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Comments on "Baluchistan At The Cross
Roads"
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Just look at the pathetic mentality of many Pakistani
"intellectuals" with regard to Balochistan. It spews such nonsense as "no
one in Pakistan is against Balochi language or traditions" (how many TV
stations, radio stations, newspapers, govt. schools, etc. are in Balochi
language medium? and how come they impose Urdu on the Baloch? as for
traditions, just look at the venom against Baloch tribal system..). And
she is obviously entirely ignorant of any Baloch history, much less how
Balochistan was occupied by Pakistan in 1948.
Gul Agha
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Adopting a hard line in what ever form is unjust and
will not serve anyone. When talking or writing one has to have full
knowledge of situation and fully informed about the happenings around.
You can not be partial and yet a good and humanly writer or activist. A
writer has the responsibility to perform their responsibilities truly and
faithfully as a good writer is some one who draws good plans for better
future of human being be it a Pakistan, a Jew or a Hindu.
When writing these comments Ms. Farzana Shah seem to have forgotten the
injustices being committed against Baloch. She seem to have been blinded
with the Islamic theory of Pakistan and like others she seem to have found
the Baloch speakers committing sins.
She has forgotten or has not been aware of hundreds of disappeared Baloch
and Sindhis during the current brutal regime of Pakistan. She seem to be
ignorant of the suffering of Baloch in Karachi, particularly in Lyari. She
seems to be unaware that there is no Sardars in Makran belt yet still
deprived. She also has ignored Jam Yousuf whose area, Lasbela is deprived
from all basic amenities despite being the richest district of Balochistan.
It is because of the people like her which has led Baloch turning away
from Pakistan.
Instead of criticising Musharraf and Co. who have forcefully occupied
Pakistan and threatening her stability and unity she has turned to Baloch.
She should have looked at Pakistan and found where are the political
forces were and should have criticised the establishment for disallowing
honest politicians to serve her beloved Pakistan.
She seem to have overlooked deliberately, the fact that Baloch never
fought when there was genuine democracy in Pakistan. Baloch only have
resisted when they have been forced to the edge by the military of
Pakistan to prolong their rules.
Wake up Pakistanis, don't just listen to what establishment of Mush want
you to, but also look at facts and tell the truth and help get rid of the
dictators.
With best wishes
Koulmir Namiran
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Dear Koulmir Thanks for the well explained comments to
response to Ms. Farazan Shah article "Baluchistan At The Cross Roads"
Seems she is intentionally ignoring the whole current crisis of
Balochistan and unwilling to bring up the roots causes of issues in her
article. I am surprised she shifted 100% blame on Baloch speakers. Whom
are well aware and knowedgable personalities who tried to inform the
audience about the root causes of issue in Balochistan, therefore they
were invited to speak, they simply presented the facts such as naked
exploitation of rich natural resources of Balochistan by central
government of Pakistan (Islamabad) they exposed the lack of political
rights of their people (Baloch) along with solid supporting ideas plus
they explained the current brutal regimes and massive human rights
voilations, which has been going in Balochistan.
Pleasing dictators, and being bias is a pattern of many Pakistani
generalists who have one sided view. Neither bring any positve outcome or
neither convince the readers whom are always trying to make score to
please the regimes of the times inseated respecting their professional
generalism rules. Ms Farzana Shah failed to balance her views which is
nothing new for many of us.
Aziz Baloch
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Baluchistan At The Cross
Roads
Friday July 28, 2006 (1648 PST)
Farzana Shah
janashah_1@yahoo.com
Pakistan is increasingly becoming a focal point of the
regional economy with the development of Gwadar Port and other mega projects
in its Baluchitsan province. This coupled with its strategic location is the
main reason for getting the attraction of the world and regional powers. Its
critical importance can be gauged from the fact that the port of Gwadar
could provide the ‘window’ to monitor the entire Persian Gulf, which
according to the analysts is being used by many countries of the West,
Middle East, Far East, China and India.
