Perpetual Problem in Balochistan.

Balochistan is burning

Arbab

Balochistan is once again in the midst of a full fledged violent confrontation.When Pakistani security forces moved into Kohlu district on December 18 to start their long awaited operations in Balochistan, they broke a tenuous peace that had lasted for nine months since the violent confrontation in Dera Bugti, which had claimed over 60 lives including those of 33 Hindus.

The present operations in Balochistan started as a sequel to the December 14 rocket attacks on Kohlu town when President Pervez Musharraf was on a visit to lay the foundation stone of one of the three new cantonments -- fiercely opposed by Baloch nationalists -- to be set up in the province.

This was followed the very next day by machine-gun fire on an army helicopter that was carrying the Inspector General, Frontier Corps, Major General Shujaat Zamir Dar, and his deputy Brigadier Saleem Nawaz. Both the officers sustained bullet wounds but the pilot succeeded in landing the helicopter safely. This was probably the first incident since the attack on the Karachi corps commander when a general officer was targeted in his own area of operation.

Though the operations were ostensibly launched against Marri tribesmen in Kohlu district for their suspected involvement in rocket attacks and bomb explosions, a careful analysis of events indicate that the operation had been planned much before any of these incidents had taken place.

In fact, the operation, which was expected much earlier, was delayed due to the earthquake that hit Pakistan on October 8 last year.

Tribal leader accuses Pak of using tanks, choppers

Despite having started in Kohlu district the conflict has engulfed most of Kohlu and Dera Bugti districts but insurgents have been challenging the writ of the State virtually across the entire length and breadth of Balochistan by targeting railway lines, gas pipelines and electricity and communication towers.

Security forces supported by helicopter gunships and artillery have been targeting Baloch strongholds in Kohlu and Dera Bugti districts. The situation is reported to be worsening, with large scale collateral damage. Baloch nationalists have claimed that indiscriminate firing by the security forces has led to large scale death and destruction, and that a number of women and children have been killed.

Opposition parties in the national assembly, the Pakistan parliament, have accused the government of carrying out genocide of 'innocent citizens' in Balochistan, using helicopters in bombing sorties and use of poisonous phosphorus gas against the 'people.' They have also deplored the way in which the air force is being utilized in the operation.

Even Asma Jehangir, the chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, was prevented from visiting Balochistan. The Commission has urged the government to stop killing Balochis in Kohlu under its military operation and wants an immediate ceasefire to resolve the issue politically.

The current insurgency in Balochistan underlines the fragility of Pakistani State more than 58 years after its creation. At Partition in 1947, the tribal areas of Balochistan were amongst the most backward parts of the subcontinent. Almost six decades later, they still are.

The tribesmen may be carrying automatic Kalashnikov assault rifles instead of ancient Lee Enfield 303s, but there has been hardly any development, the women are still not allowed to leave their homes and the girls are not sent to schools. The only law is the one laid down by the tribal chief.

Balochistan situation serious:

Clearly, the existence of such pockets of lawless lands has helped in the spread of anarchy in Pakistan. Since the Afghan war, guns and drugs have flooded Pakistan from the tribal belt and the current conflict highlights the point: the Baloch have used missiles, anti-aircraft weapons and an array of modern and very lethal arms. In fact, the army has suffered serious casualties in its operations, and has been forced to use helicopter gunships to quell the rebellion.

Four times since Pakistan's creation, the Baloch, who -- like many Sindhis and Pathans (Pakhtuns)-- never wanted to be part of Pakistan, have rebelled, demanding greater autonomy, or even an independent state, which would reunite the five million Baloch in Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan under one flag.

Another Pak pipeline blown up

Balochistan comprises 43 percent of Pakistan's area but has only five percent of Pakistan's population. It also has immense natural resources and most of Pakistan's energy resources. The Baloch joined Pakistan quite reluctantly.

The state of Kalat was a princely state of British Balochistan as against other princely states that were part of British India. The Khan of Kalat therefore sought a status similar to that of Nepal and claimed that his bid was supported by Mohammad Ali Jinnah who was also the legal advisor to the state.

After independence, both the houses of parliament in Kalat unanimously rejected the proposal to merge with Pakistan. Yet, the areas of Balochistan that had been under direct British rule were merged with Pakistan and the proposal was ratified by the municipality of Quetta, a body that was overwhelmingly dominated by non Baloch settlers.

