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The conflicts in Balochistan

By: Dr Jumma Khan Marri.

"Diplomacy is the art of telling someone to go to Hell in such a way that he looks forward to the journey!"

The Pakistani diplomacy failed with Baloch again and again because it was lacking the fundamental issue that is “sincerity” from
Islamabad.

More then two years we were told that the parliamentary committee formed to resolve Balochistan issues will approach all politico-
nationalist parties of Balochistan to ascertain the problems faced by the province. They assured that all the problems would be resolved
amicably. Hence Pakistan’s Punjabi military lead diplomacy told us go to hell.

But finally the results were gunship helicopters and F 16s who brought the mail from Islamabad with powerful massage (Oh you
Balochis give up or face our mighty army) according to Balochi tradition Baloch decided to the last offer, since then things are not so quite
in Balochistan.

Balochistan being the largest Pakistani province, once an independent country known was commanding huge territory stretching from
Helmond to Gomel Rivers in north, Kerman in west, Multan in east, down to the seas is clearly mentioned in history books, due to lack of
commanding leadership and Baloch unity we got our country divided among our three neighbors likes a birthday cake. Balochistan’s
uniqueness is an undisputed and self-evident which is duly supported geographically. Today if counting all Baloch territories inside
Pakistan which is more then 48% of the total Pakistani land mass but a mere 6 % of its population, with the richest natural resources yet
with the lowest per capita income is now in the focus of world political attention.

The daily rocket attacks by Baloch freedom fighters under different covert organisations such as Baloch liberation army (BLA),
Balochistan liberation movement (BLM), Baloch resistance army (BRA) Baloch liberation front (BLF) Baloch National Army (BNA) all these
different organisations are the remnants of the once more powerful organization in 1970s called Balochistan peoples liberation front
(BPLF) must remind the central Govt in Islamabad that Baloch are really very much tired of their repression and betrayals and once again
rose up to face the tyranny of the state. The recent constant attacks on the natural gas pipe lines and other installations at Sui and all
around the Balochistan are just the first signs in that direction the bitter battles are yet to come.

The recent attacks on the gas have deprived millions of people across the country of their major source of cooking and heating
particularly at a time when the country was in the grip of a severe winter. The constant disruptions of the gas supply to power plants,
fertilizer and industrial plants has been causing, according to officials, a loss of millions of dollars daily in revenue since the attacks in
early January. The fast repair of the gas installations and electric pylons some times takes weeks and coast billions of rupees to the
already shaky economy of the country.

The strongman of Pakistan, Gen. Pervez Musharraf had, in a knee-jerk reaction of a soldier, threatened the Baloch people with all out war
especially to Marri and Bugti tribes and their potentate Sardars of a severe military crackdown: "You won’t even know what hit you".

The general kept his promise by sending large chunk of his fighting army in already aggravated situation beyond imaginations we found
large numbers of Baloch people displaced from their homes hundreds mostly helpless women, children killed and thousands political
workers picked from different areas in Balochistan sent to unknown torture cells. The situation in Balochistan is going out of their control
on every coming day. Having their failures and experiences in Balochistan and Bangladesh in the past the generals in Islamabad are
scratching their heads what to do next?

The growing awareness among the Baloch masses and specially the Baloch youth has brought the Pakistani Govt into hysteric situation
and the Govt responded by posting well-equipped security contingents at all the gas installations at Sui, Pirkoh and Loti. Instead of giving
some relief to Baloch peoples Govt tightened their already powerful grip in Balochistan even went further by deploying thousands of Para
military forces in all key positions through out Balochistan by hampering the free movement of Baloch people inside their own home
lands.

To prolong their rule and to continue the plunder of Baloch natural resources the Govt came out with a new idea last year they formed a
committee to asses the grievances of the people but the committee came out with a resolutions and conclusions that all the Baloch
problems are based due to the lack of finances and the generous Islamabad based committee recommended the centre to give 5 billion
rupees of aid to Balochistan hence all the problems were solved the committee concluded that few Baloch might be recruited in FC the
committee was very generous to Baloch people, but neither money or job came after all these were recommendations not promises.

We were told that few mega projects will help solve Balochistan’s problems once and for ever, we understand our volatility on such
projects that these projects were meant to help eliminating Baloch from their lands by mass migration of non Baloch population in
Balochistan and turn Baloch into minority in their lands perhaps in this way Islamabad understands the solutions to the problems of
Baloch people.

