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Baluchistan at the Crossroads
By Alex Bigham (Ed.).
Baluchistan Seminar Report
'BALUCHISTAN AT THE CROSSROADS'
27TH JUNE, COMITEE ROOM 16, HOUSE OF COMMONS, 6.00PM
Speakers include:
- Hugh Barnes, Foreign
Policy Centre (Chair)
- Dr Naseer Dashti
- Mr Mehran Baloch,
Baluchistan Rights Movement
- Senator Sanaullah
Baloch, from Baluchistan
- Frederic Grare,
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Laku Luhana, World
Sindhi Congress
- Ryszard Czarnecki MEP
The seminar 'Baluchistan at the Crossroads' was organised by The Foreign
policy Centre in collaboration with Baluchistan Rights Movement on 27th
June in the House of Commons. The main objective of the seminar was to
gather political analysts, academics, politicians, journalists and
others to examine the Baluch issue and to produce, if possible, a policy
framework for western governments to engage Pakistan on this issue of
critical importance.
The seminar was held to cover issues of vital importance such as the
tense relationship between the Baluch people and Pakistan's military
government, violations of human rights, the use of natural resources,
issues of security and terrorism, and the military operation in
Baluchistan.
This report is an edited summary of the proceedings, and not intended to
be a verbatim transcript. More details about the Foreign Policy Centre
can be found at
http://www.fpc.org.uk
Disclaimer: The views expressed in
this report are not necessarily those of the Foreign Policy Centre.
Hugh Barnes
introduced and chaired the
event. He made clear the Foreign Policy Centre's (FPC) commitment as an
independent think tank to holding events of this nature with speakers
and audience members from each side of the debate. Baluchistan is not an
issue that is at the forefront of debate in British politics, and the
FPC felt it important to inform parliamentarians, journalists, academics
and others of this timely issue.
Dr Naseer Dashti
explained some of the historical context to the conflict in Baluchistan,
including the role that world powers such as Britain and Russia had
played, as well as the tense relationship with Afghanistan. He drew a
parallel between the colonial powers, and the ideology of the ruling
elite in Pakistan's ruling parties, which has been similar to that of a
colonial power. He said that after the demise of colonial rule in Asia
and Africa many new states were born with a multi-national and
multi-ethnic character, where dominant nations pursued policies of
subjugation of smaller nations. He said Pakistan is one such state where
the dominating Punjabis have followed a policy of oppression and
suppression to colonise other nations in Pakistan. He claimed there was
no popular support for such policies in Baluchistan, and that there was
a monolithic, absolutist Pakistani identity based on Punjabi
nationalism. This ideology had suppressed minority languages and
cultures. In addition, there have been many brutal incursions into the
province since its incorporation in 1948 - these have been in 1948, 1958
and 1973. These have resulted in many human rights violations.
Baluchistan was founded in 1666, but was divided in the 19th Century by
various arbitrary colonial borders, including the Durand line. The
desire amongst Baluchs to protect their language, territory and
lifestyle led to the armed resistance. They have been excluded from
political power and dominated by the Punjabis and their fundamentalist
ideology. The government has isolated and exclude the Baluch people in
the name of Islamic brotherhood. They've imposed an imported and alien
ideology. He concluded by saying that the only viable solution for the
Baluch issue is allowing them the right of self determination.
Senator Sana Baloch
explained some of the social and economic exploitation of the Baluchi
people. He said that Baluchistan has enormous natural wealth which is
looted by the central government in collaboration with China while the
most of the Baluch people live below poverty line devoid of any basic
facilities. He said that 80% of Baluch people lack access to safe water,
and many children have no access to education.
At the same time, the Pakistani army has 69 Para-military cantonments, 6
heavy weapon cantonments, 6 naval bases and three nuclear, biological
and chemical weapons testing facilities in Baluchistan. Islamabad has
supported the 'Talibanisation' of Baluchistan, and sought to get rid of
the secular identities that are organic there.
