuman barbaric actions against the Baloch people.

Question: If not India then who is arming the Baloch militants?

Answer: Nobody is arming the Baloch people. These are baseless allegations of Pakistan to use as pretext to continue their aggression against the defenseless Baloch people. Arms are available in open market, in fact everywhere in Pakistan. If you have the money, you can buy a tank, even in Islamabad, Lahore or in Karachi. Corrupt Pakistani military men will bring it to you at your doorstep. You don’t have to go get it. They will sell you anything for money.

Question: Is there any rationale in Pakistan’s allegations about India arming Baloch militant groups while seriously engaging in negotiation with Iran and Pakistan on the gas pipeline?

Answer: Pakistan’s creation was the biggest blunder of history, it is an artificial country. How can you expect an irrational Pakistan to talk and act with some sense of rationale?
As for as the gas pipeline is concerned, the Baloch people cannot guarantee its safe passage through Balochistan, because the final beneficiary of this pipeline is the Pakistani military and the Iranian regime — not the people of Balochistan. We are in the midst of our freedom struggle against Pakistan, therefore it is advisable for India to exercise caution before investing in this project.

Question: Do you support the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline?

Answer: I will support anything that benefits the Baloch people and Balochistan. But as I said we cannot guarantee safe passage now. We do not support Pakistan to continue loot and plunder our resources and treat us as one of their colonies.

Question: The Iranian Baloch group Jundullah uses religion to fight against the Shia state. Pakistani-based groups are considered secular and never use religion in their struggle against Pakistan. Do you support acts of Jundullah?

Answer: No. Jundullah is a terrorist organisation. I strongly denounce Jundullah and its activities. Jundullah is being funded by Pakistani ISI to counter the secular nationalist Baloch movement. Jundullah must stop its radical activities which are detrimental to the Baloch cause. Jundullah must be replaced by a Baloch nationalist secular movement in Iranian-occupied Balochistan.

http://news.rediff.com/interview/2009/aug/04/inter-india-is-not-helping-the-baloch-freedom-struggle.htm

By Kamila Hyat
We are all accustomed to the many words of wisdom delivered periodically by our interior minister. His recent orders banning ‘anti-government’ emails and SMS texts inspired acts of great public creativity, as the surge of messages and jokes sent out across the country grew in number. The primary targets did not change.

But sometimes the comments made by our ministers leave one aghast. The assurance that the establishment of ‘check-posts’ on the Balochistan-Afghanistan border would bring ‘good news’ from that province is among these remarks. Despite the recent capture of an alleged Baloch suicide bomber who stated he had been trained in Afghanistan and insinuations that insurgency in the province is linked to Indian intervention backed by Kabul, most of us know the problem simmers on within Balochistan itself. It is perfectly possible the Indians and their allies in Afghanistan have played some part in stirring the bubbling cauldron and keeping it simmering. The arms that flood Balochistan have after all come from somewhere. New Delhi we know is perfectly capable of seeking to destabilise its neighbour. But the ‘outside’ elements involved in Balochistan use the tensions that exist in the region to further their purposes. If we are to solve the issues of our largest province, this is a reality we must squarely face up to. Shying away from it will only add to the difficulties we confront as a federation and as a nation made up of people from many diverse cultures.

Over the past two months, six eminent academics have died in Balochistan. The victims appear to have been targeted on the basis of their ethnicity. Some had lived in the province for years. This of course is extremely bad news. There is immense potential for inter-communal strife in Balochistan. Pre-dominantly Pakhtun orthodox groups, some of whom have links to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan have already been using this card to rally support among the large number of non-Baloch settlers. Handbills call for ‘Islam to be defended’ against ‘infidels’. There are insinuations that the Baloch are ‘bad’ Muslims and ‘bad’ citizens. Other racial slurs circulate widely, with echoes picked up too in other provinces. The potential then for still more instability in the country’s most troubled province is immense. There has as yet been no meaningful effort to dampen the fires. The conference involving all Baloch parties that the prime minister had promised to convene has, oddly, not been called. The continued blockage of Baloch nationalist websites means such groups are denied even the basic right to be heard and to make their views known. The Senate has been told Baloch nationalists will not be involved in any process of talks. This of course means less possibility of a solution and a greater likelihood that the intense rage in Balochistan will not be quietened.

