|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ISI attempt to discredit the Baloch Freedom fighters
By B. Raman
March 14th, 2006
The Baloch freedom-fighters continue to wage a determined struggle against the Pakistan Army and the
Punjabi feudal aristocracy, which has colonised their homeland with Chinese assistance. Their struggle is
against the Punjabi-dominated Army and not against the common people, wherever they are from.
2. The operations of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and other groups, which have joined this freedom
struggle, are directed against the external manifestations of the Punjabi colonisation such as the Army, the Air
Force and para-military forces as well as the infrastructure through which the valuable resources of the
Baloch people are being taken away to add to the wealth and comfort of the Punjabis, while the Balochs
themselves continue to suffer in abject poverty and misery.
3. Despite the deployment of nearly 40,000 troops and para-military forces and the use of the Air Force,
including the helicopters donated by the US for operations to hunt for Osama bin Laden and his No. 2 Ayman
al-Zawahiri, President General Pervez Musharraf has not been able to suppress the freedom struggle being
waged by the Balochs.
4. In the meanwhile, the international community and opinion makers in the US have been taking increasing
notice of the freedom struggle and the grievances of the Balochs. The Pakistan Human Rights Organisation
headed by the renowned Dr. Asma Jehangir has also been highlighting the continuing gross violations of the
human rights of the Balochs.
5. Frustrated in their attempts to crush the independence struggle through their military might, Pakistan's
military-intelligence establishment have embarked on a campaign to discredit the movement by planting
mines on roads and routes used by innocent civilians and blaming on the BLA and other organisations
fighting for independence the resulting civilian casualties.
6. In a tragic incident on March 10, 2006, a wedding party of 30 civilians perished after the bus in which they
were traveling hit a land-mine in the Dera Bugti area of Balochistan. An insidious campaign has been
unleashed by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to blame the Baloch freedom-fighters for this incident as well
as earlier incidents in which civilians were killed by land-mines.
7. Well-informed sources say that these mines, many of them of Chinese origin, were planted by the Army
and the ISI in order to discredit the freedom struggle and weaken the growing external support for it. They
assert that the BLA and its sister organisations do not have any land-mines.
8. The Chinese have also been playing a deplorable role in the efforts of the Army to crush the independence
struggle, by providing the Pakistani military units deployed in Balochistan with arms and ammunition and by
sharing with them the intelligence collected by Chinese intelligence officers posted in Gwadar and other
places under the cover of engineers.
(The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, and, presently, Director, Institute
For Topical Studies, Chennai. E-Mail: )
http://www.saag.org/papers18/paper1729.html
By B. Raman
March 14th, 2006
The Baloch freedom-fighters continue to wage a determined struggle against the Pakistan Army and the
Punjabi feudal aristocracy, which has colonised their homeland with Chinese assistance. Their struggle is
against the Punjabi-dominated Army and not against the common people, wherever they are from.
2. The operations of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and other groups, which have joined this freedom
struggle, are directed against the external manifestations of the Punjabi colonisation such as the Army, the Air
Force and para-military forces as well as the infrastructure through which the valuable resources of the
Baloch people are being taken away to add to the wealth and comfort of the Punjabis, while the Balochs
themselves continue to suffer in abject poverty and misery.
3. Despite the deployment of nearly 40,000 troops and para-military forces and the use of the Air Force,
including the helicopters donated by the US for operations to hunt for Osama bin Laden and his No. 2 Ayman
al-Zawahiri, President General Pervez Musharraf has not been able to suppress the freedom struggle being
waged by the Balochs.
4. In the meanwhile, the international community and opinion makers in the US have been taking increasing
notice of the freedom struggle and the grievances of the Balochs. The Pakistan Human Rights Organisation
headed by the renowned Dr. Asma Jehangir has also been highlighting the continuing gross violations of the
human rights of the Balochs.
5. Frustrated in their attempts to crush the independence struggle through their military might, Pakistan's
military-intelligence establishment have embarked on a campaign to discredit the movement by planting
mines on roads and routes used by innocent civilians and blaming on the BLA and other organisations
fighting for independence the resulting civilian casualties.
6. In a tragic incident on March 10, 2006, a wedding party of 30 civilians perished after the bus in which they
were traveling hit a land-mine in the Dera Bugti area of Balochistan. An insidious campaign has been
unleashed by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to blame the Baloch freedom-fighters for this incident as well
as earlier incidents in which civilians were killed by land-mines.
7. Well-informed sources say that these mines, many of them of Chinese origin, were planted by the Army
and the ISI in order to discredit the freedom struggle and weaken the growing external support for it. They
assert that the BLA and its sister organisations do not have any land-mines.
8. The Chinese have also been playing a deplorable role in the efforts of the Army to crush the independence
struggle, by providing the Pakistani military units deployed in Balochistan with arms and ammunition and by
sharing with them the intelligence collected by Chinese intelligence officers posted in Gwadar and other
places under the cover of engineers.
(The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, and, presently, Director, Institute
For Topical Studies, Chennai. E-Mail: )
http://www.saag.org/papers18/paper1729.html
Baloch Society Of North America (BSO_NA) is Non-Profit Organization, working to unite and Organize all Baloch in North America, to expose the Occupation and Oppressive policies of Pakistani and Iranian Governments against Baloch people and our Baloch land (Balochistan), and to bring their Human Rights Violations in Balochistan into the world’s Notice. |