Subsequently, the Khan of Kalat was forced to sign the merger document and Kalat was annexed. This led to the first armed insurgency in 1948 led by Prince Karim, Khan's brother. From then till the current insurgency the Baloch have risen in revolt thrice and have faced the security forces in 1958, 1963 to 1969 and 1973 to 1977.

Baloch history has been an unending saga of treachery by the ruling elite in Islamabad. Though the insurgencies in the past have been crushed with a heavy hand, they have left scars which are yet to heal. Each insurgency has been more intense than the previous one and the organizational capabilities and the popular support for the insurgents continue to grow.

At the eight of insurgency in 1973, 55,000 insurgents faced 80,000 Pakistani troops supported by the Pakistani air force as well as the Iranian Air force. More than 5,000 insurgents and over 3,300 soldiers were killed in the insurgency that lingered on till 1977. The Pakistani armed forces used brute force to crush the insurgency as they had to redeem their honor after their rout in Bangladesh.

Who wants to break up Pakistan?

In fact the Pakistani army's record in dealing with internal disorders has been far from exemplary. Its operations in East Pakistan led to the creation of Bangladesh in December 1971. Its operations in Sindh and Balochistan have created scars that are yet to heal. Recent operations in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas have exhibited its inefficiency where almost a division has been deployed and supported liberally by the artillery and helicopter gunships, but the militants still rule the roost. In fact the alienation of population has only grown with the passage of time.

The security forces have also created a perpetual problem in the tranquil heights of the Northern Areas. The security forces in Pakistan at this point of time are really overstretched and if violence in Balochistan intensifies, the Pakistani army will definitely be sucked into a war that will fester and bleed Pakistan.

[...]

Baloch Nation Wants Independence

Balochistan is controlled by real sons of soil

Arbab

Balochistan is in the southwest portion of Pakistan and borders Iran, Afghanistan, and India. The province is rich in oil & natural gas and its mostly 800 miles of underdeveloped coastline is flush with an abundance of ocean resources. A portion of Balochistan resides in Iran and is known as "Sistan and Balochistan", an Iranian province bordering on the Sea of Oman and Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is Iran's poorest province and is home to roughly 400,000 people. Could the US and Iran find some common ground for an independent Balochistan? Why not link the issue to current US and Iranian grievances with each other? Perhaps Iran cedes some territory for US concessions and economic aid. Once the troublesome Pakistani military is out of Balochistan on the Pakistan side, and the Baloch become independent and negotiate fair treatment for their people, and worthy prices for their land and resources, the Baloch might agree to stop attacking commercial interests.

The Baloch view them as an occupied territory and have done so since March 27, 1948 when the Pakistanis invaded Balochistan. Quoting Dr. Wahid Baloch, "Balochistan was a free sovereign independent state with its own parliament, the Dar-ul Awaam, the House of Commons, and Dar-ul Umraa, House of Lords. Soon after the creation of Pakistan, Pakistan invaded Balochistan and forcefully annexed it into Pakistan. From 1977-2005, Pakistan continues its crime against the Baloch people. Thousands of Baloch political activists and students have been arrested and are being tortured in secret jails. Many are missing, including Dr. Allah Nazar Baloch, Goher Baloch and Akther Nadeem Baloch. Pakistani military, paramilitary and security forces are given the task to arrest, kidnap or kill any Baloch who talks or thinks about freedom. More than 600 military check [points] have been established all over Balochistan to control the activities and movements of the Baloch people.

There are 60,000 Pakistani troops stationed in Balochistan and more are on the way. Balochistan has been turned into a military occupied war zone. Baloch people are living in fear and in hopelessness. They are desperately looking to the world community...for their help and rescue against the tyranny of Pakistani and Iranian regimes.

According to a recent report by Forum-Asia; Asian Legal Resource Centre, INFID; and Pax Romana; in Pakistan's Balochistan province, more than 4000 people have reportedly disappeared as the result of military operations between 2001 and late 2005. They have not been produced before a court by the military intelligence agencies--such as the notorious ISI--and their whereabouts remain unknown.

