Balochistan: Invisible to the International Community?
By Aziz Baloch
When a western reporter, Declan Walsh, from "Guardian News Services" asked a native Baloch at Dera Bugti Foj Ali about the Pakistani rulers, his answer was clear: "It is a great injustice. They (Pakistani rulers) are making billions of rupees pumping gas from our land to the rest of the country, and we are still using fire wood."
Indeed there are today thousands of Foj Ali from all over Balochistan asking the same questions to the international community. Such historic root causes of Balochistan must not be ignored and should certainly be considered prior to signing the gas pipelines or any other mega project with the occupiers of Balochistan. The anger is increasingly mounting among Baloch leaders and the people of Balochistan. The international community shouldn't ignore the impartial human-rights reports of international organizations such as the International Crisis Group based in Brussels and the alarming statistics about the bloody conflicts of Balochistan, which have been published from "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace" by United States Think Tank Frederic Grare Carnegie and South Asians expert Selig Harrison the author of the book In Afghanistan 's Shadow: Baluch Nationalism and Soviet temptations regarding Balochistan conflicts within both states of Pakistan and Iran, and the well documented reports of atrocities, and human rights violations in Balochistan presented by the world Human Rights Organizations.
An 89-year-old Baloch spiritual leader Nawab Khair Baksh Marri, made it crystal clear to Pakistan, Iran and the international community by saying "we (Baloch) are the masters of our land." Ultimately, excluding the owners of the land in all major decisions concerning their own destiny makes for a difficult process and similarly does not make much sense.
Since Canada is well known for its strong reputation of good human rights and support of secular and democratic forces around the world. Today, most secular and democratic people of Balochistan are concerned about Canadian companies interacting with the Pakistani government through trade without consultation with native leaders of Balochistan. Baloch leaders believe the western world should not overlook the injustices and decades of oppression in Balochistan. Similarly, India, Pakistan and Iran (IPI) projects which have 2,600 km of gas pipelines are going to be finalized by India, Pakistan, Iran and possibly China. The gas pipelines go directly through the heart of Balochistan, Unfortunately all parties are ignoring the indigenous people of Balochistan which is a grave concern for the Baloch leaders. At this point the Baloch people have screamed out their last cry with their last breath and are begging the international community to not turn its back to the injustices and atrocities that they have been suffering for the past several decades. Leaders cannot and must not exclude a legitimate party from negotiations when the discussions, decisions, and results will have significant affects on the particular absent representative--it is against international law.
Balochistan's provincial assembly seems to be running on the remote of Islamabad, any bills or resolutions that are passed by the provincial assembly in Balochistan, are all subject to vetos by the central government, which is heavily dominated by Punjab. Many claims of advancements or assistance for the Baloch are no more then hollow illusions that do no more then depict a false picture of Balochistan. For instance, Presidents Musharrraf has been claiming that he will build a technical institution since 2005 in regions of mega projects, but he has yet to fulfill any promises. Natives still do not get skills training and lack fair opportunities for jobs in such so-called mega projects. Musharraf's anti-Baloch intentions became clear when the media first exposed him after a ship loaded with wheat arrived from Canada at Gwader Deep-Sea-port in Balochistan, and he sent 400 unskilled labourers from Punjab and Karachi (Muhajirs) to unload the wheat. He charted four buses and three trucks for the labourers, yet they could not find unskilled natives from their own city of Gwader, Balochistan. During his rule, Islamabad has further planed to invest Rs 9 billion on constructions of cantonments in Balochistan. The main reason is to control the free movements of Baloch people in their own land. This is serious concern for the people of Balochistan.
Pakistani media is promoting the mega projects of Balochistan around the world and claims the projects will bring economic revolutions for the regions, such as future gas pipelines. But behind such projects, the states of Pakistan and Iran both have their hidden agendas regarding Balochistan. Strategically located regions such 900 costal built gates of Asia, are to protect the central governments' interests and strengthen their defenses through Balochistans Gwader-Deep-Sea Port, where China is investing a billion dollars.
