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Posted by admin in Baloch Feudal Sardars, Balochistan - The Beautiful Heart of Pakistan, BALOCHISTAN IS PAKISTAN, BALOCHISTAN-THE HEART OF PAKISTAN, BALOCHISTAN=PAKISTAN, Ishaal Zehra on February 16th, 2018
Balochistan Is The Heart Of Pakistan: Speaker Balochistan Assembly
Switzerland has rejected the request of the exiled leader of the banned Baloch Republican Party (BRP) Brahumdagh Bugti to seek political asylum after more than seven years. A week earlier, she also imposed a lifetime entry ban on the prominent exiled Baloch leader and Bugti’s brother-in-law, Mehran Marri. A source in the Swiss government confirmed that Brahumdagh Bugti’s asylum application was turned down because of his links with the banned Baloch Republican Army (BRA). The rejection letter clearly illustrates these allegations with reference to the “incidents of terrorism, violence and militant activities”.
At the same time, some two hundred Baloch separatists, including 15 commanders, renounced violence and laid down their arms at the hands of Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo and Commander Southern Command Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa at a ceremony held at FC Headquarters Turbat last month, taking the toll of those ‘shunning the violence’ and submitting to the writ of the state, to a high figure of eight thousand.
India has been lately obsessed with the idea of liberating Baluchistan. For the same, she is found supporting any and every source she can find. Though practically she knows she can’t, still by giving inflated hype to their paid agents like Naila Baloch and Mama Qadeer they try to diverge attention from their own misfortunate afflictions of on-going freedom movements of Khalistan, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Assam and specially Kashmir which has gained universal attention in the near past.
Bugti had been living in Afghanistan prior to leaving the country for a Middle Eastern state and from there he flew to Geneva. It was also reported that Bugti had, on September 19, 2016, formally asked the Indian government to grant him an asylum and Indian nationality so that he could live in India and move around the world to campaign against Pakistan.
The report was later denied by India and the BRP, but, just four days later, the news turned out to be correct and Bugti officially announced that he would apply for Indian citizenship for himself and his family.
To tell the truth, Modi cannot create an independent Baluchistan no matter how hard he tries. Maximum what India can do is to create some unrest with his spies from intelligence agency like Kulbhushan, who is already in Pakistani custody and is being prosecuted against the charges of fomenting terrorism and sabotage in Baluchistan. Ignoring all pieces of evidence, India, still maintains that Jhadav was kidnapped from Iran last year, however, Pakistan upholds the claim that the RAW agent was caught inside the boundary of the country and is found guilty of conducting espionage activities in Pakistan. To make her point India has propagated the interview of Mama Qadeer as an evidence, where he parroted that Kulbhushan was kidnapped from Iran by some criminal gang and later handed over to Pakistan. Interestingly, this Mama Qadeer himself was never deemed a patriot unlike most of the Baluch people, many of whom are the greatest patriots Pakistan has ever known.
Mama Qadeer Baloch is a Baloch separatist leader who rose to prominence in 2013 when he marched from Quetta to Islamabad to highlight disappearances in Balochistan and was in the news for a few years till around 2015. Ironically, his only achievement in life was also given an Indian perspective when he was referred to as the Gandhi of Baluchistan for this long march. Though he did not went missing like the people he did the effort for, however, he’s been unheard of since then. Living in a self-exile in Afghanistan, Mama Qadeer isn’t renowned or too well-known in Pakistan even. Sponsored by India, he is infamously acknowledged for bashing the government in his separatist speeches. He belongs to the sort of people who sell themselves to cheap popularity by doing about anything just to stay in the news.
What he and his controller, Modi, both have to realize is that Baluchistan is not East Pakistan, moreover, unlike East Pakistan, there’s no separatist movement in Baluchistan. Historically, a lot of things went horribly wrong in Baluchistan which we do understand. The royal Baloch tribes disapproved the ordinary Baloch population to progress in education, enlightenment and socio-economic uplift. The reason behind this cruel approach was the fear that education, enlightenment and economic progress would end their Sardari system, but that was the past. Today’s Baloch is broad-minded, intelligent and progressive. He loves education, he loves his country and he loves his country mates. Though there is a widespread discontentment, there is no popular support for the breakaway movement.
