View from Pakistan
Balochistan, Pakistan’s south western province, has evoked much interest among players of regional politics. The US, India, former Soviet Union and even Afghanistan have toyed with the idea of Balochistan becoming an independent state in their geo-strategic interests.
Located very close to the oil lanes of the Persian Gulf and having a common border with Iran and Afghanistan, Balochistan is strategically very important. Commanding almost the entire coast of the country – 470 miles of the Arabian Sea, and boasting of a deep sea port recently completed with Chinese assistance at Gawadar, Balochistan comprises 43% of Pakistan’s total area but is home to just over 5% of the population, 50% of whom are ethnic Pashtuns.
A tribal society, Afghanistan has always been ruled autocratically by sardars (tribal chiefs), some 250 of them, who have kept their people backward, illiterate and deprived. Mainly three sardars of Bugti, Marri and Mengal tribes have been in revolt against the federation from time to time in their bid to maintain the status quo by blocking the federal government’s efforts of development or democratization. Although they held positions of power as chief ministers of their province from time to time, they neither did anything significant for their people nor did they remain part of the political process. To perpetuate their despotic rule, they decided to part ways with the federation. Other moderate sardars either chose to side with the federation or stayed neutral.
Reluctance of successive federal governments to promote genuine federalism for fear of compromising national unity in the belief that ‘a strong center would guarantee a strong federation’ proved a fallacy. The dissidents used this to inflame nationalist sentiments and demands for greater provincial autonomy and control over the province’s natural resources turned into a demand for independence.
President Musharraf invited the Chinese to finance and build the deep sea port at Gawadar south of Balochistan. This was aimed at generating economic activity in Balochistan and facilitating the Chinese to import oil and raw materials from the Middle East and Africa and export goods through a land corridor extending from Gawadar to China’s Sinkiang province. They were also encouraged to build an oil refinery in Gawadar and allowed to mine minerals in Balochistan. This, Musharraf hoped, would bring financial independence to people and empower them, keep the trouble makers out, and serve as the precursor of another enormous economic opportunity – a trade corridor for Central Asia, particularly for its oil and gas.
The dissident sardars rose up in arms in an effort to destroy the project and its profound impact on Balochistan’s economy for fear of losing their hold on the people. In a sustained campaign, aided and abetted by outside interests opposed to Gawadar port, fears were expressed that this was an effort to colonize Balochistan.
In this backdrop, a low intensity insurgency has festered in Balochistan for a few decades now.
India began meddling in Afghanistan in the mid 1970s. After helping East Pakistan to secede in 1971 by fostering an insurgency, India tried the same model in Balochistan – exploiting the disaffection between the state and the dissident sardars. The aim was to deny Pakistan the energy resources, bleed it economically, and fragment it ultimately. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) – the most active insurgent group today, made its debut in 1973. Arms from the former Soviet Union found their way into the province and many insurgents were clandestinely trained and educated there.
Down the road India became concerned at the development of Gawadar port. Besides making the Baloch people economically independent, the port was to be of strategic importance to the Pakistan Navy, which would have an alternate port further west of Karachi. India did not like the Chinese presence at Gawadar. This would interfere with its aim of controlling the Indian Ocean region with its upcoming blue water navy.
Leaders of Baloch insurgencies have publicly listed India among their sponsors. Brahamdagh Bugti, a BLA leader, said that he accepted assistance from India and Afghanistan to defend the Baloch nationalist cause. In a statement, Wahid Baloch, President of Baloch Society of North America, said, “We love our Indian friends and want them to help and rescue us from tyranny and oppression. In fact, India is the only country which has shown concern over the Baloch plight. We want India to take Balochistan’s issue to every international forum, the same way Pakistan has done to raise the so-called Kashmiri issue. We want India to openly support our just cause and provide us with all moral, financial, military and diplomatic support.” Not to be left behind was the former RAW agent B. Raman who wrote this to Sonia Gandhi: “struggle for an independent Balochistan is part of the unfinished agenda of the partition”.
