Balochistan 
 

Baloch freedom and national rights are being deprived by their powerful

neighbours. During 19th century British empire divided Balochistan by "divide

and rules" policy among Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. Due to its

geo-strategical importance Balochistan has been used as buffer zone. British

empire wanted to stop the threat and expansion of the former super power (Soviet

Union) into South Asia and Middle East. Balochistan has vast land almost the

size of Texas. A population of about 6 million and is famous for its rich oil

reserves and natural resources like the province of Alberta. For 58 years Baloch

are fighting to defend their land and struggling for their political and

economical rights. Both powerful regimes of Pakistan and Iran succeeded by

suppressing the Baloch struggle. But Baloch are not ready to give up their

ancestral land and their rights.

 

Let me briefly explain the history of Balochistan and then find out why Baloch

are up at arms?

 

Balochistan has never been part of Iran, Pakistan, or Afghanistan. In 19th

century the British Chief Commissioniare Maj. Genral Gold-Smith was given the

task of dividing Balochistan into Easter and Western parts. Western part of

Balochistan was given to Iran to:

1. Please Iran

2. Keep Iran quiet

3. Compensate Iran for its territorail loss to Russia

4. And mostly to keep Iran away from the communist Russia

 

All These agreements were done by the British empire without taking into

consideration the history, geography, culture, language and Baloch nation as a

whole. Ignoring the Baloch peoples' wishes. 1872 Iran and Afghanistan started

disputing over Seistan which is part of Western Balochistan but their dispute,

however, ended with the partition of Seistan between Iran and Afghanistan

In 1947, when British rule ended and sub-continent was divided, Eastern

Balochistan emerged as an independent State. On 11 August, 1947, the Khan of

Kalat declared the independent of Balochistan and Mr. Jinnah, founder of

Pakistan signed the proclamation of Balochistan sovereignty. August 12, 1947.

The clause # 1 of the agreement reads, " Governement of Pakistan recognized

Kalat as an independent and autonomous status has been different than the other

Indian states.( Author of "The Problem of Greater Balochistan By Dr. Inayatullah

Baloch PHD.)

 

The New York Times reported " under the agreement, Pakistan recognizes Kalat as

an independent sovereign state with a status different than other

Indians.states" and the next day Times printed a map of Kalat (Balochistan) as

an independent state.

 

Geographically Balochistan is the largest province while population wise it's

the smallest which is located in the shore of Arabian sea with 750 miles of

coast where 40% of the world oil passes through its long coastal routes.

Balochistan is the central Asia gate way there is access to Middle East and

Europe. Balochistan accounts for more than 43% of Pakistan's territories.

Balochistan is the only province which links the other three provinces of

Pakistan such as Sindh, NWFP (Pashtonistan) and dominated province of Punjab

Pakistan. It's the only province in Pakistan that links through road and train

in Iran and Afghanistan. Federal Information Minister of Pakistan, Sheikh Rashid

openly says " Without Balochistan Pakistan is nothing". But Balochistan is still

the most backward province among three other provinces and it's the most

neglected frontyard for Pakistan. It has 75% illiteracy rate and 85% of the

population is living below the poverty line. "According to the report of United

Nation sponsered agencies in Balochistan, their report show and I quote "

[Balochistan] is below the recognized standard of illiteracy in many of the

third world countries."

(Author of "A Socio-Cultural and Political Analysis" By Professor Mansoor Kundi,

University Of Balochistan Political Science Department)

 

During 1980's, General Zai Ul Haq who ruled Pakistan for about 11 years

vigorously spread fundamentalism like a fire in Balochistan by using US

financial support against Soveit Invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, who countered

the Baloch secular mind of the people, progressive, liberal, and socialist mind

leaders by opening Madrassas (religious schools). Throughout Balochistan " The

budget of Ministry of Religious Affairs for the province of Balochistan is said

to be approximately 1.2 billion rupees given to the Madderssas, (religious

school) compared with 200 million rupess alloted to the Ministry of education

for public school (Exploting Islam p11 Carnegie papers For International Peace

No 65 Januray 2006 USA)

 

In fact Baloch nationalists were aware of that and demanded to reverse that

money for public school system but they were powerless as the case has always

been. No doubt that former Air Force Chief Nur Khan said very rightly about

Pakistani leaders and army chiefs by saying" ...Islamabad has made the people of

these regions (Balochistan / FATA/ Native Interior Sindh) like aliens in their

own country" And furthermore he suggested that Pakistan owe an apology to all of

them. (Dawn By Air Marshal Nur Khan May 15, 2006)

 

Healthcare field is even worse. There is a shortage of health centers, lack of

medical equipment, medicine and shortage of doctors which is a big challenge for

health care department. It's ironic that many young native Baloch doctors are

jobless, they are denied the job to serve in their own home town. according to

the own governement report says "The governement is spending rupees 55.33 (US $

0.92) per person per year for health in Balochistan This includes payments of

the health staff."