The extent of the feelings that exist is now not hidden. Nationalist leader Hyrbyair Marri has said in London that he does not recognise Pakistan, Brahamdagh Bugti, the fiery grandson of the late Nawab Akbar Bugti, has used still stronger language and former chief minister Akhtar Mengal has scoffed at the notion of provincial autonomy, insisting that this will not now be enough. These words hurt ‘patriots’; perhaps they incite immense fury in some places. But we need to keep our calm, to reassess what we mean by patriotism and whether a federation within which so much angst exists can be indefinitely held together. It is in the interests of Pakistan – and the Baloch – to create more harmony between the units that make up the state. This can happen only by bringing the nationalists into the process of dialogue and accepting that their views are backed by people across the province. It is for this reason foolhardy to ignore the nationalists. The fact is that in homes, faded pin-ups of ‘heroes’ such as slain nationalist fighters decorate walls or appear unexpectedly atop washing machines and refrigerator doors. The people who have placed them there, the ordinary citizens who passionately believe their province has been discriminated against, need to be won over and somehow persuaded that they can play a meaningful role in a unified state.

It has been argued Balochistan cannot on its own survive. This may be accurate and there are also statistics which bring into question the number of ethnic Balochis in their home territory. The old bogey of East Pakistan and the ethnic hatreds that flared up there have been raised in the senate. Good advice on the need to talk to all groups there has also been given in the Upper House. But there is as yet no evidence that it will be taken or strategy altered. Sometimes one wonders who is calling the shots in Balochistan. Both the president and the prime minister have suggested sensible measures to solve the problems. It is a mystery why there has been no attempt to follow up on these; why missing people have not been tracked down or major dissident forces asked to sit around a table and discuss the issues that exist.

There are compelling reasons why this should happen. The unrest in Balochistan opens up doors and corridors that can be used to interfere in what is happening. India and Afghanistan have been identified as culprits, and with possible reason. But the US too has its eyes on this part of the world. Some think tanks have proposed a break-up of the region as a means to ‘tame’ both Iran and Pakistan. This may not happen immediately. But a US role in Balochistan and some kind of tie-in with nationalists is not a possibility that can be completely disregarded. It is something we need to be wary of. The best counter-strategy against any moves from outside quarters, no matter where they may be based, is of course to dampen the resentments in Balochistan.

If this were not reason enough to do more than setting up barricades at the borders, we need to keep tracks too on the Taliban threat. The extent of the dangers this poses have been highlighted by the fiery battles in Swat and other places. There is still no accurate assessment of the death and destruction that has resulted. There is a risk that we may yet see further conflict, focused in Waziristan. Acting against nationalists in Balochistan – many of whom espouse secular values – could open up space for the Taliban. They have already demonstrated they have a base in the province. Gatherings of their leaders have taken place openly even in Quetta.

This looming threat makes it all the more imperative that Balochistan be calmed. The only way to do this is to engage all players in an open discussion. A failure to do this may not result in the break-up of the federation; the state of Pakistan will almost undoubtedly be able to hang on to Balochistan, if necessary through force. But we must ask if the energy and effort necessary to do this weakens the nation in the longer run and adds to the many problems it already faces on far too many fronts. http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=190512

By Kamal Siddiqi The writer is editor reporting, The News
When Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who was recently snubbed by the prime minister on the SMS censorship issue, says that he has good news about Balochistan, we should be worried. So far, the People’s Party government has been unable to live up to the expectations of either the Baloch people or the settlers there. In fact, it has become part of the problem there.

President Zardari tell us that he can solve the problem because it is a political issue. He assures us that since he is half Baloch himself, he can fully comprehend what the issues are. But so far, apart from the initiative taken by the president in his first months in office, things are not getting better in Pakistan’s largest and most resource-rich province. In fact, they are getting worse.

People in towns and cities across Balochistan live in fear of what the future holds for them. Many families, a significant number of them Baloch, have moved to Karachi so that they can live more peaceful lives. There have been a marked number of admissions in Karachi schools of children who were previously studying in Balochistan. People have moved houses and businesses – possibly, this silent migration was behind tensions with the Baloch in Karachi last year.

As tensions rise, the death toll climbs in Balochistan. Several hundred people have been killed over the past couple of years, ostensibly by Baloch nationalists who want to rid the province of outsiders.

We are not sure entirely who killed these innocent people, many of whom did not even know why they were being targeted. People tell of horror stories where buses had been stopped and outsiders identified and shot. Is this what Pakistan is being reduced to? How much of these actions are a genuine expression of anger, and how many are “inspired”?