Due to the ever increasing needs of energy resources the world powers are
watching keenly and looking for ways and means to control the oil and gas
supply from Central Asia, for which Gwadar again could become a major
outlet. However, Chinese interest and presence in the region has not only
caused great concern to them but also to our next door neighbour – India.
A political turmoil causing unrest in Baluchistan could serve their designs
to a great extent, where by funding and arming the rebels and miscreants
could provide them with the foothold in the region. Baluchis being mostly a
feudal and tribal society, the task of misleading them against the legit
authorities becomes easier as only a handful of their tribal chiefs
(Sardars) are to be inculcated. The media war, seminars, discussions at
various fora of the world and similar other ‘intellectual’ activity is a
pre-requisite to lend credence to such insurgency and ‘freedom’ struggles.
In this regard the Foreign Policy Centre (FPC) United Kingdom arranged a
seminar on Baluchistan province of Pakistan in collaboration with the
so-called Baluchistan Rights Movement on 27th June 2006 in the House of
Commons, London. It was highly disappointing as it was abashedly a one-sided
cheap propaganda rather than discussing the real situation. By a mere look
at the panel of the participants of the seminar one could easily figure out
that it consisted of only anti-Pakistan elements and some self-styled
activists advocating terrorism in the province. There were no
representatives from government of Pakistan or even from the elected
provincial government of Baluchistan in the seminar. It is just unfortunate
that the Foreign Policy Centre which is expected to present fair suggestions
to the British government to engage a country of their concern for important
issues, indulged in such a blatant one-sided propaganda against Pakistan
through the said seminar.
The seminar seemed to focus only at propagating the views of the rebels and
miscreants active in Baluchistan at targeting the civilians and vital
government installation to halt the development projects in the province.
It certainly put the credibility of the Foreign Policy Centre in doubt,
although Hugh Barnes who chaired the event claimed FPC to be an
‘independent’ think tank committed to holding events of such nature with
speakers and audience members from each side of the debate. He fell much
short of the claim as in the said seminar there were many sides missing and
only those opposed to the government advocating the cause of the miscreants
were invited to it. Had there been any representative from the Government of
Pakistan or from the elected government of Baluchistan, the centre would
have been justified in its such claim.
FPC’s credibility becomes further questionable when one finds Pro-Israel
Stephen Twiggs as its chairman and influencing its activities cleverly. He
joined the Foreign Policy Centre as Director in August 2005. He is involved
with the FPC from its conception in 1998 and since then as a Member of the
Board from 1998 to 2006. He also chairs the Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) a
Westminster based pro-Israel lobby group working within the British Labour
party. It is considered one of the most prestigious groupings in the party
and is seen as a stepping stone to ministerial ranks by the Labour MPs. The
committee wields considerable influence in Westminster and is also consulted
routinely by the Foreign Office and Downing Street on matters relating to
the Middle East. Tony Blair is known to consult its members over Middle East
policy.
Very strangely, according to one Mir Azad Khan Baluch, at his blog
http://governmentofbalochistan.blogspot.com, the Baloch Diaspora in April
2006 established the newly formed "democratic, liberal and secular"
Government of Balochistan (GOB) in Exile in Jerusalem, Israel.
The address of which is as under
The World Baloch Jewish Alliance Building
PO Box 5631
Jerusalem, 91000
ISRAEL
No wonder the formation of the above GOB confirms the anti-Pakistan and
anti-Islam role of the chair of the FPC, in misleading the British
government and the audience through such seminar.
An other speaker, Dr Naseer Dashti, a relatively unknown entity of
Baluchistan mostly delved at maligning the non-Baluchis and trying to
convince the British audience that if the UK sided with the miscreants
fomenting trouble in the province, all the problems will be solved there.
Interestingly he had altogether negated the entire ideology of the country
and that of Balochis. No one in Pakistan is in any way against the lifestyle
of the Baluchs or their languages or culture as propagated by Dr Dashti.