( According to the Annuel Budgetary figures of Balochistan for years 2001-2002)

BNS (Balochistan News and Features Services)

 

Look at the railway line of Balochistan, British completed the railway work

since 1885-1895 after that there was no additional work done in railway lines in

Balochistan, except for fixing what had been done in British era. Imagine the

railway link to Harnai (name of the city) from Sibi (historical city of

Balochistan) established in 1897, a land locked sub-division of Sibi. The train

speed is the slowest in the world, it should be covered by the Guinness Book of

the Record because of distance of 52 miles it takes seven hours to reach the

that city.

 

The natural gas has been discovered at Sui, Dera Bugti, Balochistan in 1953 and

started supplying gas throughout dominated province of Punjab in 1964. Quetta is

the only capital city of Balochistan that got the gas in 1986. Is this not

discrimination? Balochistan produces more than 40 percent of Pakistan's primary

energy (natural gas, coal, and electricity). The region in the future according

to the report of a Pakistani geologist indicates " the presence of 19 trllion

cubic feet of gas and 6 trillion barrel of oil resources is in Balochistan."

(Pakistan: The Resurgence of Baluch Nationalism by Frederic Grare No 65 Jauray

2006 For International Peace USA)

 

Imagine if Balochistan had the potential to become Alberta (province rich in

natural resources) of Pakistan, then the Canadian government distributes the

province's resources to the more powerful province of Ontario and not provide

the generated revenues to Alberta. It will be reasonable to predict that the

province's economy wiill implode. That is the injustice which has and is

occuring against Balochistan since 1953.

 

When ever Baloch demanded equality, their rights and freedom by demonstrating

agianst anti-Baloch policies they have been subjected to arbitarary arrest,

kidnapping, detention, torture, cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment and

punishment. The interior minister of Pakistan Mr. Aftab Sherpao himself said "

we have arrested 4000 Baloch political acitivist." Today young Baloch doctors,

teachers, students, tribal leaders and politcal activist are detained mostly in

unknown torcher cells. Their kids and families are sitting on hunger strikes in

front of the press in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan. Their innocents kids

walked in their bare feet infront of the governer's house in Balochistan and

asked for justice to bring their father in court. A mother has been resiting

Quran in Islamic Republic of Pakistan, in the world forum in Karachi. She

thought someone might hear her cry as mother who sewed and by her labour money

supported her child to be a doctor and he was the only bread winner of the whole

family. Today he is in the torcher cells. Human rights report of Pakistan says "

Hundreds of political parties members, students, doctors and tribal leaders have

been detained by government security forces, many disappearing for months, even

years, without trails in well doccumented cases. Some have been tortured or have

died in custody, say (Offical of Pakistan's Human Rights commission.)

 

Since two years the deep-sea port of Gwader, Balochistan is being publicized

nationally and internationally through government of Pakistan and its control

media, but Baloch leadership has serious conflicts with the central government

regarding deep-port city of Gwader. Why? Because Islamabad bypassed all

provincial assembly resolutions and laws of the province, excluded the local

people of the city. Above all Baloch nationalists have never been consulted let

alone inviting them in the negociation table as representatives of their

province. Baloch leadership voiced their concerns nationally and internationally

but General Musharraf ingnored, as dictator tone said to the Baloch leaders and

people of Balochistan: " This time even you don't know what hit you." Baloch

people know very well this is not development but going to be a disaster for

them. Central government distributed and sold the port city land below the

market value to his favourite beaurucrates, professional business people, and

army generals. Big chunk of land is also taken for Navy and Coastal Guards.

Former prime minister of Pakistan Mr. Nawaz Sharif and BB. Benazir Butto also

alloted many acres of land on their own name while they were head of the state.

Both of them now are outside of the country wanted by NAB (nationa

accountability bearue) and under investigation for massive corruption cases. "

Well educated politcal families, such as the Butto's took a page from the

chinese nationalist, telling westernners exactly waht we wanted to hear,

preaching democracy and the rule of law abroad, they looted shamelessly at home

" (USA Today ).

 

In Iran Baloch people are treated even worse by brutal forces. There is no

geniune representation of Baloch people in central government and neither are

Baloch allowed to speak openly for their economic, politcal and cultural rights.