He said that Baluch leaders have tried to engage in dialogue with the
Pakistani rulers but they want to keep them as third class citizens and
the Baluch nation won't accept this. He said that Pakistani army run
media spreads misinformation that only a few sardars (tribal chiefs) are
responsible for this problem hey claim that "tribal chiefs are
responsible for the backwardness". He said that the sardars who have the
worst records of human rights violations are sitting with the current
government and those sardars that Pakistani army blame are the patriotic
leaders of the Baluch nation who have strived hard and have given
personal sacrifices for the progress of Baluch people.
The Pakistani army has approximately 700 checkpoints in the region,
which is preventing the free movement of people and goods. He said that
there are F-16 fighter jets being used, which have been provided by the
US, and other weapons provided by the west. The international community
should realise that "they are not using swords against us". He said that
the current army presence is about 150,000 and they are conducting a
ruthless operation against Baluch people and the international community
should strive to stop it.
Mr. Mehran Baloch
of the Baluchistan Rights Movement said that the fundamental basis of
the problem is that Baluchistan was never a part of Pakistan but was
assimilated into Pakistan at gunpoint. We still consider Baluchistan as
an occupied country and the Baluch people have suffered the worst
subjugation, oppression, and occupation in the past and are still
suffering at the hand of Pakistan's Punjabi army.
Mr Baloch questioned what kind of Islamic army is it who killed millions
of Bengalis who were Muslims, who raped more then 40,000 women in
Bangladesh who were Muslims too? He claimed the Pakistani army killed
more Muslims then Israel did. Now they are killing Baloch people in
Baluchistan, and are Baluchs not Muslim?
He claimed that Baluch leaders are trying their best to hold the lantern
of hope and emancipation for Baluch people. The media and internet sites
are now beginning to report on this issue, and they have taken things to
the UN, and created archives of all the rights abuses.
He said that Pakistani government has never made a serious move to
develop Baluchistan and to understand or rectify the sufferings and root
problems of the Baluch nation. Instead, they have strengthened their
military yoke to further suppress the Baluch people. The Pakistani army
has conducted four military offensives in Baluchistan and is conducting
the fifth at this moment. Advanced weaponry including fighter planes,
helicopter gunships, and other lethal weapons are being used to bombard
the innocent Baluch people. He says that when accusations have been made
that jets have bombed civilians, the government has responded by saying
"no regular forces have been deployed" - but we don't believe that
militias fly fighter jets.
Mehran Baloch said that the military is deliberately trying to support
and patronise religious fundamentalism in Baluchistan so that they can
use this force for their jihadi purposes and to quell the secular
national struggle of Baluch people. He said that the Pakistani army is
finding it difficult to keep their atrocities secret. The only amicable
solution to this problem is the right of the Baluch people to self
determination. He urged western countries in general, and the US and UK
in particular to stop providing weapons and fighter planes to the
Pakistani army unless the Baluchistan issue is resolved. Otherwise the
support which Pakistan gets from the international community in the name
of the war on terror is being used to kill Baluch civilians and to
destroy Baluch villages.
He said he has sympathy with the plight of the Kashmiris, but he wished
that the international community realised that Baluchistan is going
through a similar occupation.
He strongly condemned the on going military operation and human rights
violations in Baluchistan by the Pakistani army. He said the Army
operation which started in Baluchistan on 17th of December 2005 has
never stopped but is progressing day by day. Mehran said as recently as
last week the Pakistani Army bombed many areas of Kohlu, Kahan and Dera
Bugti killing several innocent people. Today no Baluch men, women,
children or elderly people are safe from the Pakistani Army and ISI.
They can enter any house and pick up anyone whenever they want. He said
the worst kind of torture is taking palace in Pakistani Army's private
dungeons. Mehran said Pakistan is violating all international human
rights laws, but he is surprised that the international community is
still not taking any action against the Pakistani army atrocities in
Baluchistan.
He said the international community must take action against Pakistan
before it's too late, because we don't want to see another Rwanda.
