Posts Tagged UNPO

UNPO, Balochistan & Imperial Agenda

                                                            By Sajjad Shaukat

In July, 2013, the report of the Abbottabad Commission was published, which had also recorded the statement of the ex-DG ISI, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha who indicated that the CIA had infiltrated in many foreign Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Pakistan including Save the Children, and due to lack of cooperation by other civil agencies and police, it was not possible for the ISI to track activities of all these NGOs.

However, these non-state entities which are called NGOs are non-profit groups, organized at local, regional and international level to address issues concerning human wellbeing and goodness of people, and have, no doubt, brought about social change in the less developed countries.

NGOs are independent in their outlook, but are faced with the constraints of operating under sovereign compulsions and constitutional obligations of host countries to plan and execute their activities.

Overtly, the vision, mission and operating principle of the NGOs is to provide humanitarian services towards surmounting poverty, eradicating endemic diseases and providing relief to the victims of natural and manmade calamities and other tormented ordeals of the masses. But covertly, some foreign and even domestic institutions manipulate the NGOs to further the imperial agenda of some vested interests, especially western powers which take advantage of these non-sovereign entities so as to promote their political influence by financing them and dictating their malevolent stratagem, which is contravention to the accepted norms and value systems of the host country.

In fact, it is a new face of imperialism which can take the shape of aiding and abetting regional interest groups to revolt against the legitimate governments and develop suitable platforms to endorse their schema.

In these terms, the unique idea of creating Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) was implemented at the Peace Palace in Hague in 1991. The humanitarian purpose behind was that since UNPO members were not adequately represented in the UNO, hence, it was created with a noble mission: to help minorities, marginalized communities and sub-nationalities to find a platform from where they could raise their voice in order to maintain their identity and to avoid total exclusion. Initially, UNPO was entirely formed by its 15 members, but now it includes over 40 members. Although the membership is given to those who pledge to remain nonviolent, working for human rights, democracy, self determination, environmental protection and promotion of tolerance, yet some of the sponsors exploit UNPO for the endorsement of their vested interests.

It has been noted that a few members of UNPO in EU and USA are involved in instigating Pakistani nationals to participate in anti-state activities, support insurgency and promote dissents. Reportedly, UNPO is extensively involved in sustaining Baloch Sub-Nationalities (BSNs) and is promoting separatist agenda by expressing allegiance with the separatists. UNPO members participate in every anti-Pakistan activity and protest demonstration organized by Baloch separatists abroad, thereby damaging the image of Pakistan while sowing the seeds of separatism.

In this regard, India, the US and Israel have been internationalizing the Balochistan issue in accordance with their secret designs. In connivance with the Baloch separatist leaders who have taken refuge in Switzerland, Sweden, US and London, these foreign elements use media and UNPO including various NGOs and human rights organizations for false propaganda against Pakistan’s security forces and ISI in relation to extrajudicial killings, mutilated bodies and the missing persons.

Regarding various demonstrations and rallies of the Baloch separatists and so-called human rights organizations, on August 3, 2011, the former ISPR spokesman, Maj-Gen Athar Abbas, while rejecting human rights groups’ reports about Balochistan as a conspiracy against Pakistan, called for probing the funding of these organizations as this could be traced back to those forces which want to destabilize Pakistan.

Notably, Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) is also in collusion with some US Congressmen to get foreign support so as to animate the scheme of separatism in Balochistan. For the sinister aims, BLA and the Baloch feudal lord, Khan of Kalat had planned to take the issue of Balochistan to International Court of Justice (ICJ) and expected that India would pay $2.4 million lawyers’ fee to contest their case in ICJ. As Indian support did not get materialized, BLA and Khan of Kalat went over to US leaders to press forward their case.

In February 8, 2012, three Republican Congressmen, Dana Rohrabacher, Louie Gohmert and Steve King tabled a bill before US Congress, supporting an independent Balochistan. Although the US Administration distanced itself from Congressional hearing, yet US denial does not augur well with ground reality, as American think tanks and NGOs go on instigating the separatist elements in Baluchistan.

Nevertheless, about the deteriorating situation of Balochistan, everyone knows the foreign-backed separatist groups like the BLA, BLF and their affiliated outfits including another group, Jundollah (God’s soldiers) which have been fighting for secession of the province get logistic support from American CIA and Indian RAW—these miscreants kidnapped and killed many innocent people and the security personnel in the province through subversive acts including sectarian violence. Therefore, they are responsible for dumped bodies and extrajudicial killings and the missing persons in the province. On a number of occasions, these militant outfits claimed responsibility for their subversive acts.

While, a Gallup survey of the UK official body, DFID, conducted on July 20, 2012, disclosed that the vast majority of the Baloch people oppose the idea of an independent Balochistan. This survey has proved that some external entities have been conducting subversive activities in the province by supporting the minority elements, and are inciting the other Bloch persons for independence of Balochistan.

As a result of the elections 2013, the government led by a nationalist leader Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch has been established. Being progressive and moderate man, he ensured that socio-economic justice would meet with success, while playing a key role in empowering Baloch leaders to manage the affairs of their province and also to participate in Pakistan’s decision-making process. And on December 7, 2013; local bodies elections were largely held in a peaceful manner in Balochistan.

Observing the intentions of the hostile powers which have eyes on mineral resources of Balochistan and its significance due to geo-strategic location, during his trip to Beijing, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang signed eight agreements on July 5, 2013 in various fields. The most important one envisages the establishment of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) between deep Gwadar seaport of Balochistan and the historic Silk Road city in western regions-Xinjiang of China—connecting to Gilgit-Baltistan through Khunjerab Pass.

Nonetheless, UNPO is not in consultative status with Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), a UN body to bring any good for the poor of the less developed nations. Therefore, it is quite evident that western imperialism is behind such organizations to advance their covert designs. 

No doubt, like some other NGOs, UNPO is violating its own basic charter by advancing imperial agenda and evil designs of the external elements by damaging Pakistan’s interests. The Baloch dissidents are rebels and any organization which promotes the interests of rebels against a sovereign state is illegitimate and illegal.

Now, the right hour has come that our domestic media must expose international conspiracy against Balochistan by condemning the activities of anti-Pakistan countries and UNPO by exposing its nexus with BSNs.

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

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