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17-05-2006
The conflicts in Balochistan
By: Dr Jumma Khan Marri.
"Diplomacy is the art of telling someone to go to Hell in such a way
that he looks forward to the journey!"
The Pakistani diplomacy failed with Baloch again and again because it was
lacking the fundamental issue that is “sincerity” from Islamabad.
More then two years we were told that the parliamentary committee formed
to resolve Balochistan issues will approach all politico-nationalist
parties of Balochistan to ascertain the problems faced by the province.
They assured that all the problems would be resolved amicably. Hence
Pakistan’s Punjabi military lead diplomacy told us go to hell.
But finally the results were gunship helicopters and F 16s who brought the
mail from Islamabad with powerful massage (Oh you Balochis give up or face
our mighty army) according to Balochi tradition Baloch decided to the last
offer, since then things are not so quite in Balochistan.
Balochistan being the largest Pakistani province, once an independent
country known was commanding huge territory stretching from Helmond to
Gomel Rivers in north, Kerman in west, Multan in east, down to the seas is
clearly mentioned in history books, due to lack of commanding leadership
and Baloch unity we got our country divided among our three neighbors
likes a birthday cake. Balochistan’s uniqueness is an undisputed and
self-evident which is duly supported geographically. Today if counting all
Baloch territories inside Pakistan which is more then 48% of the total
Pakistani land mass but a mere 6 % of its population, with the richest
natural resources yet with the lowest per capita income is now in the
focus of world political attention.
The daily rocket attacks by Baloch freedom fighters under different covert
organisations such as Baloch liberation army (BLA), Balochistan liberation
movement (BLM), Baloch resistance army (BRA) Baloch liberation front (BLF)
Baloch National Army (BNA) all these different organisations are the
remnants of the once more powerful organization in 1970s called
Balochistan peoples liberation front (BPLF) must remind the central Govt
in Islamabad that Baloch are really very much tired of their repression
and betrayals and once again rose up to face the tyranny of the state. The
recent constant attacks on the natural gas pipe lines and other
installations at Sui and all around the Balochistan are just the first
signs in that direction the bitter battles are yet to come.
The recent attacks on the gas have deprived millions of people across the
country of their major source of cooking and heating particularly at a
time when the country was in the grip of a severe winter. The constant
disruptions of the gas supply to power plants, fertilizer and industrial
plants has been causing, according to officials, a loss of millions of
dollars daily in revenue since the attacks in early January. The fast
repair of the gas installations and electric pylons some times takes weeks
and coast billions of rupees to the already shaky economy of the country.
The strongman of Pakistan, Gen. Pervez Musharraf had, in a knee-jerk
reaction of a soldier, threatened the Baloch people with all out war
especially to Marri and Bugti tribes and their potentate Sardars of a
severe military crackdown: "You won’t even know what hit you".
The general kept his promise by sending large chunk of his fighting army
in already aggravated situation beyond imaginations we found large numbers
of Baloch people displaced from their homes hundreds mostly helpless
women, children killed and thousands political workers picked from
different areas in Balochistan sent to unknown torture cells. The
situation in Balochistan is going out of their control on every coming
day. Having their failures and experiences in Balochistan and Bangladesh
in the past the generals in Islamabad are scratching their heads what to
do next?
The growing awareness among the Baloch masses and specially the Baloch
youth has brought the Pakistani Govt into hysteric situation and the Govt
responded by posting well-equipped security contingents at all the gas
installations at Sui, Pirkoh and Loti. Instead of giving some relief to
Baloch peoples Govt tightened their already powerful grip in Balochistan
even went further by deploying thousands of Para military forces in all
key positions through out Balochistan by hampering the free movement of
Baloch people inside their own home lands.
To prolong their rule and to continue the plunder of Baloch natural
resources the Govt came out with a new idea last year they formed a
committee to asses the grievances of the people but the committee came out
with a resolutions and conclusions that all the Baloch problems are based
due to the lack of finances and the generous Islamabad based committee
recommended the centre to give 5 billion rupees of aid to Balochistan
hence all the problems were solved the committee concluded that few Baloch
might be recruited in FC the committee was very generous to Baloch people,
but neither money or job came after all these were recommendations not
promises.
We were told that few mega projects will help solve Balochistan’s problems
once and for ever, we understand our volatility on such projects that
these projects were meant to help eliminating Baloch from their lands by
mass migration of non Baloch population in Balochistan and turn Baloch
into minority in their lands perhaps in this way Islamabad understands the
solutions to the problems of Baloch people.
