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Why Is The Baloch Nation Defying Laws Of Pakistan And Iran?

Why Is The Baloch Nation Defying Laws Of Pakistan And Iran?

Baloch masses as tribes have been defying the unjust laws of Iran for the last 8o years and Pakistan for the last 62 years because in paper the laws of both states say equality for all their citizens. But in practical terms, history has the opposite exists on the ground for Baloch people. When the Black Americans were facing the segregated and unjust American laws, one of their outspoken civil rights activist and Black leader, H.Rap Brown, said “I consider myself neither legally nor morally bound to obey the laws made by a body in which I have no representation”.

Baloch people are going through a similar phase of their own history from the 19th century till 21st century. But their leaders and masses have been resisting till today because “justice doesn't exist in Pakistan” as stated by a Baloch senior lawyer and a former opposition leader of Provincial  Assembly of Balochistan, Kachkol Ali Baloch was in discussion with a foreign journalist, Karlos Zurutuza. “The control of the country is in the hands of the MI (Military Intelligence) and the ISI, the (Inter-Services Intelligence)” further he said  “There's no judge, no politician, no police officer who dares to stand up to them.” In parallel there is no difference in Iran for Baloch people because “Baloch national identity which is based on its own language, culture, and territory is different from the dominant (Persian) identity and majority of Baloch are Sunni” and they “are treated as third class citizens.” These were the very words of the President of the Baloch People Party of western Balochistan, Naseer Boladai, who is in exile.

In Pakistan and Iran for many decades, Baloch people's right of life, liberty and security has been at risk. In Pakistan parliament Baloch representatives are intentionally kept powerless and helpless where they are incapable of defending their people's rights, and as a replica representative sitting in Islamabad parliaments while Pakistan wants to show to the world that Baloch people have their own representatives and they are allowed to defend their rights. If that is the case, then why is it that for the last 62 years Baloch has no political, economical, cultural and linguistic rights?

In fact, those true Baloch representatives who do want to speak and challenge the unjust laws of Pakistan for the sake of their people's interest will be labeled as traitors by the state then they will face treason charges and jail time. During this punishment and jail dilemma the state forced them to compromise in return of offering those tones of patronage and guarantee of their safety. If they refused to compromise or sell themselves  or not to bow down nor agree to become the state “yes men” then they would be assassinated. And extra judicially killed and their supporters of mass of Baloch will disappear, be tortured and murdered. That's exactly what is going on right now against the Baloch leaders and masses who refused to accept the state unjust laws and its forceful occupations of their homeland.

In parallel, Iranian unjust laws considers any Baloch who are demanding for their religious rights as Sunni minority along with their cultural and economic rights that are charged through their kangaroo courts as an “Enemy of God”. Then according to their Shia biased judges, they will be labeled as an “enemy of God”.  Then they will face public execution on the streets, an open field in front of the public. In Tehran parliament, for many decades there is a vacuum of true Baloch representatives. I would say none, simply because for many decades secular and democratic forces of Baloch and their leaderships are forced to be in exile.

For the international community to know the true face of Islamabad and Tehran and their anti - Baloch policies (such as marginalization) they must know about what is in place to bring a non-Baloch population from other parts of the respective countries. This will result in the giving away of land and inimical support to settlers under the pretext of development and prosperity for Baloch people, but in term of developments the ground reality of Balochistan for native Baloch has been showing the complete opposite, according to the Baloch masses they are in fear of extinction in their own native land.

While internationally, Pakistani and Iranian diplomats are blindly ignoring through their imprecision diplomacy, all the facts and underscoring of the Baloch masses and their leadership's grave concern which has taken the Baloch people in edges closer to the tipping point.

Both fundamentalist radical regimes and human rights abuse are well known. For example, in February, 2010 western countries expressed their deep concern against Iran's serious human rights abuses. Iran has a history of treating its opponents inhumanly, arbitrary trial executions of opponents and religious persecutions of minorities that continues to go on. In a recent Human Rights Council meeting there were 43 states in their first meeting who provided their recommendations regarding human rights abuses; but the chief delegates of Iran Mr. Mohammad Javad Larijiani bluntly rejected them in the same manner regards to their nuclear allegations, they are denying this to the international community.

A Baloch representative Mr. Naseer Boladai called Iran a state of “apartheid about which the world is unaware”.

ln January 2010, a high ranking Pakistani official Mr. Mohammad Bhutt lodged a complaint against interfaith International (a Geneva based-NGO). Convincing the many non- democratic country officials, such as Egypt, Mr. Mehran Baluch (a human rights activist) has been exposing Pakistan's true face for many years through the organization. Mr. Bhutt warned the head of the Interfaith International, Mr. Charles Graves, to not allow Baloch human rights activists to speak in Interfaith International organization.

“This (Interfaith International) Organization was exposing the real face of Pakistan to the international community and Pakistan wants to cover up its atrocities in Balochistan” said Mr. Merharn Baloch a human rights activist.