The chances of Baluchistan breaking away are slim for many reasons and CPEC is one of them. China has already invested heavily in Gwadar, while Russia also considers Gwadar as the channel to exert her influence in the Indian Ocean. With this international attention, the chances of Indian dream coming to reality becomes quite grim. The chief minister of Baluchistan best represented the desires of thousands of Baloch people when he said that “Citizens of Baluchistan do not want any more bloodshed. They are patriots and want development”. These historical words were said by him while addressing the ceremony organized by Baloch insurgents who laid down their arms in Turbat.
Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Email: [email protected]
Every year on March 2, Baloch Cultural Day is being celebrated with the aim to highlight and promote the diversified and rich Balochi culture. The importance of this very day could be judged from the fact that it is being commemorated not only in various districts of the Balochistan province but also throughout the country besides in Iran, Afghanistan, Dubai, Muscat, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and India. The Visionary Group of Gwadar, involved in developing, construction and social services in Balochistan, has taken the initiative of highlighting and promoting Balochi culture and language beyond the borders of Pakistan.
Various shows including musical programmes are being organized in various cities and towns of
Balochistan, Sindh and Balochi speaking districts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
On the occasion, various processions of youth, students and people from all walks of life would be taken out from various parts of the provincial capital of Balochistan with the distinctive Balochi dress, turban, and embroidered dresses.
A celebration of the said event started during 2011. Baloch community in Pakistan and abroad organizes various programmes to highlight different shades of Baloch culture/traditions. Appreciable media coverage of various programmes also gets coverage in local and domestic media.
The strong traditions and cultural values are important to Baloch people and have enabled them to keep their distinctive ancient cultural identity and way of life with little change to this day.
Last year, various musical, cultural and literary ceremonies were held in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan in connection with the Baloch Culture Day—ceremonies were also organized in other countries where Balochs are residing, including Iran, Afghanistan, Dubai, Muscat, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and India. In Quetta, a huge ceremony to mark Baloch Culture Day was held at Balochistan Arts Council which was attended by hundreds of people, including women and children dressed in the typical Balochi dress. Cultural and musical shows were held at Arts Council in which youngsters and children exhibited their talent by singing Balochi songs and performing a Balochi dance. “This is a big day for us. We are excited and proud of our culture and tradition which teach us, love, tolerance, and bravery”, said Ibrahim Rakhshani, a 28-year-old young man wearing a Balochi turban and trouser with typical Balochi shoes. Yar Muhammad Badini, a Baloch intellectual and researcher says, Balochi literature is the best way to understand Baloch people and their culture. “Balochi culture and language have its own uniqueness and richness which needs to be promoted in the country,” he stressed, adding, that Baloch people besides in Pakistan were also residing in different other countries particularly in Iran, Afghanistan, Oman, East Africa and Turkmenistan. “Baloch woman dress is also recognized as national woman dress of Oman,” he added. However, he does not seem satisfied with the efforts of the government to promote Balochi language and culture in the country. “Balochi language is one of those languages which is struggling hard for its survival and needs the immediate focus of government,” he added. Meanwhile, Baloch Culture Day was also celebrated in other towns of Balochistan, including Nushki, Turbat, Gwadar, Mastung, Chagai, Sibi, Naseerabad and Jaffarabad where different musical and cultural shows were organized to mark.
During this very day, it is also of particular attention that since the government of the Balochistan province announced general pardon and protection to the Baloch militants as part of reconciliation process, many insurgents and their leaders have surrendered their arms and decided to work for the development of Pakistan and the province, peace has been restored in the province.
But, it is the misfortune of Pakistan that foreign-based entities have again started terror attacks in the country, especially Balochistan. In this regard, at least 88 people were martyred and 343 were injured on February 16, this year when a suicide bomber attacked the crowded Sufi shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan, Sindh province of Pakistan.
At least 13 people were killed on February 13, 2016, when a suicide bomber struck outside the Punjab Assembly on the Mall Road in the eastern city of Lahore during a peaceful protest of the chemists and pharmacists against a new law.
The affiliated faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaat-ur-Ahrar (TTP-JA also known as JuA) took responsibility for the deadly suicide bombing in Lahore.