Frederic Grare,
a political analyst and academic from Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, summarised his paper on 'why Baluchistan matters'.
He explained the international significance of Baluchistan in relation
to other key regional states, such as Iran and Afghanistan.
He said Baluchistan is critically important for Pakistan due to its
natural resources and due to its strategic location. He said that the
international importance of Baluchistan includes factors such as US
military operations, operations of the Taliban from Quetta and the
strategic importance of Marri and Gwadar ports. Pakistan is increasingly
becoming the nerve centre of the regional economy, and 20 countries,
including western ones, China and India, need to use the Gwadar
facilities. He said that the presence of China has also given an
additional dimension to the problem. Some have claimed that the Chinese
are using Gwadar as a listening post to monitor US military activities
in the Persian Gulf region.
In terms of the international dimension to the conflict, it is difficult
to establish what is fact and what is rumour. Foreign intervention has
been discussed for months, but not by the UN but by the Pakistani
government - who see Baluchs as being controlled by India and
Afghanistan. Frederic Grare explained the changing approach of Pakistani
army toward the BLA (Baluchistan Liberation Army). They have gone from
saying that the BLA doesn't exist, to saying that they are run by the
Indian intelligence service. Islamabad also suspect Iran of supporting
the Baluch case, but this seems incredulous considering Iran is
suppressing the Iranian Baluchs in Sistan e Baluchestan. Some suspect,
however that Washington would like to use Baluchistan as a base to
attack Iran and to get China out of the region - a 21st century version
of the 'Great Game'. There is clearly a race to control the oil and gas
supply from Central Asia.
He said that Pakistani army and their controlled media is writing about
the foreign intervention with supporting theories from USA, India and
Iran in the Baluch issue, however, none of these have yet been proven.
He reiterated that the main root cause of the problem is the military
presence and operations in Baluchistan.
Dr Lakhu Luhana,
Secretary General of the World Sindhi Congress, said that Sindhi and
Baluch people have historical ties and both the nations are suffering
similar colonial suppression in Pakistan. He mentioned that the natural
resources of Sindhis have been ruthlessly looted and hundreds of
political activists who campaigned against this have been kidnapped. He
said the Sindhis, like the Baluchs had never opted to join Pakistan, and
there had not been a popular vote.
He said over 70% of the Pakistani budget goes to military expenses and
about 3% goes to health and education, and as a result social progress
has been minimal. He said that Pakistan is responsible for killing of
millions of Bengalis, Baloch and Sindhis and it is a menace for the
nations in Pakistan and for regional and global stability. He said the
UN charter is not just a piece of paper, but was created around the
experience of people during two world wars - it is important to show
that humankind can live in peace.
He said that the nation's right of self determination is a basic human
right and the only solution is to resort to it to achieve stability and
peace in the region.
Ryszard Czarnecki,
a member of European Parliament from Poland, said that Pakistan came
into existence through restrictive voting and is being ruled by the
Punjabi army. He said that the Baluchs are a distinct ethnic group and
not part of Pakistan.
He said that the Pakistani army is pursuing a policy of Baluch genocide
as described in the reports of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
The Pakistani army should stop this operation and stop building military
cantonments in Baluchistan for the purpose of subjugating Baluch people.
He said that Baluch nationalists were fiercely opposed to the national
assembly.
He said that currently gross violations of human rights are taking place
in Baluchistan under the hands of Pakistan military. He gave an example
of army attack on Dera Bugti where 85% killed were women and children.
He said the international community condemn these human rights
violations and demand from Pakistan to stop these immediately.
After the contributions from the
panel, a heated Q&A session followed with a lively and vigorous debate
on various aspects of Baluch conflict. Finally the chair, Hugh Barnes,
thanked all the participants and said the presentations from the panel
and contributions from the audience had produced a very useful debate on
a very important problem of regional and global dimensions. He
reiterated that the Foreign Policy Centre will continue with similar
debates.
http://www.fpc.org.uk
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