With Afghanistan coming under US occupation, Mossad, MI6 and the CIA jumped into the fray with an agenda of Greater Balochistan, providing new partners to India. Small pockets of local resistance mushroomed into organized foreign funded, armed groups, which were discretely supported by the three dissident tribal chiefs. As a hub for joint operations, India established a ring of 26 consulates along the Balochistan border in Afghanistan and Iran that began funding, training and arming the dissidents.
The insurgent groups are not led by common Balochis but by the scions of the three rebel chiefs who are in line to succeed their aging patriarchs. The movement offers no substitute to the sardari system and takes the Baloch back into the past rather than into the future. By creating instability through acts of terrorism they hope to chase the Chinese away, prevent the full potential of Gawadar from being realized, stop other development works, create obstacles for the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, which is opposed by the US, and keep Balochistan economically deprived.
The selection of targets and use of modern weapons demonstrates quite clearly that the dissidents have been trained by military experts. Insurgencies of this magnitude cannot last without very large funds that the insurgents cannot raise on their own. According to an estimate the financial outlay for BLA alone is 50-90 million rupees per month. Reportedly, massive amounts of cash is flowing into their hands from Afghanistan through American defence contractors, CIA foot soldiers, agents in double disguise, rehired Pakistani ex-soldiers and free lancers.
Balochistan’s present chief minister, a Baloch tribal chief, said that Indian RAW was running about 40 training camps in Balochistan. Pakistan’s foreign secretary told his Indian counterpart that “Pakistan will easily establish that Indian consulate in the Afghan city of Kandahar is actually a control room of all the terrorist activities organized by the separatist BLA”. In 2006 President Musharraf handed over an account of these subversive activities to President Karzai. He also presented evidence to Admiral Mike Mullen of these activities right under the American nose. And then recently, Pakistan’s prime minister handed over to his Indian counterpart at a recent Sharm-al-Sheikh meeting a dossier containing damming evidence of India’s deep involvement in terrorist activities and the insurgency in Balochistan.
The Americans developed an interest in Balochistan for several reasons. It is the only available route for transportation of oil and gas from Central Asian and Caspian Sea region after alternate routes via Russia or China were not found feasible. Then Balochistan itself had an estimated 19 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves and 6 trillion barrels of oil reserves in addition to gold, copper and other minerals, making it attractive for exploration. Like the Indians, the Americans also did not like the Chinese breathing down their neck in Gawadar – so uncomfortably close to the oil lanes of the Straits of Hormuz and the US bases in the Indian Ocean, although at no point did Pakistan and China contemplate Gawadar to become a Chinese military base. Balochistan shares a long border with Iran along Iranian Balochistan, which is inhabited by a large Baloch population. The concept of Greater Balochistan floated in Pakistani Balochistan would naturally ignite the Baloch nationalist sentiment on the Iranian side too. Iran now complains of US involvement in fanning insurgency in its Baloch area through the Sunni organization ‘Jundullah’ whose leader was arrested recently by Iran and who has confessed of his ties with US agencies that support his organization.
Mr Siddiqi is writing from the traditional Pakistani ‘establishment’ standpoint when he utters the usual banality : “[Balochistan] always been ruled autocratically by sardars (tribal chiefs), some 250 of them, who have kept their people backward, illiterate and deprived.”
Ever since the only freely elected provincial government of Balochistan was forcibly dismissed by Islamabad in the mid-70s, the province has seen constant interference by Islamabad’s agencies to limit the entry of local nationalists to the elected assemblies. In effect Balochistan has largely been rendered a ‘colony’ controlled by Islamabad/Rawalpindi – Musharraf publicy admitted in 2006 that ’72 out of the 75 Baloch sardars’ were in his bought men.