The world should look to the May 28, 1998 nuclear test example, which was conducted by Pakistani scientists in Chahgi Balochistan. It is the only sign of development Islamabad has made up to this point. Due to that test the whole region has been destroyed, thousands of natives have been displaced, and the states left them out in the cold without any compensation.
The social and economic reality of Balochistan is that it is the most backward province in Pakistan. It has been at the bottom of the list in terms of social conditions compared to the rest of the country. As Selig Harrison writes, "this condescending posture is reflected in the almost complete exclusion of the Baloch from the political, bureaucratic, and military power structure of Pakistan." Such historic injustices cannot be denied. Neither can be it hidden as according to Balochistan's dossiers "85% of population is without drinking water, 80% without electricity, 60% are living below the poverty line and Balochistan has the highest rates of infants mortality and it is the lowest literacy rate in the regions where 70% children are deprived from the modern school."
Ahmar Mustikhan, a Baloch journalist and founder of "American Friends of Baluchistan" from the United States has written an open letter to L.K Advani, N.A.T.O leaders in Brussels and to the Indian Ambassador to the United States, Ronen Sen. He is appealing to all heads of state and institutions by concluding his letter with this appeal "I again urge you not to let the secular people of Baluchistan plunge into blood. Please do the right thing and stop the project (gas Pipelines) until such time Baluch case at the I.C.J is decided and the people of occupied Baluchistan Pakistan and Iran gets their right of self-determinations."
Baloch people never benefited from any mega projects or economic polices of either the regimes in Pakistan or Iran. Their imposed projects and economic plans throughout history benefited the central governments, mostly because their first priority has been strengthening their central government and military powers. They have ruled upon the Baloch with an iron fist till today. The international community should look at all the historical aspects of Balochistan. Both regimes are intentionally excluding Baloch representatives who are overwhelmingly supported by their people throughout Balochistan. Such mega projects and gas pipelines are seriously jeopardizing the interests of the native Baloch people. The International community base of international law and the United Nations charter of rights should not overlook the reality on the ground and the crisis that is Balochistan.
The writer is a Baloch activist.
Originally published at: http://www.articlesbase.com/international-studies-articles/balochistan-invisible-to-the-international-community-475423.html
Picture by Balochi Mathak
Indeed there are today thousands of Foj Ali from all over Balochistan asking the same questions to the international community. Such historic root causes of Balochistan must not be ignored and should certainly be considered prior to signing the gas pipelines or any other mega project with the occupiers of Balochistan. The anger is increasingly mounting among Baloch leaders and the people of Balochistan. The international community shouldn't ignore the impartial human-rights reports of international organizations such as the International Crisis Group based in Brussels and the alarming statistics about the bloody conflicts of Balochistan, which have been published from "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace" by United States Think Tank Frederic Grare Carnegie and South Asians expert Selig Harrison the author of the book In Afghanistan 's Shadow: Baluch Nationalism and Soviet temptations regarding Balochistan conflicts within both states of Pakistan and Iran, and the well documented reports of atrocities, and human rights violations in Balochistan presented by the world Human Rights Organizations.
An 89-year-old Baloch spiritual leader Nawab Khair Baksh Marri, made it crystal clear to Pakistan, Iran and the international community by saying "we (Baloch) are the masters of our land." Ultimately, excluding the owners of the land in all major decisions concerning their own destiny makes for a difficult process and similarly does not make much sense.
Since Canada is well known for its strong reputation of good human rights and support of secular and democratic forces around the world. Today, most secular and democratic people of Balochistan are concerned about Canadian companies interacting with the Pakistani government through trade without consultation with native leaders of Balochistan. Baloch leaders believe the western world should not overlook the injustices and decades of oppression in Balochistan. Similarly, India, Pakistan and Iran (IPI) projects which have 2,600 km of gas pipelines are going to be finalized by India, Pakistan, Iran and possibly China. The gas pipelines go directly through the heart of Balochistan, Unfortunately all parties are ignoring the indigenous people of Balochistan which is a grave concern for the Baloch leaders. At this point the Baloch people have screamed out their last cry with their last breath and are begging the international community to not turn its back to the injustices and atrocities that they have been suffering for the past several decades. Leaders cannot and must not exclude a legitimate party from negotiations when the discussions, decisions, and results will have significant affects on the particular absent representative--it is against international law.