Senator Dr Sanaullah Baloch, one of the anti-government elements in
Pakistan, mostly focused on spitting venom against Pakistan Army through
baseless allegations. Putting a cursory look at his comments one can only
shake his/her head in disappointment as he even did not spare the
development projects initiated by the government of Pakistan for the uplift
of Balochs.
Similarly the speech by Mehran Baloch of the Baluchistan Rights Movement was
one-sided opinion of an individual mainly focused on advocating insurgency
in Pakistan just to benefit few Sardars for subjugating the common Baluchs.
Mr Laku Luhana, World Sindhi Congress was also no different from others only
focusing on criticism of the Army. Although an ethnic body’s head has
nothing to do with the situation in Baluchistan, however he was being given
chance to speak and add to hatred against Pakistan.
Ryszard Czarnecki, a member of European Parliament from Poland, also spoke
against Pak Army. He said “Pakistan came into existence through restrictive
voting and is being ruled by the Punjabi army. Baluchs are a distinct ethnic
group and not part of Pakistan.” It is laughable as every province of
Pakistan has the population consisting of different ethnic groups. Does it
mean that all the provinces are not part of Pakistan?
All the above speakers seemed to have been assigned the task of speaking
against the army and none of them for once mentioned the atrocities being
committed by a few (read only three) Sardars against the common Baluchs.
None of them even mentioned how Nawab Akbar Bugti has subjected his own very
people to torture and humiliation. He has not even spared his own relatives
who are against his arbitrary rule. He expelled the Kalpars and Masuries
(Baluchi) tribes from their own land compelling them to live in Punjab until
the army restored peace in the province and they could return to their
ancestral homelands. The FPC should have noted the fact that very recently
about 600 commanders of Nawab Akbar Bugti surrendered voluntarily to the
government. Bangan Khan Bugti, one of his commanders, is on record to have
clearly revealed that Nawab Bugti had used all the funds provided to him by
the government of Pakistan for his own personal interest and for buying the
arms to wage war against the government and to subjugate his own tribesmen.
If these Sardars were so interested in the welfare of the Baluchs, why did
not Nawab Akbar Bugti carry out any development in the province when he was
the Chief Minister of Baluchistan? What stopped him from doing that?
Did the FPC try to peep into hundreds of ‘Farari’ camps established by the
Sardars and Nawab Bugti which were being used as torture cells committing
great Human Rights violation against the common Baluchs. Why did Mehran
Baloch the great Human Rights activists over looked it?
Daily attacks by scores of missile were a routine matter during the last
year and the beginning of this year against the common Baluchs and the
government installations by the terrorists, mainly comprising the Bugti
terrorists and the so called Balochitsan Liberation Army which,
incidentally, has been banned recently by the British government as a
terrorist Organisation, which is indeed a commendable step.
However, despite the fact that terrorism is the biggest concern for the
western world and insurgencies and political struggle in Kashmir, Chechnya
and Palestine have been condemned and dubbed as terrorism, UK had led FPC to
hold such a seminar wherein supporters of the trouble makers were advocating
terrorism in the name of so called liberation urging British government to
side with the terrorist against Pakistan.
An institution like FPC is expected to work towards education, information
and better awareness about political and foreign policy issues to help them
resolve and not to provide prestigious platform for one-sided propaganda,
hateful speeches and misinformation against a sovereign country.
Solution to the turmoil in Baluchistan lies in dialogue, greater democracy
at grassroots level, and end to the aged-old primitive tribal system where
powerful Sardars hold their private armies, have prisons, hold subservient
courts and dispense justice as they wish. Unfortunately the selected
participants in the seminar never addressed such any such issues and mainly
seemed bent upon supporting the Sardari rule.
In the Pakistani mindset a feeling already exists that Balochistan trouble
is being fomented from outside with help and funding from western sources to
destabilise the Pakistani state, to thwart Chinese strategic investment in
the area, to compel Pakistan to co-operate in (the ensuing) operation
against Iran and to divert attention from India’s problems in Kashmir. Such
patently unbalanced and flawed seminar panels only add to such suspicions.
The End.
http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?150596
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