I witnessed first hand (at the Khan of Kalat’s Jirga in September 2006) the helplessness of the traditional tribal leadership in face of Baloch anger. The Khan’s palace resounded with the thousands of youth angrily chanting ‘All Sardars are traitors’ for several hours as the assembled Baloch tribal leadership of some 85 tribal chiefs and about 300 elders watched them in embarrassed silence.
The only way many sardars retain any claim to their traditional power is to have Islamabad/Rawalpindi’s support and power behind them. So if one choses to blame anyone for the lack of development , the illiteracy and deprivation, one should look at Islamabad first.
While I agree with Mr Siddiqi that an independent Balochistan is not a viable option, it is high time the people of the province were allowed to manage their own lives without the daily cruelties and complete economic deprivation inflicted upon them from outsiders. Provincial autonomy (spoken of as far back as in the Lahore Declaration of 1940 and enshrined in the 1973 constitution) should be implemented immediately.
Mr. Mazari, I find your views very enlightening and closer to my views. It is true that Islamabad finds meddling in the province’s affairs its sovereign right. The intervention from federation has poisoned the situation over the decades. Vultures venture out in the sky only when they find a carcass on the ground. If Pakistani establishment blames foreign intervention in Balochistan, it should stop denying the rights of its people first so that they don’t have to look at other people for help.
Thanks for writing a few facts from your nation’s point of view. Outside world needs to know the ground facts before trusting Islamabad’s old tune.
A Pakistani Air Force man is going to write objectly on Baloch and Balochistan?
Mr. Siddiqi, did you ever get a chance to fire on baloch freedom fighters from your plane? If not, do you miss it?
Ironical question indeed. Wonder if you’ll ever get a clear answer from these guys whose hands are red with the blood of innocent people of Bengal, Balochistan, Karachi, Pakhtunkhwah, Kashmir and numerous other places.
If a woman was forced into a marriage at gunpoint and then for subsequent decades left malnourished and administered regular savage beatings by her spouse to make her more obedient, she would be rather keen to sue for a divorce at the first opportunity she got.
Wouldn’t she???
____________________________
The military mindset only knows how to defeat an enemy by use of overwhelming force. In Balochistan’s case it is not dealing with an enemy but with civilians who have rights under the Pakistani Constitution (which they have been illegally deprived for most of the past 62 years). Unfortunately nothing seems to have been learnt from the disastrous army action in East Pakistan, where after we ignored the wishes of our people we managed to lose half our country.
The army and frontier corps should be removed from Balochistan forthwith. A political dialogue should then be allowed to commence and in time the hatreds will gradually abate. It is the only way out to keep what has been left of Pakistan secure for the long term.
Glad to see Mr. Siddiqi’s article has sparked some discussion.
Dear All,
Mr. Siddiqi is a journalist and he has very well written about issues concerned with Baloch struggle. Instead of discouraging a writter we should encourage Baloch leaders to learn some lessons from international experiance, that with out unity and clear political approach no nation have been able to achieve peace and freedom.
For Siddiqi and Mazzari ” If a tiny East Timor can be an independent, a self-governing nation, why not Balochistan?” these are the analysis of a western unbaised jurnalist not from Pakistani jurnalsit like Siddiqi or pro Pakistani Mazzari without giving any solid reason nor any fear justification that Balochistan should not be a free state. Mr. Siddiqi analysis are shallow about Balochistan and Mr. Mazzari you know very well free Balochistan will be more stronger finnacially and polticaly then Iran, Afghanistan and begger state of Pakistan. Balochistan soil is full of rich – natural resources being a sparesly populated along with its strategically located gold coastlines. International community knows about that you do not need to educate them with your shallow analysis nor can you mislead them it ‘s too little too late. Secondly, Baloch people are regardless a tribal society they are by birth secular. Thorugh out their history they have been rejecting the religious fundamentalism except few opportunist tribes whom are will known being a colabrator of Islamabad or fedral government by doing they are anti-Baloch nation. Thirdly, Baloh resistance is not limited with three tribes such as Marri, Mengal and Bugti’s as you are saying today it consists of the fourth genration of entire Baloch whom are leading this resistance along with these three tribes. Today, Baloch youth are poltically more counciousness then the 70’s era. They are rejecting the colonial rules of Pakistan nor they allow Pakistan to steal their rich-natural resources at the gun point, Pakistan being a nuclear power with seven hundred thousends ruthless army does not have certificate to keep stealing the indigienious Baloch rich-natural resources for ever soon Pakistan has to learn how to surview with Panjab resources such as rice and Dall. Becuase the entire Baloch new genration is committed to free their land from forceful and illegal occupation of Pakistan with or without the agreement of Pakistan.
