Balochistan: Invisible to the International Community?

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

Human Rights

Balochistan: Invisible to the International Community?