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We are fighting for Balochistan’s
liberation: Bramdagh Bugti
Friday, August 15, 2008
QUETTA: Armed groups in Balochistan are fighting for its freedom and not for provincial autonomy,
Baloch separatist leader Bramdagh Bugti has said in an exclusive interview with Daily Times. He said
he did not want to negotiate with the government in Islamabad because it could not control the army.
The Baloch were an oppressed nation, he said, and would welcome “all types of external support from
India and rest of the world”. He said the weapons being given to Pakistan to fight terrorists and the
Taliban were being used against the Baloch. He invited international media and human rights
organisations to witness what he called violations of the human rights by the army in Balochistan.
Courtesy Daily Times
liberation: Bramdagh Bugti
Friday, August 15, 2008
QUETTA: Armed groups in Balochistan are fighting for its freedom and not for provincial autonomy,
Baloch separatist leader Bramdagh Bugti has said in an exclusive interview with Daily Times. He said
he did not want to negotiate with the government in Islamabad because it could not control the army.
The Baloch were an oppressed nation, he said, and would welcome “all types of external support from
India and rest of the world”. He said the weapons being given to Pakistan to fight terrorists and the
Taliban were being used against the Baloch. He invited international media and human rights
organisations to witness what he called violations of the human rights by the army in Balochistan.
Courtesy Daily Times
Comment: Strategic significance of Balochistan —Shaukat Qadir
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Whether through the volume of potential commercial activity, or the Iran gas pipeline project, or the enormous untapped mineral resources in
Balochistan; Pakistan’s prospects of economic prosperity in the future are inexorably linked to Balochistan
Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province in terms of land mass, almost 50 percent of the total land mass of the country; has a population of only
about 10,000,000 inhabitants, a mere sixteenth of Pakistan’s population. 35 percent are ethnic Baloch, 25 percent Pashtun, and the rest a mixture of
Brohi, Mekrani, Sindhi, Hazarvis and Punjabi. However, the recent influx of Afghan refugees coupled with migration of some ethnic Baloch in recent
times, has brought the Pashtun population at par with the Baloch, and the influx is an ongoing process, increasing the ethnic imbalance in favour of the
Pashtuns.
Bordering Iran to the west, where it lies at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, and southern Afghanistan to its north, it shares borders with each of the other
three provinces of Pakistan. It is Pakistan’s richest province in terms of mineral resources; some of the known gas, iron ore, gold, copper, and coal
resources are being tapped, but not all. Far greater reserves of oil, gas, gold and other minerals are suspected but remain unconfirmed due to a variety
of reasons, insecurity being the leading one.
Not only does the bulk of Pakistan’s coastline lie in Balochistan, the province’s coastline is particularly significant because almost the entire length of it
is along a deep shelf, ranging in depth from one hundred to almost three hundred metres. During hostilities with India this has enabled ships to hug
the coastline under protection of the naval air arm before making a run for the port at Karachi.
It is this shelf that makes it possible for the strategic deep sea port to be built at Gwadar. For the uninitiated, at a deep sea port, because of the depth of
the sea close to shore, naval vessels as well as commercial ships can berth very close to shore. This not only makes loading and unloading ships
easier and cheaper, since if berthed at a distance, goods have to be ferried ashore, which adds to the expense, but also provides additional protection
in case of hostilities.
Gwadar port is being built with Chinese assistance in three phases, to be completed by 2015, when it will have twenty six berths. Numerous
speculations have been made on Pakistan having offered the Chinese a naval presence at Gwadar as an incentive for them to assist in its
construction and also construct the strategic coastal highway connecting Karachi to Gwadar.
While there is no disputing that this would provide a major incentive for Chinese assistance, but it does not account for the number of berths, which
would be wasted without significant increase in commercial activity.
To understand this, we need to move on to China. Historically, major industrial development in China has been along their East Coast, for ease of
shipping. However, conscious of the potential for unrest in the predominantly Muslim province of Xinjiang, to its west, bordering Pakistan and Central
Asia, in the aftermath of the fall of the USSR, China constructed an oil pipeline from Kazakhstan to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang and also set up the
national oil refinery there.
Consequently, in addition to the beginning of a demographic shift in this province, over the last fifteen years there has been an enormous growth of
industry in this region.
A cursory look at the map will confirm that Urumqi is almost equidistant overland from China’s eastern ports and Gwadar. However, while eastern
Chinese ports open onto the Pacific Ocean, leading directly to the Americas, to access European markets or the Middle East, Chinese ships go via the
Straits of Malacca across the Indian Ocean to reach the Gulf of Aden; a distance of almost 5000 miles. Whereas, at Gwadar, they are not only at the
mouth of the Persian Gulf, but also only 1100 miles from the Gulf of Aden.
China already has a rail link from Almaty, the ex-capital of Kazakhstan, which also lies on the border of Kyrgyzstan, to Urumqi. In addition, a
memorandum of understanding has been signed between Pakistan and China for a joint venture constructing a rail link parallel to the Karakoram
highway ending at Havelian, for which feasibility studies have been prepared, and from where Pakistan will provide a direct rail link to Gwadar.