balochistan can survive without paapistan.but papistan cannot survive without bbalochistan.the days of the tyrant are numbered.the balochis should know independence is near.how long will a papistani army trapped in nwfp keep on crushing peoplesdesire for freedom.murderous punjabis should be driven out from balochistan.
To all my pro-seperation Ballouchi brothers,
There is never smoke without a fire. We don’t have to go back to far in time to realize that Balouchistan is managed by a handful of sardars. The sardars who would have welcomed Russian forces with open arms and allowing them a corridor into the Arabian sea without resistance. Why I believe that is for the plain reason that Russians may have grossily underestimated Afghanistan’s US aided fightback but they would have surely calculated Pakistan’s capability to resist and wouldn’t have launched such a big operation without confirmed support from sardars in Balouchistan. We all know Afghanistan has no access to the sea geographically and the only possible corridor would gave been out of Iran or Pakistan. So you want us to believe that Russia would have just walked across Balouchistan without engaging the Pakistan army? Open your eyes to reality people of Balouchistan! You have been deprived by your own sardars who till this day enjoy all the luxury of the modern world but never spend time or money in developing their province with sincerity. You think the Feudal system is not stron in Punjab or Sindh or the tribal heads don’t call the shots in NWFP but these provinces still have people who want a positive change. We can always blame Islamabad and center for interferring but have you ever realized your own potential to rise against a handful of sardars to first fight for your basic rights like water, food, electricity, education, hospitals and jobs etc. Why don’t the sardars promote education in the province? So that the people dont rise against them! You cast the votes for these sardars and they sit in power representing you, so why don’t you question them first? Even in the unlikely scenario of Balouchistan gaining independence from Pakistan, do you think it will have any long term impact on Pakistan? We will move on and so will your people into the remaining Pakistan like has happened in Afghanistan. It will become a land open for ethinic and tribal retributions like Afghanistan fighting for the whatever resouces are left. We are not your enemies, you are being led by a few people who utlimately want access to all the wealth and power while not realizing they are playing into the hands of foreign powers bent on destroying an Islamic State!
Mr. Shafiq, thanks for your caring comment addressed to your Baloch brothers. However, I’d like to ask you a few questions. First of all, please tell me who has brought the Sardars into mainstream politics and empowered them? While India abolished the feudal system once and for all and redistributed land, feudal leaders became part of the establishment and were rewarded for their support. Why does every democratically elected government in centre and province needs the support of the political parties run by these very sardars? Also, why does mainstream Pakistani parties have so many sardars in them? Even the Pakistani president and prime minister are feudal leaders.
So when you try to say that sardars are an obstacle to progress and development in Balochistan, why doesn’t the Pakistani army take an action against them and get rid of them to avert retribution?
