|
Mr Thomas G Tancredo, Congressman
1130 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515-0606
202.225.7882
Ref: Military Operations in Balochistan
7th Feb 2006
Dear Congressman Tancredo,
The silence of world on the plight of destitute innocent Baloch people is
extremely disturbing.
Let us applaud you for your firm humanitarian, visionary and of leadership
calibre stand on plight of Baloch victims of ongoing criminal Pakistani
military operations in Balochistan by writing to the Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice and urging her to convince President Bush to raise
Washington’s concerns over the situation in Balochistan with Perviz
Musharaf during his visit to Pakistan in March this year.
Rightly as it was outlined by you, the Baloch people are demanding for
their equal democratic rights in Pakistan. Baloch political parties (Four
Parties Alliance) worked strenuously to find a political solution for the
reason that as you yourself concluded that the Pakistan Government’s move
of curbing civilian resistance by force has never worked in the past, and
are not likely to work now.
The situation in Balochistan is worsening by day as Gen Musharaf and his
military entourage are for a military resolve only. The Army of Pakistan
is deploying troops excessively armed heavily with jet-fighters, deadly
weaponries and poisonous bombs in Balochistan. There is evidence that the
Army of Pakistan used phosphorus bombs in its ongoing operations in
Balochistan. The Army of Pakistan deployed 40,000 troops and
paramilitaries in Kohlo area and 35,000 in Dera Bugti area in Balochistan
- the ratio of deployment of military and other so called security forces
is 1 to every 36 civilians in Balochistan (Senator Sanaullah Baloch stated
recently in the Senate of Pakistan). Pakistan has announced construction
of permanent military cantonment in Dera Bugti and port city of Gwadar on
.02.02.2006 despite the passing of a resolution by the Balochistan
Assembly against establishment of garrisons in Balochistan.
As it is stated by you “this diversion of important military resources
could be better used to hunt down the Al Qaeda and other terrorist
groups”. One is bound to agree, but the key to hunt down Al-Qaeda is
sincerity of Pakistan. It is revealed by news.telegraph on 29th Jan 2006
that “Pakistan 'delay let bin Laden escape US raid”.
It also stated that “Prevarication by the Pakistani government cost
America the chance to kill Osama bin Laden in an air strike near the
Afghan border two years ago, the Sunday Telegraph has been told.
A CIA lead that the al-Qaeda leader was hiding in a remote province was
squandered because the Pakistani government delayed giving permission for
the attack on its soil, according to a senior Western diplomat. By the
time US officials got the go-ahead, bin Laden had left the suspected
hideout in Zhob, in the Baluchistan province of south-west Pakistan.”
Pakistani Army and establishment at its highest level especially in Inter
Service Intelligence are evidently riddled with staunch defender of
Al-Qaeda and religious zealots. The Carnegie Endowment in its report
states that “The budget of the Ministry of Religious Affair for the
province- Balochistan is said to be approximately 1.2 billion Rupees,
compared with 200 million Rupees allotted to the ministry of Education.”
(Source: Page 11, Pakistan: The Resurgence of Baluch Nationalism, Carnegie
Endowment, Report Number 65, Jan 2005)
Following the policies adopted by Zia Ul-Haq in the 1980s, Pakistan’s
government continues through its Ministry of Religious Affairs to
encourage the setting up of madrassas in the province in order to
penetrate deeper into ethnic Baluch areas stubbornly opposed to the
mullahs (ibid).
Baloch Nation, Baloch Resistance and Baloch Nationalism have been secular
and remain to be secular despite malevolence policies of Pakistan to
spread religious fundamentalism in order to annihilate Baloch nation by
driving a wedge between faith and Baloch national identity. Pakistan for
its actions and un-democratic system is a source of instability in the
region rather than being an ally of the international community in its
fight against terrorism. For instance proliferation of nuclear weapon by
A. Q. Khan was carried out by knowledge and apparent approval of Pakistan
Army to rogue fundamentalist state of Iran and other Islamic zealots in
order to forge powerful non-tolerant fanatic version of Islamic Bloc
despite the forced denial of Gen Musharaf. Pakistan as a state and its top
policies makers, namely Army draw their legitimacy from fanatic version of
Islam. Hence for Pakistan any departure from what is embodied in
non-tolerant Islamic fundamentalism remains an illusion for foreseeable
future and is simply an attempt to buy time.