While, terror attack in Lahore coincided with the incident in Quetta-the provincial capital of Pakistan’s Balochistan province, where at least one policeman was killed and five people were injured on February 13, 2017, in an explosion occurred on Sariab road.
At least 65 people were killed when a blast struck at the shrine of the Sufi saint Shah Noorani in Balochistan’s Hub Tehsil on November 12, 2016. Terrorist organization, the Islamic State group (Also known as Daesh, ISIS, ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attack.
Besides other terror attacks of the recent past, earlier, the affiliated group of the TTP, TTP-JA took responsibility for a deadly suicide bombing in Quetta, which killed at least 74 people on August 8, 2016, in an assault at the government-run Civil Hospital.
In this respect, a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that senior Afghan diplomats were summoned to the General Headquarters (Of army) over the recent spate of terrorist attacks in Pakistan and asked to ensure that immediate action was taken against the Pakistani terrorists living in safe havens in their country.
The army, which took the lead in dealing with Afghanistan over the terrorist sanctuaries there, had announced the closure of the border crossings with Afghanistan citing security reasons.
According to the statement of the DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor, on February 17, 2017, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa appealed to the nation to stay calm by saying, “our security forces shall not allow hostile powers to succeed…each drop of nation’s blood shall be avenged and avenged immediately…no more restraint for anyone.”Pakistanis do not forgive or forget, they get EVEN.
Gen. Javed Bajwa had called Gen John Nicholson, commander of the US’s Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan through a telephone call to protest continued acts of terrorism in Pakistan perpetrated from Afghanistan, saying that they were testing Pakistan’s policy of cross-border restraint.
Gen. Bajwa told Gen. Nicholson that recent incidents of terrorism in Pakistan had been claimed by terrorist organizations whose leadership is hiding in Afghanistan, and asked him to play his role in “disconnecting this planning, direction, coordination and financial support”.
In a terse message, during the conversation with Nicholson, Gen. Bajwa also informed him of the list of 76 “most wanted” terrorists handed over to Afghan authorities earlier—operating from Afghan territory or hand them over to Pakistan for trying them over their involvement in terrorism.
As regards the terror assault on the Police Training College in Quetta, IG FC Major General Sher Afgan had informed the press that the attackers acted on directions from Afghanistan and the initial investigation suggested that the terrorists were affiliated with the outlawed Lashkar-e- Jhangvi Al Ali militant group. He elaborated, “We came to know from the communication intercepts that there were three militants who were getting instructions from Afghanistan.”
Notably, as part of the dual strategy, CIA, RAW, and Mossad are in connivance with the Afghan intelligence agency, National Directorate of Security (NDS) and other terrorist groups. With the latest capture of six NDS supported terrorists in Balochistan, the number of NDS backed terrorists arrested and killed by Pakistani intelligence agencies has crossed over 126. These external secret agencies are particularly supporting the TTP which is hiding in Nuristan and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan. Reportedly, Mullah Fazlullah led TTP was being prepared to carry out a fresh wave of terror activities inside Pakistan, as the latter has become the center of the Great Game owing to the ideal location of Balochistan.
It is of particular attention that arrest of the Indian spy Kulbushan Yadav in Balochistan has exposed Indian undeclared war against Pakistan. While addressing a joint press conference with the then Federal Minister for Information Pervaiz Rasheeda and former Director General of ISPR Lt. Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa said on March 29, 2016, “Kulbushan Yadav’s arrest is a rare case that does not happen very often.” He disclosed that Yadav was an active officer of the Indian Navy prior to his joining RAW. He also served as a scrap dealer and had a jewelry business in Chahbahar, Iran, after he joined RAW in 2013.
A video was also shown during the press conference in which Yadav confessed that he spied for India. Yadav admitted that he was assigned with the task to create unrest in Karachi and Balochistan by stating, “I supported the individuals who worked to destabilize Pakistan…I promoted the criminal mindset that was there in Balochistan.” Another task assigned to him was to target the Gwadar Port. Yadav also confessed—funding Baloch separatists along with other terrorists. During the investigation, RAW agent Yadav Gulbhushan admitted that during his stay, he contacted various Baloch separatist leaders and insurgents, including Dr. Allah Nazar Baloch, to execute the task to damage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s security agencies uncovered another ring of Indian spies in the country, working as under covert agents, found involved in subversive activities to destabilize Pakistan. In this connection, on November 2, last year, Islamabad disclosed that five Indian diplomats who were serving at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad found to be part of the RAW spy network and were involved in subversive activities by facilitating and funding terrorism. They were declared as persona non grata and expelled from the country.
