Posts Tagged BLA Terrorism

PAKISTANI BALOCH SHAHEED HERO

 OF

BALOCHISTAN

‘Norouz Baloch is dead, not Balochistan’

My day on December 2 (2013) started with a heart wrenching news. Norouz Jan Baloch, my friend, my brother from Balochistan, has been martyred by the BLA, who have claimed the responsibility. Ina Lillah wa inna elaih e raji’oon. Norouz was very much active against the so called Balochistan Liberation Army goons. He started exposing the terrorists through the “Alternative Media” at a time when nobody from the mainstream media could dare touch the subject. In fact the mainstream media was busy in glorifying terrorism. Norouz Shaheed restlessly yet aggressively led the campaign; regularly giving us the input and feedback. He was the one who right at the outset had understood the actual scheme of things, with the enemy hands behind. Sometime back he went out of the country, and as he was preparing his luggage to go back home, he called me and said “Imran Bhai, aik documentary banani hei, tayar ho jain, BLA ko poori tarah expose krna hei” (Imran Bhai, we need to make a documentary about the BLA that would help expose its atrocities as a terrorist organization. We need to expose them on larger scale. In return I smiled. While coming back he wasn’t thinking about what could happen to him. All what he was worried was his concern for Balochistan. He used to have often said, “Norouz can die one day but Balochistan and Pakistan will have to live for all times to come. When he landed at the airport, he called me again, saying, “Imran Bhai, I am back, lets rock a party, we are meeting very soon”, to which I replied “sure, InshaAllah. But then the news came of his murder at the hands of enemies of this country.  His death reminds me of the lesson once I learnt from scholars. “Life without an aim is nothing, only an aim that we pursue is something which keeps us alive even when we are no more alive.” Norouz did the same. He may not be around but his message, courage, valor and passion for Pakistan will remain the guiding light for people like us, who at times, complain for no change even after “so much” efforts. Trust me my fellows, we haven’t yet done anything for this beautiful country. The last message of Norouz on Facebook is nothing but a big wakeup call for all of us.

His murder at the hands of BLA bears witness to the fact that the insurgency is in the hands of very few, disgruntled and with the backing of invisible hands. The local people of the troubled areas have seen those hands, but unfortunately there is very less awareness on the national level. There is no pro-Balochistan front, but there is growing awareness amongst the people of Balochistan that plots have been hatched against the will and even participation of locals.

Imran Jamali, Rojhan Jamali, Balochistan

Pakistani social media activist martyred in target killing by BLA

In a clear case of target killing to silence freedom of speech, a prominent and young Baloch social media activist Norouz Jan Baloch was martyred in Nushki city of Balochistan province by militants of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group headed by Brahamdagh Bugti who lives in self-exile in Europe, mostly seen in and around Switzerland.

The BLA was designated as a terrorist organization by Pakistani law-enforcement authorities in April 2006. Similarly, in July 2006, British authorities declared the BLA as a “proscribed group” in light of the Terrorism Act 2000. The US State Department categorized the group’s actions, and not the group itself, as “terrorism”.

It has long been believed that the BLA has the clandestine support of India’s intelligence agency, the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW). Former Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik had shared in detail the history and motives of the group with the Upper House of the Pakistani Parliament.

Norouz Jan Baloch was the Founder and Manager of the Facebook page Balochistan Liberation Army is a Terrorist Organization (Margh Bar BLA). He was known for making open remarks against the separatist group and spearheading a volunteer cyber activism campaign to counter the stream of propaganda spread by a few Baloch sub-nationalists. Testimony to his influence and support among ordinary Baloch people in specific and Pakistanis in general are the 26,000+ Facebook followers (at the time of compiling this report). Most of the Facebook IDs which fan anti-Pakistan propaganda in cyberspace, according to sources, are ghost IDs which can be traced to India (research by a source showed most of the IPs led to Karnataka).

Norouz’ brutal target-killing is evident of the fact that some Baloch elements who are employed by Pakistan’s enemies cannot tolerate freedom of speech. Ironically, these same elements hold sympathy-seeking rallies in Europe and the US demanding protection for journalists who they claim are killed for voicing their free, independent opinions.

It is hence not incorrect to conclude that since the BLA did not have the facts and capability to engage in a debate with Norouz Jan Baloch, who was known to be a learned young man, they resorted to doing what they do best: killing people, even if they are of the same ethnicity. The ultimate thorn that triggered this hate? Norouz’ staunch patriotism and love for his homeland, Pakistan.

Pakistani social media activist martyred in target killing by BLA | PakIdeology