Balochistan is the poorest unit of Pakistan federation despite of being
the main source of Gas, Minerals to Pakistan (Source: Carnegie Endowment,
No 65 of January 2006).
Pakistan has failed Balochistan since its creation due to its repressive
approach to legitimate and democratic rights of Balochistan to present
day. Balochistan suffered four Pakistani military onslaughts in 1948,
1958, 1963 and 1973-77 which resulted in loss of thousand Baloch lives and
destruction of properties. Now the ongoing military operation accounts for
the fifth one as the Pakistan lacks any just and viable strategic and
cohesive policy towards Balochistan but policy of suppression and
resorting to military force. Now Balochistan is a war-like region as
observed and reported by Carnegie Endowment.
Sadly as this letter is being written to you, there is a report by BBC
that merciless Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps are extensively engaged in
bombing and killing Baloch people in Dera-Bugti and Kohlo areas of
Balochistan. The people of these areas have fled due to indiscriminate
shelling of rockets and air attacks by the Army of Pakistan (Source: Human
Rights Commission in Pakistan).
Baloch people throughout Balochistan, Karachi, other cities in Sindh and
in Europe and USA are vigorously resisting and protesting against Pakistan
Army’s ongoing brutal and criminal military operations in Balochistan. Now
it has become routine for the Pakistani army and security forces to kidnap
and torture Baloch activists and protesters. Around 4000 of innocent
Baloch have been abducted by Army and F.C (frontier corps) from different
areas of Balochistan and their fate or whereabouts are still unknown (the
figure was given by Pakistan’s own Interior minister Aftab Sherpao on 9th
Dec 2006).
The Pakistan Frontier Corps and Army extra-judicially killed 12 innocent
Baloch while in custody in Dera-Bugti in Jan 06. The merciless Army of
Pakistan has been using excessive force indiscriminately in Balochistan
where innocent Baloch children, women and people were killed and injured
in their hundreds; their homes were reduced to rubbles in order to
demoralize Baloch Resistance( HRCP confirms in its report these facts).
Balochistan Rights Watch firmly believes that conflicts of political
nature are best resolved amicably through meaningful dialogue, guaranteed
by international and independent bodies or states.
In order to bring an end to conflict and bloodshed in Balochistan and
resolve Baloch people rights and issues once and for all as you perfectly
stated a dialogue is needed between the Baloch people and the Pakistani
Government. Without such an effort, there will not be an end to the
bloodshed. The opposition leader of Balochistan Assembly Advocate Kachkol
Ali warned on 05 Feb 2006 that conflict will not end as long as military
operation continues and there will be no peace without rights.
Therefore Balochistan Rights Watch appeals for international intervention
in particular for the intervention of the United States of America to help
the Baloch people in their just and democratic quest and resistance for
equal rights in any possible form.
To help the Baloch people it is needed
to:
- Intervene on time and demand from
Pakistan for an immediate halt to all its military operations in
Balochistan
- Demand release of all detainees of the
conflict and Baloch political activists
- Demand withdrawal of military troops
from Balochistan
- Demand an end to construction of
cantonments in Balochistan
- Dispatch an independent international
body to investigate the conflict to present recommendations and to
ensure accountability for crimes committed in Balochistan
- Allow a period of calm and
understanding
- Initiate a comprehensive dialogue
supervised by international bodies to work-out Baloch concerns and
rights based on the recommendations.
Balochistan Rights Watch appeals to you
for your continued proactive role in defence of deprived Baloch people and
their rights, and to urge the White House for direct intervention and for
a clear and proactive role in Balochistan before the distressed Baloch
people resort to a non-tolerant and fanatic version of Islam as the only
mean available and open to them to seek justice out of sheer desperation.
Any long-term and strategic approach and policy by international community
and USA in particular requires protection of democratic rights of Baloch
nation. Defending Baloch national rights is a visionary approach to the
stability of the region, to the interests of Baloch people, world at large
and above all to humanity.
Balochistan Rights Watch looks earnestly forward to your continued
proactive role to help Baloch people.
Yours truly,
Balochistan Rights Watch
|