On the other hand, Baloch as oppressed people have been treated as third-class citizens in their own motherland. Historically, Pakistan and Iran forcefully occupied their homeland where for many decades they have no political, economical, cultural and linguistic rights; Baloch people should wake up and grasp the fact that they need unity among themselves first before they could present their case to the United Nations. To simply state, “A house divided against itself can not stand” said Abraham Lincoln.

Although, each oppressed nation around the world has its own history of struggle according to their circumstances, one thing remains in common among oppressed people. This being that they have to look for leaders whom are willing to commit themselves to get rid of their people from slavery instead of looking first for external support like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. an iconic civil rights campaigner who led his nation by challenging the segregated laws of the United States against African Americans. A Black woman, Rosa Parks, who challenged the state's unjust laws by refusing to leave from her seat on the bus become the inspirational force for African Americans and ignited the civil movement. Because of Black people all struggle and sacrifices through Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has allowed a brilliant Barack Obama today to become the President of the United States of America.

Mahatma Gandhi led the entire sub-continent by defying the colonial rules. He never gave up his dream of freedom for his people, today India is known as one of the largest democracies in the world.

Nelson Mandela, an iconic oppressed nation leader led the divided South African tribes. His illiterate, powerless and poverty stricken nation, who strongly believed in getting rid of slavery from the “apartheid” regimes was lead to freedom. Because of defying state laws and refusing to be a slave he was sent to jail for 27 years; but he neither waived nor compromised his belief in front of that powerful and ruthless “apartheid” regime.

Recent East-Timor-nation convinced the international body through unity and mass agitation and resistance against its occupiers till its leaders convinced the United Nations and international community who stood on their side and who were able to detach from the occupiers, Indonesia has become a free nation. 

History has shown that an oppressed nation can only free itself from its oppressors with unwavering determination and determined leadership within. A leader who can manifest the dreams of a nation and a population that can provide infinite support will be impossible to stop. A population that strives for freedom must not be without its most important ingredient, unity; for a divided nation is no nation at all.

 

 

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Is the International Community ignoring Baloch problems?

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 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 within the occupiers of Balochistan. The anger is increasingly mounting among Baloch leaders and the people of Balochistan. By the same token they should not ignore the reports of International crisis of Europe, alarming statistics from the United States Think Tank about the bloody 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 years 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 from in all major issues concerning their own destiny poses 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 seculars 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. Baloch leaders believe the western world should not overlook the injustices and decades of oppression in Balochistan. Similarly, IPT 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 concerns 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 their back on the injustices and atrocities in which 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 affect 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 veto’s by the central government which is heavily dominated by Punjab. Many claims of advancements or assistance for the Baloch are no more then hollow disillusions 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 where mega projects are, but he has yet to fulfill any promises. Natives still do not get skill training and lacks fair opportunities for jobs in such so called mega projects. Musharraf’s anti-Baloch intentions became clear, when the media first exposed him, a ship with wheat arrived from Canada at Gwader Deep-Sea-port in Balochstan where he sent 400 un-skilled laborers from Punjab and Karachi (Muhajirs) to unload the wheat. He charted four buses and three trucks, for the laborers. Yet they could not find un-skilled native 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 projecting around the world about the mega projects of Balochistan and claim they will bring economic revolutions for the regions, such as future gas pipelines. But behind such projects, states of Pakistan and are Iran both having their hidden agendas using Balochistan. Strategically located regions such 900 costal built gates of Asia, are to protect the central governments interest, strengthen its defense through Balochistan gwader-Deep-Sea Port, where China is investing a billion dollars in the Gwader –Deep-Sea port.

Balochistan through out the history from 19th century due to its geo-political and strategically located regions has been used as a bargaining chip by British empires and now by its occupiers’ Pakistan and Iran. As South Asian expert Selig Harrison writes “A glance at a map of Southwest Asia quickly explains why strategically located Balochistan..Becomes a focal point of superpowers conflict. Stretching across a vast desert expense of western Pakistan and Eastern Iran baggers than France. The Baloch homeland commands more than 900 miles of Arabians Sea of Coastlines, including the northern shores of the Straits of Hormuz.”

The world should look it the May 28, 1998 nuclear test example, which was conducted by Pakistani scientist in Chahgi Balochistan, which is the only sign of development Islamabad, has left behind up to this point. Due to that test the whole region has been destroyed and it caused thousands of native displacements and the states left them out of 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 us reflected in the almost complete exclusion of the Baloch from the political, bureaucratic, and military power structure of Pakistan.” Such historic injustices can not 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 generalist 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 United States, Ronen Sen’ He is appealing to all head of states 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 and economic polices of both regimes in Pakistan and Iran, their imposed projects and economic plans through out history benefited the central government. Mostly because their first priority have been strengthening their central government and military powers. They have ruled upon the Baloch with an iron fist till today. International community should look at all the historical aspects of Balochistan, both regimes are intentionally excluding Baloch representative whom are overwhelmingly supported by their people through out Balochistan. Such mega projects and gas pipe lines are seriously jeopardizing the interest of the native of the Baloch people. The International community base of international law and the United Nations charter of rights should not overlooked the ground reality and crisis that is Balochistan.

The writer is an activist of the Balochistan Human Rights Council of Canada

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