Refuting allegations levelled by Pakistani security forces, the foreign spokesperson of the BNM, Hammal Haidar said: “everything is based on fabrication…reports Rahul Kumar
Nationalists in Balochistan have claimed that Pakistani security forces are taking Baloch women into custody after the audacious Shari Baloch suicide bombing that killed three Chinese teachers of the Confucius Institute in Karachi in April.
In a hurriedly convened virtual press conference on Monday evening, the Baloch National Movement (BNM) said that Frontier Corps (FC) and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel “are using State power on women and children to seek revenge”. The BNM said that Noorjan Baloch was “forcibly disappeared” from Hoshab town of Kech on Monday morning.
The BNM held the press conference after Pakistani security forces arrested an alleged female suicide bomber with explosives and detonators. The security forces said that the woman was planning to attack Chinese targets in Pakistan, particularly those related to the $62 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Pakistan also claimed that the alleged female suicide bomber belonged to the dreaded Majeed Brigade of the BLA.
The news about the arrest led to people blocking the CPEC highway. People even claimed that the local network was suspended to minimise public anger.
The BNM, however, claimed that the CPEC highway remained blocked all through the day with people joining from nearby towns like Panjgur and Turbat.
Well-known Pakistani journalist and human rights activist Gul Bukhari, addressing the press conference said the incident looks like a case of “utha lena” or forced kidnapping. She said: “The woman has not been arrested. If the security forces have evidence then they will arrest her and not have to abduct her”.
Bukhari told the online audience that the authorities fear Twitter. She said: “Pakistani authorities fear tweets, not the media, nor newspapers. They fear Twitter because information spreads. Humare twitter accounts bund karane ki kitne koshish kari (they tried to shut down my Twitter accounts so many times) They felt more miserable when I started Tweeting in Urdu”.
Refuting allegations levelled by Pakistani security forces, the foreign spokesperson of the BNM, Hammal Haidar said: “everything is based on fabrication. The target is now Baloch women. Baloch women are becoming active on Twitter and the authorities fear this”.
Baloch author and activist Andalib Gichki, said that while attending the online press conference, she got calls from an unknown number. “I was threatened by the caller who did not want me to attend this press conference. The person said that he was calling from the ISI (Inter Services Intelligence) office and asked me to come to the Turbat office of the ISI”.
Narrating her story, Gichki said that she refused to visit the ISI office and asked the purpose of the visit.
“The caller told me that I have to meet ISI officials as I am giving statements on social media against the State… He threatened me and insisted that I will have to come and meet the new ISI officer at Turbat”, she said, adding that she is now feeling afraid as the security forces can do anything.
The April attack on Chinese nationals of the Confucius Institute by a female Baloch suicide bomber, Shari Baloch, pitchforked Baloch insurgency into global limelight. The attack was such that China recalled all the teachers of the Confucius Institute from across Pakistan.
The repeated attacks on Chinese interests including the killing of its nationals across different provinces in Pakistan has cast a shadow on diplomatic relations between the two all-weather friends. Beijing has castigated Islamabad for lax security and has demanded hefty amounts of money as compensation for its dead and injured nationals.
Many communities across Pakistan have launched attacks again CPEC projects as they find it exploitative with little benefits coming to local people.
(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
Elaborating on his grievances, Bugti said that when the Prime Minister first came into power he promised to focus on South Balochistan and under-developed areas. “But he failed to do so.”…reports Asian Lite News
Jamhoori Watan Party leader and special assistant to the Pakistan prime minister (SAPM) on reconciliation and harmony in Balochistan, Shahzain Bugti, announced on Sunday his resignation from the federal cabinet citing lack of development in the province, Dawn reported.
He made the announcement while addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. Earlier on Sunday, Bilawal called on Bugti at his residence where the two discussed the political situation in the country.
The Pak prime minister had appointed Bugti as his special assistant last year in July soon after deciding to hold talks with disgruntled Baloch tribesmen to pave way for permanent peace and progress in Balochistan. PM Imran had tasked him with holding talks with peeved Baloch tribesmen on behalf of the government.
His resignation comes amid mounting political tensions ahead of the no-confidence vote submitted by the opposition against the Prime Minister.
Addressing a press conference, Bugti said that the government had failed to deliver in Balochistan. “The federal government gave us hope that things will improve but the people have been disappointed,” he said, announcing his resignation from Prime Minister Imran Khan’s cabinet, Dawn reported.
Elaborating on his grievances, he said that when the Prime Minister first came into power he promised to focus on South Balochistan and under-developed areas. “But he failed to do so.”
The MNA also alleged that insurgency grew during the PTI government’s tenure due to its negligence. “I have done everything except for banging my head into the wall. […] Imran Khan says everyone is corrupt. [But] put the evidence in front of the people, they will decide. But all you do is use wrong words”, the report said.