Dear Mr. Khawaja,
You have answered most of your questions yourself by stating the fact “India abolished the feudal system” while we unfortunately inherited this and it has now deep roots into Pakistan’s political, judicial, bureaucratic and law enforcement institutions through the generations of these feudals and the Pakistan army is no exception to this either. Sons and daughters of these feudal lords have found way into these institutions and now can not be shaken. Why else do we see the same actors in every elections representing the same families and same ideals under one party banner or the other. It is a known fact that Pakistani politics is only for the rich and the powerful, otherwise the likes of Imran Khan would be holding some decent position in the leadership of the country. Coming back to the sardars, like the author has also said, they have many benefactors willing to fund them and bringing them to power. Not all of whom have Pakistan’s interest at heart and some are determined to destroy it completely. I would like to go out and say that this is not restricted to Balouchi sardars alone and you will find similar traitors in Punjab, Sindh and NWFP as well. Unfortunetly you will find them holding power today as well, covertly being managed to bring down the country. Why doesn’t the Pakistan army do anything about it? Well, quiet frankly when they do try to do something the world turns against them and the first ones to join are the same corrupt politicians sitting in comfort in a palace in Riyadh or a luxury apartment in London and discussing the fate of our country shamelessly with our enemies. Kalabagh dam, blowing up of the gas pipelines, killing of chinese engineers in Gawadar to name a few. Our own media turned the people against the army and cast them in bad light over years and brought back the same old thugs to power.
I’m surprised that Imran Khan is your candidate of choice whereas he comes from a feudal background too. While you may argue that its not bad to be a feudal, I’d say that his policies are not any different from the other mainstream parties and advocate for a stronger federation rather than provincial autonomy and confederation.
You also blame the media for maligning the Pakistani army. Well, media didn’t say a word back in 1971 when the army committed a genocide in then East Pakistan. Did it do any good to the Islamic Republic? I’d say that Pakistani media has done a good job if not the best by exposing what it perceived bad influences and excesses of power. Thats the reason why Musharraf’s emergency collapsed and paved the way for his exit.
What I can understand is that you still believe in federation enjoying most of the powers which is in effect Punjab. I’d suggest you to travel to Balochistan, Pakhtunkhwah, interior Sindh and Gilgit to find out what other people view Punjab as? My extensive travel across the country reveals that Punjab is a colonial power and people resent its overwhelming authority in their regional affairs. Let me know if you find otherwise.
Quiet frankly I don’t know which parts of Pakistan you have travelled, but people I know who travelled through Pakistan have found people most forthcoming and friendly regardless of cast or province. I guess its people like you have a bias towards the Punjabis. The most important investment of recent times in Balouchistan is the Gawadar port which when linked with China via rail will create hugh economic opportunities for the province and people of Balouchistan in particular. But people like you will never let the oridinary Balouchi to liberate himself from the clutches of the Sardar, not for good education, not for his own piece fo land, not for good health for his family and not for him to rise in power, By the grace of Allah, our nation has survived many challenges and have proven time and again that we are one people regardless of caste, religion or color and one day we will rise against the oppressionists in any form or size and prove that we can live in harmony and work towards a better future for our generations!
I’ve travelled to all the provinces except for Pakhtunkhwah. When I talk about Punjab, I talk about the establishment that hails from the province not the people. Majority of the army, bureaucrats, politicians, technocrats, feudal leaders, religious scholars etc. come from Punjab. Ask the majority of Pakistanis and they’ll point their fingers towards these very people and blame them for the ills they’re facing.
You mention about the investment in Gwadar, tell me how many local people got the jobs? Let me be clear about this, sardars have always been the part of the problem and uprooting them is the only solution for Balochistan’s ills. Put yourself in the shoes of a Baloch like you and think. You’ll very soon understand the difference between you and him. The level of resentment is enormous not just because foreigners whisper in their ears 5 times a day. It is because their generations have seen exploitation and under-development since they were born.
Its not your fault that you don’t think out of the box. It’s the system that bounds you to think within the defined boundaries. Anything outside is either blasphemy, treason, slander, lies and propaganda for people who toe the line of the establishment. I don’t blame anyone but the system and the establishment!
we do not want to be part of pakistan .who is running pokistan today no one knows.let me inform you musharraf is. he is doing lot of sick things in baluchistan.as for is honer killings are concern it happens all over mideast and all over the world just because of that its ok for pokisatni army to keep women and children of baluchistan in sex camps how sick .gas from baluchistan is belong to baluch only hands off.we will succeed in our fight for freedom of our baluchistan.punjabis stay in punjob what they do to pujabi women its not a big deal for them but we care deeply for our people regardless.you do not like our sardars meaning our leader thats your problem. stay the hell away from baluchistan take your chinese friends with you.let zarina and other baloch out of your jail now. i sad this before and iam saying it again pay back is a bitch get?