Baloch are treated like Kurds

China, through Islamabad, has already gotten a piece of the action in Balochistan. China's Harbour Engineering Company recently helped Pakistan complete Phase II of the mammoth deep sea Port at Gwadar and it is open for business for all, it seems, except Baloch locals. Associated with that development effort are dozens of opportunities that are destined to cut-out the local population: resorts, casinos, and the letting of commercial fishing rights are among those listed by the Pakistan Board of Investment that are, worldwide, normally associated with corruption. The PAKBOI showed its contempt for the Baloch when it indicated on its website (pakboi.gov.pk) that "...Balochistan can provide land on easy terms."

In 2003, the South Asian Analysis Group (noted the many ways in which the Musharraf government has exploited the Baloch.

• Military authorities have bought most of the prime land at throw-away prices.

• Large-scale influx of Pashtuns from the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan and Afghanistan, officially encouraged by the Pakistan Army, and re-settlement of Punjabi ex-servicemen in order to reduce the Baloch to a minority in their homeland.

• Non-payment of adequate royalty to the people of Balochistan for the gas found in their territory, which has contributed to the economic development of Punjab, without any economic benefits for the Baloch; the displacement of a large number of poor Baloch by the construction of the Gwadar port and town with Chinese assistance without adequate compensation; the re-settlement of a large number of Punjabi and Pashtun ex-servicemen in Balochistan to work in the Gwadar port and Mekran coastal highway projects, in violation of the Government assurances that preference would be given to the sons of the soil for work in the projects; violation of the labor rights of the people employed by the Chinese construction company which is building the port; and the setting-up of three new cantonments by the army in Balochistan.

• The anger over the non-payment of adequate royalty for the gas being supplied to Punjab and Sindh has led to a number of incidents of sabotage of the gas pipelines and attacks involving the use of explosives and landmines directed against the staff employed for the protection of the pipelines.

• The construction of the Gwadar Port and the Mekran coastal highway has resulted in the displacement of thousands of Baloch from their ancestral land and the forcible acquisition of their land by the Government without paying them adequate compensation and without giving them suitable land in return. Moreover, fearing Indian attempts to sabotage the projects, the Government has forcibly removed the Hindus and many of the Baloch, whose loyalty was suspected, from the area, which has been declared a sensitive defense zone.

• Baloch, who are suspected of being sympathetic to India, have been removed far away from the site of the Gwadar port. A large number of Punjabi and Pashtun ex-servicemen, whose loyalty to Islamabad is beyond doubt, have been re-settled in the Mekran coastal area to work in sea port projects.

Yes or No

According to Shaukat Baloch, here's what would happen if the Baloch got their shot at nationhood. "If a referendum under the supervision of UN is held in Balochistan and the people are asked to answer 'yes' or 'no' to the question 'whether Balochistan should be declared to be an independent country, ' it is certain that this question would answered in the affirmative by a large majority of people. If the international community seriously puts its pressure on Pakistani generals--who are the de facto rulers even during civilian governments—they would agree to it. Gas and minerals would be sold to Pakistan and India on rates fixed by Balochistan. In this regard no artificial problems would be created for the people of remaining Pakistan. Pakistan would be treated as a friendly country. Foreign companies would be invited to invest on further research of oil, gas and minerals.

Balochistan would be a secular, democratic country with freedom of faith, religion, thought and expression in a peaceful manner. There would be complete freedom of worship for all. No person would be allowed to preach hatred. Under the constitution, slogans based on religion, sects, etc. would be excluded from election campaigns. There would be a parliamentary system of government accompanied with an independent judiciary and a free press. Religious extremists would be asked not to meddle in politics. However they may keep their views with themselves. Unlike today, religious extremists will not receive funds in millions of dollars from ISI and other sources. Consequently they would remain peaceful. A Nation of Baloch of about 7 million will run and flourish in a way similar to Switzerland and Scandinavian countries. Professors, scientists and experts in other fields from the West would be invited to work in the universities and labs of Balochistan."

The Baloch Nation wants Independence not just because they are being persecuted and cheated by both Iran and Pakistan with regards to their natural resources, said Shabir Ahmed. The primary reason is that they want to be free to govern themselves. Whatever the reasons for the creation of Pakistan, the illegal annexation of Balochistan by Pakistan is a bitter pill to swallow.