Therefore, Baloch have never been happy with the central government. During the

Shah regime, publishing and reading Balochi magazines and books was banned, " He

also made it crimnal offense to publish, distribute, or even posses

Baluchi-language books, magzines and newspapers." Baloch kids are told in

schools by persian teachers that Balochi is only a dialect and not a language. "

Shah order to " Sharply limiting education in the Baloch areas, he banned the

use of the Baluchi language in the few schools attended by Baluch students and

made the Persians mandatory...history texbooks in which the Baluch were

described as Persians in ethnic origion and prohibited the use in government

offices" said p95 selig Harrison The author "In Afghanistan's Shadow: Baluch

Nationalism and Soviet Temptation")

 

By Majority Shia Muslims central government of Tehran brutually murdered

minority and many sunni Baloch clerics. Baloch people feel like outsiders in

their own ancestral land because they are excluded economically, politically and

socially. " For more than half a century political oppression, economical and

social injustice against Baloch been instituionalized in Iran. Baloch in Iran

are continously being harrased and suffering from clerical regime, where

regime's brutal operations have always aimed to punish Baloch people

collectively." said Nasser Boladai, Spokeperson for Balochistan People's Party

UNPO (Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization)

 

Since August 14, 1948 till today for 58 years Baloch leaders only ruled their

province for only 37 months. Why? because their democratically elected

government were dissolved or forced to leave office. Islamabad always has a

policy to keep their puppet government in province of Balochistan or religious

government who are only good for taking dictation from Islamabad which Baloch

nationalist leadership never tolerate such undemocratic rulers due to that fact

they faced military operations.

 

Central government seems determined to eliminate indiginous Baloch people from

their own land. Baloch faced four army operation in 1948, 1968, 1973-1977.

During those operations 70,000 troops were involved against 55,000 Baloch

fighters about 5000 Baloch lost their life and over 3000 Pakistani army lost

their troops during that operation against Baloch Shah of Iran supported late

prime minister Zulfuqar Ali Butto by sending his cobra gun-ship helicopters with

Iranian pilot to genocide the Baloch people, according to (Selig Harrison auther

of In Afghanistan's Shadow: Baluch Nationalism and Soviet Temptations"). and the

5th army operation started in March 17, 2005 and still going on against Baloch

people.

 

Last year in March 17th, 2005 more than 70 innocent women, children were killed

and more than 200 were badly injured. Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, the most Baloch

senior leader was deliberately hit by rocket while he was sitting in his guest

room. Now he is defending himself and fighting for Baloch self rule in the hills

of Dera Bugti, Balochistan. He was a former Governer, and the Chief Minister of

Balochistan. The whole crisis was started when Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti amd all

Baloch leadership demanded to arrest his army captain Hamid who rapped Dr.

Shazia Khalid while working in Sui, Dera Bugti, Balochistan. CBC ( The Canadian

Broad Costing Corporation) heard her documentary and the whole truth came out.

But still President General Pervez Mushraff remained unconvinced, he even made a

very degrading comment against Pakistani women and later denied, but most of his

comments were recorded by US reporter. In the same way he is denying the army

operation and genocide of innocent citizen of Balochistan and displacing

hundreds of Bugti and Marri Baloch tribes (included: childrens, womens, and old)

out of open sky who left with wearing their cloth , leaving all their belongings

behind. This is all documented by Pakistan's Human Rights Commission and

opposition leader of Balochistan assembly, Adovecate Kachkol Ali Baloch.

 

Dear ladies and gentelmen, Pakistan has recieved full backing from most of the

western countries, particularly from United States Of America to fight against

terrorism, what Baloch have seen in recent army operations President Genral

Pervez Mushrarff against them the American-supplied jets and helicopter gunships

which are supposed to be used to fight terrorsim sadly are being used against

innoncent nomadic Baloch citizens. All weapons are shown as evidence which

clearly reads "Made in U.S.A stamped on them, which is valve solenoid" made in

New York, and part of a gas generator made in Mesa, Arizona.

 

"Indeed huge craters and fragments from American-designed MK-82 boms lay beside

a badly damaged school in the village of Mararar, (Balochistan) the results of

bombing raid the Baluch fighters said occurred at the begining of the March" (In

remote Pakistan Province, Civil War Festers. By Carlotta Gall New York Times

April 2, 2006)

 

Yes! Baloch are being developed through the might of guns, by building

contonoment in their cities to control the movement of Baloch people otherwise

there is no international boundaries linked from these cities to safeguard the

country. For every 36 Baloch population there is one Pakistani army, there are

600 army check posts with 60,0000 army members in interior Balochistan, roaming

around no one can even imagine in Israel today. This is the ground reality of

Balochistan and this is the development Baloch people who are noticing this in

their native land, Balochistan.

 

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to present Balochistan's case, I will

be happy to take questions from the audience. Thank You. !

 
S. Aziz Baloch