Mr. Farouk,
Your allegations “its ok for pokisatni army to keep women and children of baluchistan in sex camps how sick” …. I guess you are living in your own delussional world! Keep dreaming!
Every military operation in the country has resulted in abuses of human rights, regardless of the fact that it was wanted or unwanted. There have been numerous cases of abuse by the Pakistani army in Balochistan which have been reported by human rights organisations both national and international. Instead of denying these allegations, the army should thoroughly investigate them and punish the people behind them if it seriously wants to win the hearts and minds of Baloch people. Otherwise, it will be like any other occupation force that is bent upon taking lands and using for its vested interests, nothing different from Afghanistan, Iraq, Chechnya, Kashmir etc.
Mr. Moign,
Just a few clicks up you have glorified Pakistani media on their boldness and of speaking the truth. If Pakistan army has set up “Sex Camps” in Balouchistan, why arent they being highlighte in the media or even the foriegn media or any human right’s report. Dont you think if such things existed it would have been brought to light by now. Please stick to realities and let the Army do its job!
The media, foreign or national, has reported about the human right abuses committed by all the sides including the Pakistani Army. However, you’ll seldom see mainstream media reporting abuses of serious nature unless there is a massive leak e.g. Abu Ghraib.
What is the army’s job Mr. Shafiq? To wage and operation, arrest the resistance, put them on trail, jail or execute them and think the area is back in its writ? If that’s the case, think not once, not twice but a thousand times as these tactics have never succeeded in human history. What country knows this better than Pakistan which lost half of its existence just 40 years ago?
Well said,have faith baloch freedom is near.Papistan is facing a lot of problems and this is baloch opportunity to throw of the shackles of opression and tyranny if they don’t want their future generations to be slave of these murderous punjabis who have made lots of balochs orphans through killings and fake encounters. Pap media doesnot report the disappearances of innocent baloch who are picked by rogue papistani security and the grief of the family of these missing persons who are treated heartlessly. God willing balochistan will be a free and prosperous independent country and these murderous punjabis who have humiliated INNOCENT balochis will be made to answer for their sins.
” All things are subject to interpretation and whatever interpretation exists at a given time is a function of power not truth”
To discuss this issue honestly without putting in our personal likes and dislikes, one needs to see the historical development of Baloch Nationalism, its evolution over time and the response of State towards the movement. Very few people have considered the issue from that perspective. Mr. Siddique has just presented a Dogmatic, Colonial and traditional view the issue at hand without considering the different changes occurring in the region due to Neo-liberal policies, State oppression and reaction of Baloch society towards all such events. From my perspective, the problem is getting very serious and worse by every passing day and the State response is too slow in terms of solving the issue and too fast in terms of worsening the problem. To put it simply, the Baloch expectations/demands are increasing at rate of 10^5(10 raised to power 5) and state response to solution is 10^-2(0.001) so one can imagine how severe the situation is and why the situation is getting worse by every passing day.
History is being written and Mr. Siddique ” The Revolution is nothing but uprising masses due to unfulfilled expectations “.
This article proves that u can never expect any sensible thing from a military man be that retired or on service. The gentle man Siddiqui does not know that present centre of Baloch insurgency is Makran division, which does not have any Sardar at all. In addition to that the three Sardar were famous during the Baloch resistance in 1970s. Sardar Akhter Mengal and Sardar Ghous Buksh Bizenjo people do not have any rebel or guerrila now. They do not support any armed struggle. In fact Ghous Buksh Bizenjo’s son is now a Senator.