According to Ahmed, "Simply put the Baloch Nation will never accept Pakistani or Iranian rule. It is inhuman and cruel to expect people of different races and languages to become 3rd class citizens in their own land, and to be governed by aliens. With regards to what shape a future Baloch Government should take, the best role model in that respect is the British political model we have today. The House of Commons and the House of Lords. This particular system was up and running in 1947, and then brought to an abrupt end by the illegal annexation of Balochistan by Pakistan. The Baloch are very different from their more fanatical immediate neighbors. Baloch society is naturally secular and very tolerant of other religions and races. However it must be noted that history shows us that the Baloch love their freedom and will never tolerate interference from outsiders, or alien rule. There are many a Widows sons who will fight to the bitter end to bring about an Independent Baloch State."

An independent Balochistan is inevitable (as is an independent Kurdistan) and essential to peace on the Asian continent. The sheer will and tenacity of Baloch freedom fighters makes this outcome certain.

As anonymous said, "Dear Baloch friends. 90% of Balochistan is controlled by real sons of soil--meaning Baloch Liberation fighters. Pakis and their cronies control few cities and towns in Balochistan. Bravo! Baloch Fighters. Victory belongs to Baloch warriors! "

[...]

Balochistan Map

[...]

Balochistan's History of Insurgency

Pakistan’s south-western province of Balochistan has been the site of an intense struggle for self-determination against the federal government. Despite the province being rich in natural resources, the Baloch remain economically marginalised and receive little benefit from development in Balochistan. In its efforts to counter the Baloch struggle, Pakistan’s government has employed summary executions, disappearances, torture and indiscriminate bombing and artillery attack.

The end result of the expropriation of Balochistan’s natural resources and the marginalisation of Baloch from development projects is the province’s low standard of living. It is the poorest province in Pakistan. According to the Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC) in Karachi, Balochistan has the highest levels of poverty in Pakistan, nearly double that of the Punjab. Over half the population subsists below the official poverty line, less than 50% have clean drinking water, only 50% of children attend primary school and only 33% of children up to two years old have any form of immunisation. Women’s literacy is the lowest in Pakistan, standing at just 7%. The federal government’s 2003-04 Labour Force Survey shows urban unemployment of 12.5% in Balochistan compared to 9.7% for Pakistan as a whole. Electricity is supplied to barely 20% of the population. The Musharraf regime has long blamed the nationalist leaders for Balochistan’s underdevelopment, arguing that they are “anti-development”.

However, research conducted by the SPDC in 2001 shows those areas under control of nationalist leaders, such as the late Nawab Akbar Bugti, Nawab Khair Mari and Sardar Attaullah Mengal, were often better developed. A number of indicators, such as road networks, primary school enrolments, access to clean water and irrigation are often ranked higher than areas aligned to the federal government. Balochistan’s history of struggle The Baloch have a long history of struggle against impositions by the Pakistani state. Their history, however, pre-dates the formation of Pakistan. The Baloch lay claim to a history reaching back 2000 years. In the 12th century, Mir Jalal Khan united 44 Baloch tribes; in the 15th century the Confederation of Rind Laskhari was established and the Khanate of Balochistan in the 17th. During the British Raj, Britain annexed a strip of land adjoining Afghanistan (“British Balochistan”) but beyond that did not interfere in the affairs of Balochistan so long as the Baloch allowed the British Army access to Afghanistan.

The Baloch campaigned for independence during the final decades of the British Raj but were compelled to join Pakistan in 1947. The government in Islamabad sought to subsume Baloch identity into a larger Pakistani identity. Part of its strategy was an attempt to destroy the power of the tribal chiefs and concentrate all authority in the central government. This strategy continues to this day. Even the first two constitutions of Pakistan did not recognise the Baloch as a distinct group. Since independence, Islamabad has come into open conflict with the Baloch on four occasions — 1948, 1958, 1962, and, most bloodily, from 1973 to 1977, when a growing guerrilla movement led to an armed insurrection that ravaged the province. Within 24 hours of the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the Khan of Kalat (the largest “princely state” in Balochistan) declared independence. On April 1, 1948, the Pakistani army invaded and the Khan capitulated. His brother, Karim, continued to resist with around 700 guerrillas but was soon crushed. Islamabad merged the four provinces of West Pakistan into “One Unit” in 1954. This was a bid to counter the strength of East Pakistan (which later became Bangladesh) and the possibility of the minority provinces (Balochistan, North-West Frontier Province, Sindh) uniting with the east against the Punjab. A large anti-One Unit movement emerged in Balochistan. To crush this movement the Pakistan army again invaded. The Khan of Kalat was arrested and large-scale arrests were carried out. Nauroz Khan led a resistance of 1000 militia that fought the army in pitched battles for over a year. In May 1959 Nauroz Khan was arrested at a parley with the army and died in prison in 1964, becoming a symbol of Baloch resistance. Five of his relatives, including his son, were hanged.