The commercial and strategic significance of the Gwadar port, the network
of planned and under construction roads, the vast mineral resources of the
province, new dams and canals being built, and its location straddling the
projected gas pipelines from Iran, have generated further apprehensions
among the Balochistan people as to their share in all these activities.
Baloch fear and are sure that Punjab would certainly usurp all benefits
accruing from the mega developmental projects. A perennial grievance of
the Baloch intellectuals and politicians have been that the wealth of
their province is being transferred to the already better off majority
province of Punjab and that the armed might of the country is being
utilized to protect this exploitation. In the words of Baloch people, "The
central Govt thinks that natural resources inside Balochistan are national
assets, where as Baloch think that they are Baloch national assets, and
whoever wants to use them must do so through the consent of Baloch people,
keeping the Baloch interests in view and giving top priority to Baloch
people as this is their right and they are owner of their wealth, Pakistan
wants direct possession of Baloch land and their wealth."
That is where the conflict of interest lies. The Baloch people want a
larger slice of revenue. Whether it is in public or private interest, is
open to question. Open to question also is the meager percentage of the
natural gas revenues allotted to the province. From the perspective of the
literacy rate in Balochistan (over 75%), poverty-stricken (85% below
poverty line) Baloch, they would keep rotting in the present sub-human
conditions unless the grueling economical and political hold over them is
broken and their children are enabled to go to schools and technical
institutes to acquire skills to earn living wages and Balochistan Govt
gets all command on Baloch Natural resources and control of immigration
inside Balochistan.
There are practically no job opportunities for Baloch youth what ever
little jobs available are beyond their reach unless they are provided with
requisite education and skills. One has yet to be informed of a single
Sardar or Govt in Balochistan who has dedicated his or their efforts to
bring educational facilities to their followers or Baloch lands. Education
promotes independent thinking and weakens the hold of Sardars, Waderas and
corrupt bureaucratic hold. Government and their puppets authorities in
Balochistan too have purposely for half a century remained indifferent to
this urgent need. The Sardars have instead been busy controlling their
tribes under their boots.
Eighty per cent of Balochistan was demarcated by the British as tribal
territory to be administered by tribal leaders locally and only the
remaining 20 per cent comes under civilian administration now feeling the
heat the Islamabad wants to reverse this sat up and make all Balochistan
as police administrated territory, as before tribal areas were virtually
no go areas for Govt officials without the consents of the tribal
leaderships.
Although the various Baloch tribal Sardars have adroitly dealt with Baloch
tribes regime after regime at the center to maintain their Sardari system.
This system seemed to have worked for the benefits of both parties the
Sardars and Govt who helped each other when the situation were unfavorable
to them but now the things seemingly are changing at least on behalf of
Sardars.
The wind of change blowing now through Balochistan portends a reduction in
their clout, and Baloch youth are coming forth is worrying sign for both
Sardars and Govt that is why we have seen recent brutal crackdown by Govt
against the BSO united as matter of fact more then 70 Baloch youth either
member of Baloch youth movement or their sympathizers are in different
Pakistan jails with different cases incremented against them
If an army continues their brutal atrocities in Balochistan all these
militants and youth organizations’ such as Baloch unity (BU), Baloch
Student organistion (BSO), Baloch libration army (BLA), Baloch libration
movement (BLM), Baloch libration front (BLF), Balochistan libration
organistion (BLO), Baloch resistance army (BRA), Baloch national army
(BNA), Balochistan national movement (BNM), Baloch united front (BUF),
along with Baloch four party alliances JWP, NP, BNP, and Huq Tawar have
been resisting this; hence the conflict of interest and the instigation of
crises will give serious blow to the Govt and will give headaches to the
military commanders in Islamabad. For want of local support, the
commanders wouldn't have fared any better than the American commanders in
Iraq.
With Gwadar slated to be the gateway to central Asia and the outlet for
the goods produced in Xinxiang (Sinkiang) and adjoining Chinese
territories, the future of Pakistan is linked to the future and progress
of Balochistan. Pakistan's policy makers would be well advised to let
logic and saner councils prevail over instincts and, above all, the
temptations of paranoiac arrogance.
To ensure security to the high-cost ongoing projects of Gwadar, highways,
mineral extraction, building of dams and canals, Pakistani authorities
want to set up cantonments at Gwadar, Dera Bugti, and Kohlu apart from
enhancing the facilities at the existing garrisons at Quetta and Khuzdar.
The fearless Baloch people of can create an administrative nightmare for
Punjabis to control Balochistan if Baloch stand as united force and give
up their tribal conflicts and their leadership show little wisdom and give
up their selfishness for grand Baloch unity.
BalochUnity
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