Undoubtedly, almost all the terrorists or terrorist groups and insurgency in Pakistan, especially Balochistan have their connection in Afghanistan. The porous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is frequently used by human and drug traffickers, criminals and terrorists. Their easy access through unguarded porous border provides an opportunity to miscreants to cause havoc inside Pakistan and Afghanistan. For the effective counter-terrorism measures strong border, control management is vital at Pak-Afghan border. But, Afghan rulers are using delaying tactics in this respect.
Taking cognizance of the anti-Pakistan intruders, Pakistan’s army had decided to build a fence along the border and to control the border crossings. The strategic project of the 1,100-kilometre-long trench with the cost of Rs14 billion which was initiated along Pak-Afghan border in Balochistan by Frontier Corps in 2013 has been completed last year. In the next phase, the project will be extended to the entire long border with Afghanistan which had opposed this plan.
While, from time to time, controversy arises between Afghanistan and Pakistan when Afghan officials refused to recognize the Durand Line which is the 2640 kilometer long and porous border, situated between both the countries.
During his visit to Quetta, the former Army Chief Gen. Raheel Sharif on April 15, 15 warned foreign forces and spy agencies against destabilizing Pakistan by supporting insurgents in Balochistan. Gen. Raheel elaborated, “Army will continue supporting the Balochistan government till terrorism is wiped out…those found involved in funding and facilitating terrorists will be dealt with iron hands.”
Now, the Baloch people know about a foreign conspiracy against Balochistan. A majority of the Baloch persons have understood that Balochistan’s mineral resources and geo-strategic location with deep Gwadar seaport, connecting rest of the world with Central Asia have further annoyed the US and India because China has already invested billions of dollars in developing this seaport. It is due to multiple strategic designs that the US which signed a nuclear deal with India in 2008 seeks to dismember both Pakistan and Iran.
They are well aware of the fact that with the tactical support of American CIA and Israeli Mossad, Indian RAW has continuously been assisting the Baloch separatist groups and Baloch Sub Nationalists to conduct subversive acts—and using terrorist elements in Balochistan to threaten Chinese interest in the development of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. And, Afghanistan has become a hub from where external secret agencies have been funding and arranging subversive activities in other parts of Pakistan—particulrly in Balochistan through their affiliated militant groups at the cost of Pakistan, China and Iran. In the past few years, they abducted and killed many Chinese and Iranian nationals in Pakistan.
It is mentionable that as a result of the general elections 2013, the government led by the nationalist leader Chief Minister Balochistan Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch was established in Balochistan, while on December 7, 2013; local bodies elections were largely held in a peaceful manner in the province. These elections proved that majority of the Baloch are loyal to the federation and have rejected the case of separatists, being projected by foreign forces which are destabilizing Pakistan by supporting anti-state elements in Balochistan.
Notably, in the recent years, Pak Army has made strenuous efforts to develop the infrastructure in Balochistan by providing the people employment opportunities to bring the Balochis in the mainstream of the country. For this purpose, the army has not only established schools and colleges in Balochistan but also set up technical and industrial institutes in the province, besides giving military training to the youth.
Various development projects and progressive works, undertaken by Army in Balochistan are Military College SUI Balochistan, Balochistan Public School at SUI, Quetta Institute of Medical Sciences, Gwadar Institute of Technology, Chamalang Beneficiary Education Program, Balochistan Institute of Technical Education, Army Institute of Mineralogy, Assistance to Ministry of Education Balochistan, Baloch Youth Enrollment in Pakistan Army, Dera Bugti Development Projects, Development Projects Kohlu and Nasirabad Division, and Pakistan Army Assistance in Development of Road Networks including Assistance to Ministry of Education Balochistan, Provision of Free Gas & Water, Construction of 50 Bed Hospital at SUI, Chamalang, Musa Khel & Dukki Coal Mines, KASSA Hill Marble Project, Dates Farming at Panjgur, Garrison & Musa Sports Complex, Free Medical Camps, Earthquake 2008 and Pak Army Relief & Rehabilitation Efforts, Flood 2010 and Pak Army Relief & Rehabilitation Efforts, and many other similar projects and provision of services.
