Sinister intents about Balochistan By Muhammad Jamil

Pseudo-intellectuals, some unpatriotic journalists and enemies of Pakistan are writing provocative articles and essays justifying the insurgency by centrifugal forces and handful of sardars of Balochistan. Since the inception of Pakistan, for members of elite it is a fashion use vitriolic against Pakistan’s security forces and criticize Pakistan on every count because those with myopic vision cannot see anything worthwhile and good in this country. In fact, problems of corruption, poverty, hunger and disease are rampant in many countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America yet they consider Pakistan the worst place on the globe. Those infatuated with India because of its size and ‘shine’ should look the incidence of poverty and insurgencies in about a dozen states. Such shameless creatures bite the hand that feeds them. They try to devour the womb that gave them birth.
One latest addition to this class is Madiha R Tahir, who has spewed venom against Pakistan and sanctimoniously criticized Pakistan’s security agencies because they try to quell the rebellion. She should have realized that no government worth the name in the world would let the insurgents go around challenging the writ of the state. She gives a sentimental touch to her story by starting with these opening words: “A child is fiddling with a poster of a mustachioed man, a missing political worker who may be his father or his uncle, and who is in all likelihood, dead. He draws my immediate attention, this child, because out of the thousands seated around him in row upon neat row inside the open-air tent, he is the only one not focused on the stage, the blazing lights, the young man holding forth in angry punctuated bellows”. She narrates incidents of Frontier Corps firing on a student protest killing two students and injuring four more. She goes on to narrate the proceedings of the meetings and continues to lionize the insurgents who badmouth Pakistan and its institutions. They do not believe in the parliament, judiciary or the constitution because they do not consider Balochistan as part of Pakistan. She writes: “The province’s location at this explosive geopolitical crossroads – as well as its vast mineral resources and valuable coastline – have focused the anxieties of international powers near and far, suggesting that a new Great Game may take Balochistan as its target. Tehran worries about what conflicts in Balochistan will mean for its own Sistan-Balochistan province, whose Baloch population has been brutally suppressed by the state”. She goes on to narrate stories of her meetings with some sardars and their scions who have either taken to the mountains or slipped into the neighbouring countries. One would not know the real intent of the author, but the sad part is that this lengthy treatise was published in The National, a daily from Abu Dhabi, which is one of the closest friends of Pakistan, and in fact Pakistan is second home for the Abu Dhabi rulers. Apart from that Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission dwells at length if any Baloch insurgent is killed, but would prefer to keep mum on target killings of Punjabis and non-Balochis, or at the most they use full stop after one line, as if their lives are not important. Balochistan has seen many an insurgency or rebellion in the past, and last year it was once again in the throes of violence after the murder of three Baloch nationalist leaders. When queer things happen in FATA, NWFP and Balochistan and given the information that terrorist activities of groups are supported or sponsored by foreigners then the government should seriously investigate into the matter and adopt a strategy to counter them. Though Baloch leaders including Ghulam Muhammad claimed that they were members of ‘Baloch Dost Committee’ formed for the recovery of missing Baloch men and women and had played a vital role in the release of UNCHR official John Solecki, yet other reports suggested that Ghulam Muhammad Baloch negotiated the deal but release of the UN official came after paying a huge ransom directly by the US. There is also a perception that the murder could have been the result of personal enmity or could have been planning by those who considered the left-leaning nationalist leaders as a challenge and threat to their leadership. The people of Balochistan have been waging struggle for their rights ever since the British left. There could have been some justification for resistance when they were under strong center and unitary form of government in 1950s and 1960s. But once the One-Unit was done away with and complete provincial status was given to Balochistan, the struggle should have ended. But fact of the matter is that there has been a sort of rebellion whenever there was an elected government. However, the long dormant crisis erupted into a brutal confrontation with the center in 1973 when late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had tried to establish educational institutions and construction of roads in Balochistan. The insurgency, however, lasted for four years from 1973 to 1977, and it was after promulgation of Martial Law by Late General Zia-ul-Haq that sedition cases were withdrawn against Baloch sardars. However, sardars and feudal chiefs thrive even amid the centre’s injustices and the clashes between them and the security forces. It is unfortunate that the civil society does not consider it worthwhile to comment on what sardars have been doing to their people. It is common knowledge that tribalism is firmly rooted in Balochistan, as ethnic and tribal identity is a potent force for both individuals and groups in Balochistan with the result that there exists deep polarization among different groups. Each of these groups is based on different rules of social organization, which has left the province inexorably fragmented. Tribal group-ism has failed to integrate the state and enforce a national identity. But those who have not weaned from the poison of sham nationalism should take a look at the history of the Balkans, and the fate they met. A couple of times Sardar Ataullah Mengal appeared in a television interview and to a question he said that America does not pay any attention and he even talked about disintegration of the country. Sardar Ataullah Mengal, Sardar Khair Bakhsh Marri and scions of late Akbar Bugti should try to safeguard the interests of Balochis but through democratic struggle and help stop bloodshed. We also strongly urge the government that measures should be taken to address the grievances of the smaller provinces, and in this regard Punjab and Sindh will have to sacrifice for giving more than the share of Balochistan and NWFP with a view to improving their lives

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