I will conclude that u can expect all stupidities from a military man. They are so arrogant that they think that they are intellectually superior. Their knowledge of history, politics and sociology is generally so poor that they can stuff their writings with all stupid things and be proud of doing such foolish things. They can consider readers their servile soldiers, who always flatter them and say yes to their stupidities.
All the allegations on the Baloch Problem are baseless. It’s typical South Asian mindset of blaming external forces for internal problems created by foolish mistakes by our own people.
I am thankful to Mr. Moin Khawaja for being honest in his remarks/comments. Many people, through their comments, have shown us how much they are infected with Propaganda of the “invisible hand”.
Life is not time pass so it’s better to be serious and analytical in our approach towards any issue.
Dear Friends,
Can any one tell me how Baluchistan came to be included in the India Pakistan joint statment at Sharam El Shiekh and the author Shafiq has said India interfered in the region.
Is there any proof or just India bashing.
Ranjit Rai
Dear Mr, Rai,
There is no India bashing here. All that is stated are groung realities and you have rightly picked up on the recent talks between India – Pakistan involving the Balouchistan. Do you think it just a coincidence that there were concerns highlighted to India at such a high level without some valid concern of Indian interefrence in the province. Over the year, both countries through their agencies have tried to exploit each other’s weaknesses so it should not come as a surprise that India finds itself interested in Balouchistan.
From Musharraf onwards vociferous assertions have been made of Baloch insurgents receiving assistance from Indian missions in Jalalabad and Kandahar. However, so far no ‘evidence’ – documentary or otherwise – has ever been publicly disclosed or shared with any credible international body.
Richard Holbrooke, the US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, revealed that, when the issue was brought up during discussions in Pakistan, no “credible evidence of India’s involvement in Balochistan” was ever provided. Later on record he even rubbished these claims, by saying: “Pakistan has told me India has hundreds of people in (the consulate) at Kandahar… I asked people… asked Americans and the UN… how big is the Indian consulate in Kandahar… and they said six to eight people.”
Only a few months ago, shortly after her three day visit to Pakistan the US Secretary of State during which she met all the Pakistani leadership, she declared that despite Pakistan’s protestation of India fomenting trouble in Balochistan, she had received no evidence in this regard – “Well, first of all, we have no evidence of that. I mean, we just have no evidence of that,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.
Such accusations are normal in the 63 year Pakistan-India relationship. I am still waiting for the proof of Indian involvement in Balochistan. Yelling at top our voices is simply not enough to convince anyone other than those who are are already converted to that point of view in the first place anyway.
Pakistan is going in the wrong direction from day 1. The goal posts of foreign policy to economy to society are based on wrong policies and assumptions. Instead of being a friendly state that focuses on social progress and development, it emphasises on locking horns with powerful neighbour like India. What has the nation achieved in the past 63 years? Lost half of its existence, waged 2 wars, kept 60% illiterate and 80% below poverty line but got a big f***ing bomb that its so proud of but can’t keep it safe. Not to say India is an angel here. People are rotting there too. Why don’t people on both side realise that wars and hatred beget further violence and downfall.
“Politically, the ‘new state’ would be non-functional due to lack of education, experience of state craft…”? Are you serious? Didn’t you also tell us how much natural wealth the province has? The world is so hungry for gas and oil that all the major energy companies will jump to develop those sites in a blink of an eye. Baluchistan will turn into another Saudi Arabia. This is one of the most hostile and condescending pieces I’ve ever read.
Balochistan has the natural resources to be the next UAE. The beggar nation of Pakistan is turning in to Afghanistan every day. The only solution for the oppressed Baloch people is an Independent Balochistan. The tyrant Punjabi army will have to retreat like they did from Bangladesh. Long live Balochistan.