Nevertheless, army’s positive steps will increase the income of the Baloch youth and reduce their dependence on sardars who are working on the agenda of some foreign powers. Now patriot Balochis have come to know that Pak Army is neither mercenary nor occupying force; while external-backed insurgency has hampered the growth and development of the province. They also know that the province lacked engineers and skilled workers. In this respect, measures of Pak Army have been ensuring local enterprise, local manpower and local skill among the Balochis.
In 2011, I had visited Balochistan along with other journalists. I saw a number of institutes, set up by the army, and these were providing especially technical training to thousands of Balochis. I had also a trip to far-flung areas of the province and witnessed various mega projects and mineral sites. I was greatly surprised that no military operation is going on in Balochistan as propagated by the foreign elements. People told me that some subversive events are taking place by the minority separatist elements so as to create instability in the province.
No doubt, army’s progressive role through numerous schemes and projects for the development of Balochistan will change the fortune of the Baloch people very soon, which is likely to castigate the foreign conspiracy against the province.
It is worth mentioning that Balochistan had been hit in the past by some phenomenally devastating calamities like floods of 1950, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1992, 2000, 2010, 2011 and 2012, the drought of 2000 and cyclone of 2007. The real saviors of people of Balochistan were Armed Forces and FC which quickly responded to the call of duty by extending helping hand to fellow countrymen, conducted exceptionally dangerous rescue missions and provided relief to the victims. Similarly, on September 24, 2013, Awaran district of Balochistan was hit by an earthquake. Pakistan Army and FC promptly acted as asked for by the government. Although FC personnel located in the area were equally struck by the earthquake, yet they were the first ones to respond to the situation. And the Army units hastily moved from Khuzdar and Karachi.
Nonetheless, the every Pakistani must celebrate the Baloch Culture Day with full zeal by giving importance to the Balochi traditions. The occasion must be utilized by highlighting positive developments taking place in Balochistan as a result of a harmonious relationship between political and military authorities vis-à-vis Baloch culture traditions.
Posted by admin in Baloch Feudal Sardars, BALOCHISTAN IS PAKISTAN, BALOCHISTAN-THE HEART OF PAKISTAN on August 19th, 2016
Asif Haroon Raja
Dr. Sadia Ali has timed her article titled “The poor daughter of Baluchistan” in The News dated August 17, 2016 with Narendra Modi’s diatribe on the occasion of India’s Independence Day on August 15. She has lent strength to Indian ongoing propaganda onslaught drumming up the sufferings of the people of Baluchistan who in their view are oppressed and given a raw deal by Baluchistan and Federal Governments. Dr. Sadia is a women’s rights activist and she works in Baluchistan. She has presented a depressing picture of Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), child mortality, literacy rate, poverty and healthcare, asserting these are near absent in resource rich Baluchistan. She says that 83.4% children in the province suffer from malnourishment. She says the entire generation in Dera Bugti and in Baluchistan cannot afford a proper meal.
This article might have been read with interest in normal times since the theme of our writers has all along revolved around socio-economic grievances of people of Baluchistan, some being genuine and others self-perceived. Contents of Sadia’s article tend to validate the pronouncements of Modi and Indian propagandists duly reinforced by Pak media, NGOs and human rights activists on Baluchistan. This coincidence has certainly raised eyebrows about her hidden motive, whether she has written it to earn kudos from the people of Baluchistan for highlighting the miserable plight of the women, or to strengthen the case of India and please Modi. To make her story appear more appealing, she names the female patients who have suffered on account of lack of medical facilities while delivering a child.