Following a 1973 visit of President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to Iran, where the Shah warned him against allowing nationalist movements on Iran’s border, the elected government of Balochistan was dismissed. The provincial government, led by Sardar Ataulah Mengal, had been seeking greater control in areas of development and industrialisation. The pretext used for dismissal was that a cache of 350 Soviet submachine guns and 100,000 rounds of ammunition had supposedly been discovered in the Iraqi attache’s house and were destined for Balochistan. The Pakistani army invaded Balochistan with 78,000 troops supported by Iranian Cobra helicopters and were resisted by some 50,000 tribespeople. The conflict took the lives of 3300 Pakistani troops, 5300 tribespeople and thousands of civilians. In 1977 the military staged a coup and overthrew Bhutto, declared “victory” in Balochistan and withdrew. There are distinct similarities between the period immediately prior to the 1973 insurrection and the current situation. After the 1962 conflict Baloch nationalists began planning a movement capable of defending their national interests. Under the leadership of Sher Mohammed Marri what would later become the basic structure of the 1973 insurrection was created. In July 1963, 22 rebel camps were set up covering large areas of Balochistan, ranging from lands in the south belonging to the Mengal tribes to those of the Marris in the north. This structure later became the Baloch People’s Liberation Front (BPLF) and initiated the 1973 insurrection. The current insurgency The groupings that underpin the current Baloch national movement emerged gradually after the 1973-77 conflict. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) is a clandestine militant group that was formed in the early 1980s. It is believed to be headed by Khair Bux Marri of the Marri tribe. It has taken responsibility for most of the attacks against the Pakistan military.

The BLA calls for the creation of a Greater Balochistan, including the Baloch territories in Iran and Afghanistan. The Baloch National Party (BNP) is an amalgam of moderate forces that concentrate on winning political support for nationalism amongst the Baloch. It calls for extensive provincial autonomy, limiting the central government to control of defense, foreign affairs, currency, and communications. The Balochistan Students Organisation (BSO) campaigns for a multinational Pakistan and for the revival of Baloch nationalism. It generally represents the aspirations of the educated but underemployed Baloch middle class. It calls for the continuation of quotas and for the recognition of the Baloch language as a medium of instruction in the province.

The Bugti tribe, formerly led by Nawab Akbar Bugti, fields a force of some 10,000 tribal fighters. The Dera Bugti district has been the site of intense operations by the Pakistan military in 2005-06. As well as the Bugti tribe, the Mengal (the second largest tribe in Balochistan) and the Marri are in open revolt against the government. The conflict is not, however, limited to these tribal areas but spread throughout the province. There is conflict between the tribes but they are united against the Pakistani army. Between December 2005, when the Pakistan military launched its most recent assault on Balochistan, and June 2006, more than 900 Baloch have been killed, 140,000 displaced, 450 political activists (mainly from the BNP) disappeared and 4000 activists arrested. In late 2005-early 2006 the Pakistan military laid siege to Dera Bugti, attacking with artillery and air strikes. Many civilians were killed and 85% of the 25,000-strong population fled. The town of Kohlu also came under siege from Pakistan forces around the same time, virtually imprisoning the 12,000 inhabitants for weeks. As well as the military attacks, the Frontier Corps (FC) has been responsible for indiscriminate rocket, artillery and helicopter gunship attacks on civilian areas. There has been widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, including schools and houses, particularly in Dera Bugti and Sui districts. Military operations occur throughout the province. The insurgents, however, strike back on a daily basis.

Targeting military and FC personnel, gas and oil pipelines, communications infrastructure and police barracks, the insurgents launch rocket, grenade and mortar attacks. Some areas are heavily mined by the nationalist fighters. On Pakistan TV on January 10, 2005, President Pervez Musharraf told the Baloch nationalists: “Don’t push us … it is not the 1970s, and this time you won’t even know what has hit you.” Unfortunately for the president, it is beginning to look exactly like 1973 as the insurgency gathers strength and ties down Pakistan army divisions in guerrilla warfare.

[...]