Pakistan is going through its natural death, as predicted by one of British viceroy of india on handover ceremony of india, its not Baloch or Balochistan sardar who will be reponsible in this death of a Nation but corrupt greedy pakistan army, Since creation of Pakistan the poor country went through lot of trouble through this ethnic punjabi army, army man or either lousy rulers or extreemly greedy and corrupt in nature, they are not capable of fight a real war with real army thats why india captured 90000 of them in Bangladesh in 1970s, now they will swallow the aid money being pouring in for flood victims from international communities, sorry to say if this happen this country will go through a quick death and no body will be sorrry.
It look like there is people who really don’t know what’s going in the world they think they know everything but they know nothing first of all balouchistan is before pookistan … We were a country independent everyone knows that so we want our lands back weather u like or not but it is our so who u r to say all that. Go and study and look the history then come and write an article which is completely out of the path,
All this discussiom amazes me, 50% population of balochistan is pukhtoon. More then 30 million live in NWFP/Punjab/Sindh. Are we granting them independence as well
I mean more them 30 million Baloch or maybe more.
there is no any deny of the fact that the establishment and the sardars are the direct cause of the backwardness of the province of pakistan , before analysing the annoyance in the baloch we must find out the reasons , lack of democracy and the subsequent imposition of martial laws alaways hampered the route of progress in pakistan ,, and so we termed as the failed state ( though as a psychological attack ) . the internal cause is that lack of partnership of the people of balochistan in mainstream and the imposition of martial laws. while the provincial autonomy also was the reason . now the state along with the leaders of baloch people accepted the progress towards the provincial autonomy via the 18th amendment , , many ministries has been transfered to the provinces. then one can not deny the fact of external intervention of india , russia and afghanistan and america. all of them have their own vested interest and they have raised the slogan of greater balochistan . if we baloch people think that its for our own sake then we are wrong. being a baloch of turbat and now living in quetta , i strongly appreciate the struggle to make the province a progressed province via the democracy with in the constituencicy of pakistan . we joined the pakistan by a jirga held in quetta muncipility by refrendom . so the people who says that army forced balochistan to join pakistan are misleading the people of pakistan.
baloch people needs to be involved in mainstream issue and the right of self governance is the solution of pakistan based problem
For anyone who missed the points of the article:
[start summary]
1. Balochistan is a big place with few people who are very poor because their leaders are evil
2. Government of Pakistan has done much for these ungrateful souls who destroy it all because they want control
3. China has been very generous. We used to love US once, but not anymore. China is the hero, not to forget, please.
4. RAW, CIA and freelancers are evil as always. Their own chief minister – the only decent guy in that province – said so
5. Enough is enough. Baluchistan is going to have to behave now how their masters tell them
[end summary]
Thank god this article tells us. We would have blindly trusted them and the world would collapse.
Thank you dear writer!
Thats a nice comment. Writer would have got the message.
Siddiqui seems to be a puppet of Pakistani army. The way army dealing with the Baloch, it will lead Pakistan towards dismemberment. Pakistani army is the single most security threat to this country. In the presence of the army, Pakistan does not need any enemy.
The jolter-headed generals want to solve every issue by force. They have plundered the country, making billions of dollars. Being a Punjabi I feel it is justified for the Baloch to fight for their freedom. I am ashamed of being Punjabi because it is the Punjabi soldiers who are carrying out the genocide of Baloch people.
Haider Ali, please limit your comments to a reasonable length.
Please keep comments to a reasonable length.
The narrative of this article is not new, the same old narrative that Pakistani establishment keeps repeating. Bangladesh is a live example. Pakistani military mafia first takes up killings, suppression and then say India is creating trouble.
You do not recognize the genuine victory of Sheikh Mujib and try to hijack democratic elections in Bangladesh, then your military goes on a killing spree and India is involved???
You are a nation of lies till date you tell your people you won a 1965 war and that India is an aggressor ? The bundle of lies will be exposed again.. Balochistan will be next bangladesh and the chinese monkeys you have brought will be thrown off