Why can’t Sadia hear the shrieks of Kashmiri women gang raped in thousands, feel the pain of young widows, cries of half-widows who do not know whether their missing husbands are dead or alive, the anguish of mothers in whose arms their sons riddled with bullets breathe their last, sighs of grief stricken orphans and systematic elimination of the youth in fake encounters. I wish she had the moral courage to write an article on the suffering of Kashmiris at the hands of pitiless Indian security forces, devoid of basic rights and social facilities and the way the children are being killed or blinded with rubber pellets. There is curfew, complete media blackout, mobile services clamped and human rights activists disallowed to enter Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) since July 8. This is the 3rd generation of Kashmiris wading through blood filled streets in IOK. I am sure Sadia must have seen countless pictures of the injured victims whose faces and bodies are pock marked with pellets and well over 100 have lost their eyesight or are fast losing it. Tragically, India has rejected Pakistan’s offer to treat the injured since India doesn’t have facility to treat pellet wounds. While India keep parroting that IOK is integral part of India, it has deployed 7, 50000 security forces equipped with special powers to keep it integral by use of brute force.
Volcanic eruption of protest movement in IOK in the aftermath of brutal killing of freedom fighter Burhan Wani on July 8, and wholehearted love expressed by Kashmiris for Pakistan has dumbfounded Indian leaders. Pakistan’s principled moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris in distress has peeved them. Curt reply of Ch Nisar to visiting Indian Home Minister Jagnath Singh, expounding that Wani was a freedom fighter and not a terrorist, that resistance movement in IOK is a freedom movement and not terrorism, and that Kashmir issue is disputed and must be resolved in accordance with UN resolutions, further miffed them. As the world began to take notice of gross human rights violation in IOK and Indian deception to hide their crimes didn’t work, Modi lost his sense of balance.
He stated that people of Baluchistan, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) had thanked him a lot in the last few days for “raising issue of atrocities against them, and it has given me great joy”. This was a skewwhiff response to the affectionate outpouring of the Kashmiris for Pakistan in the face of guns and bayonets and their hatred for India as was once again amply demonstrated on the occasions of Pakistan and India’s independence days on August 14 and 15 respectively. While former was celebrated with fervor, the latter was observed as black day in IOK.
In his exuberance, Modi let the cat out of the bag and further reinforced Pakistan’s claim that India’s RAW is fully involved in Baluchistan and is also behind Balwaristan movement in GB and is now trying to penetrate AJK where recently all political parties took part in fair and free elections and PML-N won comprehensively, and which acts as the base camp for freedom movement in IOK. Modi must not forget that large scale separatist movements in 14 States of India, of which the Naxalite movement, Kashmiri movement and Khalistan movement are the most dangerous, expectantly look toward outside help to rid them from the yoke of India. Hindu Dalits, treated as Maleechas (untouchables) by the Brahmans have also for the first time picked up courage to protest against inhuman treatment meted out to them.
Modi has come under severe criticism within India for his senseless prank which has damaged India’s stance on IOK as its integral part. This is the second time he has committed a blunder. Earlier on, he had made a confession in Dhaka last year that India had played a key role in liberating Bangladesh in 1971 by fully supporting the Mukti Bahini and that like many Indian soldiers, he had also physically participated in the insurgency.
Pakistan has already provided tons of proofs of RAW’s subversive activities in the three conflict zones inflamed by foreign agencies to the UN. Arrest of Indian serving Naval Commander Kalbhushan Yadav in Baluchistan last March and his startling revelations that he had been operating RAW network from his base in Chahbahar since 2003 to destabilize Baluchistan and Karachi has left no doubt about RAW’s deep rooted involvement. RAW has been making use of the soils of Afghanistan and Iran to indulge in proxy war in Pakistan and utilizing its proxies in the form of TTP in northwest Pakistan, BLA, BRA and BLF in Baluchistan and MQM in Karachi.
India complements its covert operations with propaganda war and psychological operations to undermine and discredit Pakistan. With regard to Baluchistan, aim of Indian propagandists is to not only equate Baluchistan insurgency with Kashmir freedom movement, but also to portray former as freedom movement launched by the Baloch against oppression and deprivation of their rights, and the latter as terrorism. A willful campaign was launched to discredit the Frontier Corps by blaming them for missing persons, mutilated bodies and mass graveyards. Pak security forces fighting the foreign paid terrorists in Baluchistan are projected as ‘repressive occupation Army’. Destabilised Baluchistan helps in scuttling Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project and Gwadar seaport.