The settlers are not the only victims. An unknown number of ethnic Baloch people, many of whom possibly have nothing to do with the conflict that has now taken root there, are also missing. We all know what happened when the courts tried to take up this issue. And many Pakistanis don’t want to go that route again. But the question is, which route do we take from here.

The feeling of alienation amongst the Baloch has not come overnight. Neither is this the first time the Baloch have complained of being neglected and short- changed. It is an irony that can only happen in Pakistan, that Sui gas reached Murree first and was supplied to Quetta later. Baloch grievances are not addressed and are taken lightly.

Take, for example, the parliamentary committee that was formed to look into the complaints of the people of Balochistan. The members of this committee, which was formed in Gen Musharraf’s time, themselves say that their work is not taken seriously. And then we wonder why the Baloch are angry.

There is practically no concept of governance in Balochistan. A chain of successive chief ministers have only complied with what Islamabad has directed them to do. The same is the case with governors and the entire Balochistan government machinery. Any initiative to address the complaints of the Baloch or find local solutions is met with resistance in Islamabad. The fate of Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch, who lasted only six months as governor, is well known. There can be no home grown solutions.

The government in Balochistan has a simple formula — live and let live. In several instances in the past, almost all members of the Balochistan Provincial Assembly were made ministers. These ministers were never held accountable for their actions or spending. As a consequence, the province is almost always broke. But the politicians and ministers – both from the left and the right – have made lots of hay.

The irony of Balochistan is that despite being rich in terms of resources, its government is always facing financial problems. Apart from the gas from which it gets little or no royalty, its others minerals – – like gold and copper – are silently siphoned away while the people of the province remain one of the poorest in Pakistan. But that is half the story – the resources that the province does get are spent on idiotic schemes and for the benefit of the leaders. The people get next to nothing.

To give credit where it is due, President Musharraf was the force behind the coastal highway. It is one of Pakistan’s most scenic and strategic roads. And yet, the dream of Gwadar as a coastal dreamland crashed the day he resigned from office. Gwadar is now slowly receding back into oblivion.

It is also an irony, and one which shows how desperate the people are – that the same tribal chieftains who exploit the poor are also now seen as champions of the people. They are leading the struggle against the Centre. Given that their priorities are different from those of the common Baloch man and woman, one can only see where this leads to.

For most Pakistanis, however, the questions are deeper. For how long will we allow the government to mishandle the issues in Balochistan? Why, may we ask, have those who in 2005 criminally assaulted Dr Shazia in Sui not still brought to book? If President Musharraf needs to be brought to book, it should be for interfering with the due process of law by exonerating an army official from the case on television, at a time when investigations were being conducted.

In the same light, why have we not brought to book people who in 2008 buried five women alive for the “crime” of deciding who they should marry? Why has President Zardari not taken action against the provincial minister who was involved in this crime, given that the minister is from the PPP? If nothing else, the president should take a leaf out of Mian Nawaz Sharif’s book who sacked a Punjab MPA for credit card fraud.

We want to know what became of the investigation into the killings of Ghulam Muhammad Baloch, Lala Munir Baloch and Sher Muhammad Bugti, three Baloch leaders whose bodies were found in Turbat in April this year. These honourable men were members of a committee formed by the government to investigate the case of missing persons in the province, notably abducted UN worker John Solecki, who was later freed.

Rehman Malik now tells us that India is behind the troubles in Balochistan. This is an insult to the people of the province, because their grievances are genuine. Instead of addressing these problems, Islamabad is once again looking for scapegoats on the one hand and absolving itself of past sins on the other.

By playing the India card, Islamabad wants to kill many birds. First, it wants to prove that India too has been up to mischief. It wants to tell the world that Pakistan is not the only country where terror outfits are bred and tolerated. Islamabad also wants to tell people at home that the troubles in Balochistan are only because of external forces. With this premise, any action that Islamabad may contemplate in the province would have the endorsement of the people.

While India may have some role to play in creating trouble, the problem actually lies with us. We need to wake up to Balochistan. If we do not do this soon, outside forces – and not just India as our leaders claim, will exploit the situation. While our leaders neglect Balochistan, the province is of particular interest to others. For the Taliban, for India and Afghanistan, for Iran as well as China and for America. All for their own reasons. How long can we blame others for what are essentially our own failings? http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=190049