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Sindhis
and Balochis demonstrate in London against military operations in
Balochistan
London: A large number of people from Sindh and Balochistan held a
protest outside the Pakistan High Commission here today against the
military operations in Balochistan and the construction of mega dams
on the River Indus.
The demonstrators presented a memorandum signed by Kabir Bux Jatoi,
Dr Halee Bhatti, Mehran Baluch and Dr Lakhu Luhano to the Pakistan
High Commissioner, Dr Maleeha Lodhi.
Jatoi said that the people had demonstrated to make their views
known and to express solidarity with the oppressed people of the
province, especially those who had been or were threatened with
dispossession of their lands or livelihood and or were victims of
the military€™s excessive use of force.
They said that there should be absolutely no mega-dams on the Indus
River. Serious efforts backed by sufficient resources should be made
to find alternative solutions to water and energy shortages in the
country.
€œWe express our complete opposition to the government€™s plan of
building mega-dams on the Indus River and misleading the people that
it will solve the water problems in the country,€ the memorandum
said.
The protestors also demanded that adequate compensation be given to
Sindhis and others who had been adversely affected by existing dams
and barrages.
The memorandum objected to the federal government€™s policy of
plundering and depriving the Baloch people of their land and
resources by using brutal military force.
€œThere is no excuse for attacking its own citizens in such a
warlike manner that has caused so many innocent deaths and forced
thousands of people to leave their homes in search of safety.
We therefore call for an immediate end to ongoing military and
para-military operations and construction of military cantonments in
Balochistan,€ it said.
The memorandum also called for an end to the construction of the
Gwadar Port, without taking the people of Balochistan into
confidence. It called for a sincere and sustained dialogue between
the federal government and the Baloch leaders.
It said that there should be free and fair distribution of revenues
from natural resources in Balochistan to the local people, adding
that efforts should be made for the true participation of the Baloch
people in the economic development of their land and society.
Investment in training and education of Baloch would enable the
people to participate in their own development, the memorandum said.
It also called for an end to the torture and immediate release of
Dr. Safdar Sarki and all other political prisoners.
The situation in Balochistan has been grim for quite sometime. The
insurgency in the strife torn province flared up as a result of the
military operations against the tribal warlords in retaliation to
the eight rocket strikes in Kohlu during President Musharraf€™s
visit to the remote town.
Tensions further flared up with fresh clashes in Dera Bugti between
federal forces and Bugti tribesmen. The house of Nawab Akbar Khan
Bugti was also badly damaged in a rocket and mortar attack and a
part of the house caught fire, when fighting broke between the
nationalists and the government forces.
Baloch leaders have also asked China and other neighbouring
countries to consult the Balochistan government before signing any
agreement with the federal government for developmental projects in
the province.
China is involved in several development projects in Balochistan,
including the development of the Gwadar port area. Three Chinese
engineers were killed along with a Pakistani driver in the province
last month. Earlier, in May 2004 three Chinese engineers were killed
and eleven were injured when a car bomb exploded in the coastal city
of Gwadar.
The leaders have said that they are not against development work in
the province but were not in favour of such work being carried on
against the wishes of the Baloch people. |