There is no comparison between the two since Baluchistan is integral part of Pakistan and is open to all. About a dozen of rebellious Baloch leaders are stationed abroad and are puppets in the hands of host countries. They are highly unpopular in Baluchistan and cannot face their respective tribes since they have sought the intervention of India, US and UN to make Baluchistan independent. Great majority of people of Baluchistan including the Baloch are highly patriotic, they love Pakistan, Army and paramilitary forces, and have full confidence in the provincial government. Conversely, Kashmir is an unfinished agenda of Partition, it is jugular vein of Pakistan, and is under illegal occupation of India since October 1947 and the dispute is awaiting resolution by the UN since 1948. IOK is barricaded and has been turned into an open prison, where no outsider or investigating team is allowed to enter. Right of self-determination has been given to the Kashmiris by the UN but denied by India. The entire political leadership of Kashmiris is based in Kashmir and they love Pakistan.
I will not disagree with Sadia that Baluchistan is way behind other provinces in terms of development and education, and that successive governments didn’t pay desired attention to remove its genuine complaints. But none can deny that the Baloch Sardars who have been in the driving seat took little interest since they are anti-development. They remained more immersed in retaining perverse Sardari system by converting 90% of territory into B Area where the police has no writ, and only 10% as A Area. They have been misruling the province, mostly engaged in inter-tribal rivalry, pocketing development funds to enrich their coffers and denying education to keep the people illiterate and enslaved. Incidence of women buried alive and fed to dogs have occurred. With regard to Dera Bugti, why does Sadia feel shy of mentioning the historical facts as to what the so-called popular leader Nawab Akbar Bugti had done for his home town? Was he not a tyrant and an exploiter? Was he not maintaining an armed militia and private jails and had he not expelled the whole lot of Kalpar and Masouri tribes from Dera Nawab and now the two tribes have been fully resettled and rehabilitated? Were the people of this area better off then or now?
Sadia must not forget that while great majority of Baloch are patriotic and love Pakistan, a small disgruntled segment in Baluchistan is prone to rebellion and has been picking up arms against the state to gain independence since 1948. These misled Baloch rebels have always been provided safe haven and support by Afghanistan, former Soviet Union and India. This trend is still continuing and needs elimination.
When Gen Musharraf tried to remove the inequities of Baluchistan by way of launching mega projects including Gwadar port and construction of road infrastructure in the interior, improving education and healthcare, the Sardars of Bugti, Marri and Mengal tribes ganged up and at the behest of foreign powers started an insurgency in 2004 which later on turned into a separatist movement.
Development of Gwadar port by China was unacceptable to USA and India and hence the insurgency was stoked to scare away the Chinese. Despite the insurgency, development works in Baluchistan continued and the current nationalist government backed by federal government is making sincere efforts to defeat foreign abetted terrorism and improve the education and socio-economic conditions of the province. Back of the separatist movement has been broken and hundreds of rebels have come down from the hills and have surrendered arms. Completion of dozens of dams, Gwadar port, opening up technical and cadet schools/colleges and CPEC will surely change the complexion of Baluchistan.
However, Sadia says that Baluchistan is constantly sliding down in all human development indicators. She measures its development from the yardstick of MMR only and compares it with war torn Somalia and Liberia. She conveniently overlooks India, which prompted her to write this article, endowed with worst human development indicators including MMR but keeps harping that India is shining. Sadia and her ilk never talk of weak areas of India but leave no stone unturned to glorify it and shame Pakistan. This sort of article which adds fuel to the injured feelings of dissatisfied segment in Baluchistan helps India and others in their propaganda war. Can anyone in India dare write such an article highlighting pathetic conditions of minorities in India?
Sadia laments the lavish arrangements made on the occasion of Independence Day celebrations in Baluchistan and gives a sad touch to it saying that music, and the noise (Pakistan Zindabad chants) was so loud that it muffled the cries and anguish of the women in labor pain. She tantalizingly repeats “resource rich Baluchistan”, but doesn’t mention that foreign powers eying at these resources have led the handful of greedy Sardars up the garden path that resources will be theirs. Their eyes have not opened even after seeing the plunder of mineral resources of Iraq and Libya. After passage of 18th Amendment and grant of provincial autonomy to the provinces, the oft repeated allegation of exploitation by the Centre or Punjab is no more applicable.