The commercial and strategic significance of the Gwadar port, the network of planned and under construction roads, the vast mineral
resources of the province, new dams and canals being built, and its location straddling the projected gas pipelines from Iran, have
generated further apprehensions among the Balochistan people as to their share in all these activities.

Baloch fear and are sure that Punjab would certainly usurp all benefits accruing from the mega developmental projects. A perennial
grievance of the Baloch intellectuals and politicians have been that the wealth of their province is being transferred to the already better off
majority province of Punjab and that the armed might of the country is being utilized to protect this exploitation. In the words of Baloch
people, "The central Govt thinks that natural resources inside Balochistan are national assets, where as Baloch think that they are Baloch
national assets, and whoever wants to use them must do so through the consent of Baloch people, keeping the Baloch interests in view
and giving top priority to Baloch people as this is their right and they are owner of their wealth, Pakistan wants direct possession of
Baloch land and their wealth."

That is where the conflict of interest lies. The Baloch people want a larger slice of revenue. Whether it is in public or private interest, is
open to question. Open to question also is the meager percentage of the natural gas revenues allotted to the province. From the
perspective of the literacy rate in Balochistan (over 75%), poverty-stricken (85% below poverty line) Baloch, they would keep rotting in the
present sub-human conditions unless the grueling economical and political hold over them is broken and their children are enabled to
go to schools and technical institutes to acquire skills to earn living wages and Balochistan Govt gets all command on Baloch Natural
resources and control of immigration inside Balochistan.

There are practically no job opportunities for Baloch youth what ever little jobs available are beyond their reach unless they are provided
with requisite education and skills. One has yet to be informed of a single Sardar or Govt in Balochistan who has dedicated his or their
efforts to bring educational facilities to their followers or Baloch lands. Education promotes independent thinking and weakens the hold
of Sardars, Waderas and corrupt bureaucratic hold. Government and their puppets authorities in Balochistan too have purposely for half a
century remained indifferent to this urgent need. The Sardars have instead been busy controlling their tribes under their boots.

Eighty per cent of Balochistan was demarcated by the British as tribal territory to be administered by tribal leaders locally and only the
remaining 20 per cent comes under civilian administration now feeling the heat the Islamabad wants to reverse this sat up and make all
Balochistan as police administrated territory, as before tribal areas were virtually no go areas for Govt officials without the consents of the
tribal leaderships.

Although the various Baloch tribal Sardars have adroitly dealt with Baloch tribes regime after regime at the center to maintain their Sardari
system. This system seemed to have worked for the benefits of both parties the Sardars and Govt who helped each other when the
situation were unfavorable to them but now the things seemingly are changing at least on behalf of Sardars.

The wind of change blowing now through Balochistan portends a reduction in their clout, and Baloch youth are coming forth is worrying
sign for both Sardars and Govt that is why we have seen recent brutal crackdown by Govt against the BSO united as matter of fact more
then 70 Baloch youth either member of Baloch youth movement or their sympathizers are in different Pakistan jails with different cases
incremented against them

If an army continues their brutal atrocities in Balochistan all these militants and youth organizations’ such as Baloch unity (BU), Baloch
Student organistion (BSO), Baloch libration army (BLA), Baloch libration movement (BLM), Baloch libration front (BLF), Balochistan
libration organistion (BLO), Baloch resistance army (BRA), Baloch national army (BNA), Balochistan national movement (BNM), Baloch
united front (BUF), along with Baloch four party alliances JWP, NP, BNP, and Huq Tawar have been resisting this; hence the conflict of
interest and the instigation of crises will give serious blow to the Govt and will give headaches to the military commanders in Islamabad.
For want of local support, the commanders wouldn’t have fared any better than the American commanders in Iraq.

With Gwadar slated to be the gateway to central Asia and the outlet for the goods produced in Xinxiang (Sinkiang) and adjoining Chinese
territories, the future of Pakistan is linked to the future and progress of Balochistan. Pakistan’s policy makers would be well advised to let
logic and saner councils prevail over instincts and, above all, the temptations of paranoiac arrogance.

To ensure security to the high-cost ongoing projects of Gwadar, highways, mineral extraction, building of dams and canals, Pakistani
authorities want to set up cantonments at Gwadar, Dera Bugti, and Kohlu apart from enhancing the facilities at the existing garrisons at
Quetta and Khuzdar. The fearless Baloch people can create an administrative nightmare for Punjabis to control Balochistan if Baloch
stand as united force and give up their tribal conflicts and their leadership show little wisdom and give up their selfishness for the sake of
grand Baloch unity.