Thus not only all Chinese goods produced in western China, but also products from a bulk of Central Asia will be able to take advantage of this route,
even if the instability in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province denies them the more direct route. Obviously, if these regions
stabilise, Gwadar port will be utilised to its fullest capacity.
Analysts have frequently adverted to Pakistan’s ‘strategic location’; linking the Middle East via Iran, Central Asia, China, and South Asia. While
Balochistan provides the only direct link to Iran and onwards to the Middle East, the truth is that without Balochistan, the remaining linkages that
Pakistan provides to other regions are reduced to less than half their strategic value, since the only other port at Karachi could never handle the
magnitude of the potential commerce.
Whether through the volume of potential commercial activity, or the Iran gas pipeline project, or the enormous untapped mineral resources in
Balochistan; Pakistan’s prospects of economic prosperity in the future are inexorably linked to Balochistan.
Regretfully, not many decision makers in Pakistan display a consciousness of this fact; nor of the fact that decades of latent dissatisfaction amongst
the Baloch is about to spill over the brim.
The author is a retired brigadier. He is also former vice president and founder of the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI). This article is a
modified version of one originally written for The National
Source: Daily Times
Soomro names Mengal for new President
By FAHEEM RAZA submitted 10 hours 56 minutes ago
KARACHI - PML-N leader, Elahi Bux Soomro, has suggested that next President should be elected from Balochistan province and said that BNP-M
chief Ataullah Mengal would be the best candidate for the slot.
Talking to The Nation on Friday, the former Speaker of National Assembly said that as senior politician and central PML-N leader, he was suggesting
the name of Ataullah Mengal for next president with a view to bring people of Balochistan in mainstream national politics.
He added that to propose the name of Ataullah Mengal for the slot of President he would hold meeting with PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif.
“Ataullah Mengal is the best choice for the slot of President and to heal the wounds of Baloch people and to bring them into national mainstream
politics” Soomro argued.
He lashed out at President Pervez Musharraf adding that Baloch nationalist leader Ataullah Mengal never spoke against the country and only wanted
provincial autonomy.
“All politicians including me had always spoke in favour of provincial autonomy to for all federating units which is need of hour to preserve integrity of
the country” he added.
Elahi Bakash Soomro said that he had met Baloch nationalist leader Ataullah Mengal umpteen times but the latter never showed interest to become
President and only emphasised on provincial autonomy.
“I don’t think that any option is left for our rulers except to grant autonomy to the provinces”, he added.
Soomro argued that electing president from Balochistan would not only strengthen the federation but also foiled all conspiracies being hatched
against the country.
He added that in present circumstances, Ataullah Mengal is the best choice for the slot of President, who would not only bring Baloch people into
mainstream politics but also prove useful in dealing with religious fanaticism in the country. Source: The Nation
(Sardar Attaullah Mengal already turned it down to accept the offer. Balochistan's deep wound will not heal by making Sardar Attaullah Mengal
President of Pakistan, but will heal only when Pakistani terrorist army leave Balochistan and those committed crimes against Baloch people be
brought to Justice.)
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Whether through the volume of potential commercial activity, or the Iran gas pipeline project, or the enormous untapped mineral resources in
Balochistan; Pakistan’s prospects of economic prosperity in the future are inexorably linked to Balochistan
Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province in terms of land mass, almost 50 percent of the total land mass of the country; has a population of only
about 10,000,000 inhabitants, a mere sixteenth of Pakistan’s population. 35 percent are ethnic Baloch, 25 percent Pashtun, and the rest a mixture of
Brohi, Mekrani, Sindhi, Hazarvis and Punjabi. However, the recent influx of Afghan refugees coupled with migration of some ethnic Baloch in recent
times, has brought the Pashtun population at par with the Baloch, and the influx is an ongoing process, increasing the ethnic imbalance in favour of the
Pashtuns.
Bordering Iran to the west, where it lies at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, and southern Afghanistan to its north, it shares borders with each of the other
three provinces of Pakistan. It is Pakistan’s richest province in terms of mineral resources; some of the known gas, iron ore, gold, copper, and coal
resources are being tapped, but not all. Far greater reserves of oil, gas, gold and other minerals are suspected but remain unconfirmed due to a variety
of reasons, insecurity being the leading one.
Not only does the bulk of Pakistan’s coastline lie in Balochistan, the province’s coastline is particularly significant because almost the entire length of it
is along a deep shelf, ranging in depth from one hundred to almost three hundred metres. During hostilities with India this has enabled ships to hug
the coastline under protection of the naval air arm before making a run for the port at Karachi.
It is this shelf that makes it possible for the strategic deep sea port to be built at Gwadar. For the uninitiated, at a deep sea port, because of the depth of
the sea close to shore, naval vessels as well as commercial ships can berth very close to shore. This not only makes loading and unloading ships
easier and cheaper, since if berthed at a distance, goods have to be ferried ashore, which adds to the expense, but also provides additional protection
in case of hostilities.