Balochistan's provincial assembly seems to be running on the remote of Islamabad, any bills or resolutions that are passed by the provincial assembly in Balochistan, are all subject to vetos by the central government, which is heavily dominated by Punjab. Many claims of advancements or assistance for the Baloch are no more then hollow illusions that do no more then depict a false picture of Balochistan. For instance, Presidents Musharrraf has been claiming that he will build a technical institution since 2005 in regions of mega projects, but he has yet to fulfill any promises. Natives still do not get skills training and lack fair opportunities for jobs in such so-called mega projects. Musharraf's anti-Baloch intentions became clear when the media first exposed him after a ship loaded with wheat arrived from Canada at Gwader Deep-Sea-port in Balochistan, and he sent 400 unskilled labourers from Punjab and Karachi (Muhajirs) to unload the wheat. He charted four buses and three trucks for the labourers, yet they could not find unskilled natives from their own city of Gwader, Balochistan. During his rule, Islamabad has further planed to invest Rs 9 billion on constructions of cantonments in Balochistan. The main reason is to control the free movements of Baloch people in their own land. This is serious concern for the people of Balochistan.
Pakistani media is promoting the mega projects of Balochistan around the world and claims the projects will bring economic revolutions for the regions, such as future gas pipelines. But behind such projects, the states of Pakistan and Iran both have their hidden agendas regarding Balochistan. Strategically located regions such 900 costal built gates of Asia, are to protect the central governments' interests and strengthen their defenses through Balochistans Gwader-Deep-Sea Port, where China is investing a billion dollars.
The world should look to the May 28, 1998 nuclear test example, which was conducted by Pakistani scientists in Chahgi Balochistan. It is the only sign of development Islamabad has made up to this point. Due to that test the whole region has been destroyed, thousands of natives have been displaced, and the states left them out in the cold without any compensation.
The social and economic reality of Balochistan is that it is the most backward province in Pakistan. It has been at the bottom of the list in terms of social conditions compared to the rest of the country. As Selig Harrison writes, "this condescending posture is reflected in the almost complete exclusion of the Baloch from the political, bureaucratic, and military power structure of Pakistan." Such historic injustices cannot be denied. Neither can be it hidden as according to Balochistan's dossiers "85% of population is without drinking water, 80% without electricity, 60% are living below the poverty line and Balochistan has the highest rates of infants mortality and it is the lowest literacy rate in the regions where 70% children are deprived from the modern school."
Ahmar Mustikhan, a Baloch journalist and founder of "American Friends of Baluchistan" from the United States has written an open letter to L.K Advani, N.A.T.O leaders in Brussels and to the Indian Ambassador to the United States, Ronen Sen. He is appealing to all heads of state and institutions by concluding his letter with this appeal "I again urge you not to let the secular people of Baluchistan plunge into blood. Please do the right thing and stop the project (gas Pipelines) until such time Baluch case at the I.C.J is decided and the people of occupied Baluchistan Pakistan and Iran gets their right of self-determinations."
Baloch people never benefited from any mega projects or economic polices of either the regimes in Pakistan or Iran. Their imposed projects and economic plans throughout history benefited the central governments, mostly because their first priority has been strengthening their central government and military powers. They have ruled upon the Baloch with an iron fist till today. The international community should look at all the historical aspects of Balochistan. Both regimes are intentionally excluding Baloch representatives who are overwhelmingly supported by their people throughout Balochistan. Such mega projects and gas pipelines are seriously jeopardizing the interests of the native Baloch people. The International community base of international law and the United Nations charter of rights should not overlook the reality on the ground and the crisis that is Balochistan.
The writer is a Baloch activist.
Originally published at: http://www.articlesbase.com/international-studies-articles/balochistan-invisible-to-the-international-community-475423.html
Picture by Balochi Mathak