Sadia go the extent of saying that socio-economic indictors of war torn Afghanistan are better than Pakistan. She and her well-read types are the ones who fan misgivings, frustration, despair and hatred among the people of smaller provinces. The so-called intellectuals and secular writers at the behest of RAW had played a big role in feeding fictitious statistics, in making false comparisons between the two wings of Pakistan and in inciting hatred among the Bengalis against West Pakistanis. Even now, there are quite a few toadies of India in Pakistan ever ready to sell their souls for money and to augment Indian propaganda against Pakistan and to cover the crimes of India in IOK and several parts of India and to glorify the cause of separatists in Baluchistan. One example of this is Hamid Mir’s TV program on Geo soon after Modi’s rants. He posed a question to the guest speakers whether the Baloch insurgents were terrorists or freedom fighters.
It is now a well-established fact that Baluchistan is a target and Indo-US-Afghan-US nexus has been conjointly working since 2002 to destabilize, secularize, denuclearize and balkanize Pakistan. Map of Balkanized Pakistan published by US/western think tanks and Lt Col Ralph Peters indicated Baluchistan and Pushtunistan as separate states. India has targeted Baluchistan so as to use it as a card to checkmate Pakistan in Kashmir. Indian defence minister had stated last year that in case Pakistan doesn’t lay its hands off IOK, it should be prepared to lose Baluchistan. He has now termed Pakistan as hell and accused it of violating human rights violations in Baluchistan. The fact is that the wale of Kashmir popularly known as paradise on earth has virtually been turned into hell.
If Baluchistan suffers from inequalities, which part of Pakistan doesn’t? Is whole of Punjab prosperous? May I ask learned Sadia as to which country in the world is free of inequities and which country has equally developed states/provinces? In USA, 99% people are poor and only 1% are dirty rich. 22 States of the US want to go their way because of socio-economic grievances and wrong policies of the state. In India, 37 insurgencies are raging in different parts of the country and there are separatist movements in 14 states, all suffering from injustices and socio-economic deprivations and fed up of four-fold caste system.
The writer is retired Brig, defence and security analyst, columnist, author of 5 books, Director Measac Research Centre and Director Thinkers Forum Pakistan. He delivers talks and takes part in TV talk shows. [email protected]
Posted by admin in Balochistan - The Beautiful Heart of Pakistan, BALOCHISTAN IS PAKISTAN, BALOCHISTAN-THE HEART OF PAKISTAN, BALOCHISTAN=PAKISTAN, Hindu India, HIndu Terrorism, IDOLATROUS CULT OF HINDUISM, INDIA'S ANTI-PAKISTAN TOXIC PROPAGANDA, INDIA'S CASTEISM, MAKAAR HINDUS, Nawaz Sharif-The Prime Minister from Hell, NAWAZ SHARIF: THE LOOTER, Nawaz US Agent, Pakistan's Strategic & Security Focus on August 19th, 2016
QUETTA: Chief Minister Balochistan Sanaullah Zehri has slammed Baloch leader Barhamdagh Bugti, the exiled leader of Baloch Republican Party, for making anti-Pakistan statements and asserted that ‘those fuelling propaganda from foreign land’ have no support at home.
He was addressing a conference condemning Indian interference in Balochistan at Quetta Law College.
Mr. Zehri said Modi’s controversial claim that the Baloch people had thanked him for his support of the “so-called insurgency” in the province was senseless.
The chief minister said no one could detach Balochs from their homeland. “A handful of people are shedding blood of their own brothers for the sake of some ‘peanuts’, said the CM.
Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said Indian PM Narendra Modi was a murderer of thousands of innocent Kashmiris and Pakistanis.
The conference was attended by a large number of students and civil society members.
Earlier in the day, the Indian premier’s speech on Aug 15, India’s Independence Day, triggered protests across Balochistan, with large numbers of tribesmen taking to the streets in protest in several parts of the province.
Political leaders, civil society members and citizens in large numbers took out rallies holding placards against Indian PM and their government.
In Chaman, protesters burnt effigy of Narendra Modi and Brahamdagh Bugti for their anti-Pakistan statements.
They expressed their anger on campaign launched by the Indian premier and Baloch leader to defame Pakistan and project Balochistan in bad light at international level.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers led rallies in Dera Murad Jamali and raised slogans against India. Persistent protests blocked the main highway in Balochistan.
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