Gwadar port is being built with Chinese assistance in three phases, to be completed by 2015, when it will have twenty six berths. Numerous
speculations have been made on Pakistan having offered the Chinese a naval presence at Gwadar as an incentive for them to assist in its
construction and also construct the strategic coastal highway connecting Karachi to Gwadar.
While there is no disputing that this would provide a major incentive for Chinese assistance, but it does not account for the number of berths, which
would be wasted without significant increase in commercial activity.
To understand this, we need to move on to China. Historically, major industrial development in China has been along their East Coast, for ease of
shipping. However, conscious of the potential for unrest in the predominantly Muslim province of Xinjiang, to its west, bordering Pakistan and Central
Asia, in the aftermath of the fall of the USSR, China constructed an oil pipeline from Kazakhstan to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang and also set up the
national oil refinery there.
Consequently, in addition to the beginning of a demographic shift in this province, over the last fifteen years there has been an enormous growth of
industry in this region.
A cursory look at the map will confirm that Urumqi is almost equidistant overland from China’s eastern ports and Gwadar. However, while eastern
Chinese ports open onto the Pacific Ocean, leading directly to the Americas, to access European markets or the Middle East, Chinese ships go via the
Straits of Malacca across the Indian Ocean to reach the Gulf of Aden; a distance of almost 5000 miles. Whereas, at Gwadar, they are not only at the
mouth of the Persian Gulf, but also only 1100 miles from the Gulf of Aden.
China already has a rail link from Almaty, the ex-capital of Kazakhstan, which also lies on the border of Kyrgyzstan, to Urumqi. In addition, a
memorandum of understanding has been signed between Pakistan and China for a joint venture constructing a rail link parallel to the Karakoram
highway ending at Havelian, for which feasibility studies have been prepared, and from where Pakistan will provide a direct rail link to Gwadar.
Thus not only all Chinese goods produced in western China, but also products from a bulk of Central Asia will be able to take advantage of this route,
even if the instability in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province denies them the more direct route. Obviously, if these regions
stabilise, Gwadar port will be utilised to its fullest capacity.
Analysts have frequently adverted to Pakistan’s ‘strategic location’; linking the Middle East via Iran, Central Asia, China, and South Asia. While
Balochistan provides the only direct link to Iran and onwards to the Middle East, the truth is that without Balochistan, the remaining linkages that
Pakistan provides to other regions are reduced to less than half their strategic value, since the only other port at Karachi could never handle the
magnitude of the potential commerce.
Whether through the volume of potential commercial activity, or the Iran gas pipeline project, or the enormous untapped mineral resources in
Balochistan; Pakistan’s prospects of economic prosperity in the future are inexorably linked to Balochistan.
Regretfully, not many decision makers in Pakistan display a consciousness of this fact; nor of the fact that decades of latent dissatisfaction amongst
the Baloch is about to spill over the brim.
The author is a retired brigadier. He is also former vice president and founder of the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI). This article is a
modified version of one originally written for The National
Source: Daily Times
Soomro names Mengal for new President
By FAHEEM RAZA submitted 10 hours 56 minutes ago
KARACHI - PML-N leader, Elahi Bux Soomro, has suggested that next President should be elected from Balochistan province and said that BNP-M
chief Ataullah Mengal would be the best candidate for the slot.
Talking to The Nation on Friday, the former Speaker of National Assembly said that as senior politician and central PML-N leader, he was suggesting
the name of Ataullah Mengal for next president with a view to bring people of Balochistan in mainstream national politics.
He added that to propose the name of Ataullah Mengal for the slot of President he would hold meeting with PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif.
“Ataullah Mengal is the best choice for the slot of President and to heal the wounds of Baloch people and to bring them into national mainstream
politics” Soomro argued.
He lashed out at President Pervez Musharraf adding that Baloch nationalist leader Ataullah Mengal never spoke against the country and only wanted
provincial autonomy.
“All politicians including me had always spoke in favour of provincial autonomy to for all federating units which is need of hour to preserve integrity of
the country” he added.
Elahi Bakash Soomro said that he had met Baloch nationalist leader Ataullah Mengal umpteen times but the latter never showed interest to become
President and only emphasised on provincial autonomy.
“I don’t think that any option is left for our rulers except to grant autonomy to the provinces”, he added.
Soomro argued that electing president from Balochistan would not only strengthen the federation but also foiled all conspiracies being hatched
against the country.
He added that in present circumstances, Ataullah Mengal is the best choice for the slot of President, who would not only bring Baloch people into
mainstream politics but also prove useful in dealing with religious fanaticism in the country. Source: The Nation
(Sardar Attaullah Mengal already turned it down to accept the offer. Balochistan's deep wound will not heal by making Sardar Attaullah Mengal
President of Pakistan, but will heal only when Pakistani terrorist army leave Balochistan and those committed crimes against Baloch people be
brought to Justice.)