“We believe that China is assisting Pakistan in tracing the locations of the Baloch fighters. China is complicit in the Baloch genocide,”says Faiz…reports RAHUL KUMAR
Faiz M Baluch is the editor of the online news website Balochwarna and the UK-based treasure of the Free Balochistan Movement (FBM). On a rare sun-filled British day, India Narrative met up with Faiz for a chat at the Trafalgar Square while he was busy organising a demonstration to highlight the kidnappings of Baloch students by the Pakistani government.
To sustain his family which has migrated to the UK, Faiz works in a logistics company but as the treasurer of the FBM, Faiz fundraises within the community to print leaflets, posters and banners. His work also includes making arrangements for travel and works with other Baloch volunteers to organise demonstrations against Pakistan in a bid to highlight human rights atrocities against the impoverished Baloch community which resides in south-west of Pakistan.
The FBM is a Baloch political party which supports independence of Balochistan from both Pakistan and Iran. It has been active in the UK, Germany and other European nations with the support of a miniscule but enthusiastic Baloch diaspora.
Baloch diaspora protests at iconic Trafalgar Square to draw attention to rights violations by China-backed Pakistan.(Photo:IN)
Faiz says that he is one of the founding members of the FBM which was launched in 2016. “I was associated with it from the time I was in Saravan, Balochistan, close to the Iran border. Was involved in organising rallies, protests and mobilising people. All of our activities were political and were concentrated on the Goldsmith Line–that divides Balochistan between Pakistan and Iran”.
Talking about Baloch families, Faiz adds: “Our families are divided. Kisi ka mamu iss taraf hai, toh chcha uss taraf hai. We are one people across Iran and Pakistan with relations on both sides of the border”.
The FBM activist came to the UK in 2002 as a political refugee and began adapting himself to life and culture in his adopted land. “After I came to this country, I joined the language school and then college. I used to introduce myself as a Baloch and then had to educate people about the basics of Balochistan. I was longing to project the voice of the people of Balochistan. Here we are their voice”.
The Balochs are few in numbers in the UK but are active politically. However, their activism is cautious and is clouded with fear. Faiz says that their relatives back home in Balochistan are in immediate danger and many have been killed. Many are under arrest. “Nearly 20,000 people are in the custody of the Pakistani forces. They will release two people but arrest another five. In February this year, more than 30 students were arrested from Makran, Bolan and even in Punjab”, says Faiz.
Faiz says that Pakistan is giving a “collective punishment to the Baloch” which increases in intensity if an attack takes place on the Pakistani military. He adds that in the rural areas of Balochistan, Pakistan forces will kill children, women and even livestock. Pakistan launched helicopter attacks in Awaran and Kahan in the aftermath of the debilitating January 2022 attacks on Frontier Corps camps by Baloch rebels in which the forces burnt forests and killed animals belonging to the nomadic people of Awaran, says Faiz.
“The Pakistani forces even burnt the Koran belonging to the people. If the Koran is holy, it is for everyone. But in Pakistan, they decide who it is holy for. They decided who will be punished and who will not be punished for burning the Koran”, says Faiz.
High time we came forward to heal these wounds before its too late, wrote Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz after meeting relatives of the missing Baloch people during the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) third march against the Imran Khan government in Quetta on Sunday (Photo courtesy: Twitter/@MaryamNSharif)
Talking about the harassment of the Baloch students at the hands of the Pakistani security agencies, Faiz highlights another angle. He says that Baloch students are asked questions by their education authorities, but these questions have been sent by the security forces. The students have been threatened not to speak with their relatives settled abroad.
“Everything in Pakistan is controlled by the army. Democracy and the elected government are show pieces to be paraded before the world. The army dictates to the President and the Prime Minister on how to deal with Baloch issues”, says Faiz, adding: “there are two parallel governments running Pakistan-the security forces and the elected government”.
Talking about Iran, Faiz says that the community is not sure of Iran’s support for their cause. “When we were battling Bhutto, we had the upper hand. Then the Shah of Iran sent helicopters and pilots to crush us. I do not think that Iran is supporting the Baloch. I do not see any logic behind this”, says Faiz.
He adds that the Baloch struggle is now getting international attention because of China’s Gwadar port. As the Western countries and China are on opposite sides, the Baloch people and the world have a common interest. We want the UN and US to intervene for our cause like they did in Kosovo and South Sudan. “China is a threat to the world and to the Baloch community because it is exploiting our resources”, says Faiz.
“China is assisting Pakistan in many ways. It is providing technology to Pakistan. We believe that China is assisting Pakistan in tracing the locations of the Baloch fighters. China is complicit in the Baloch genocide. In February, at least ten Baloch fighters were killed in a drone attack in Hoshab, Turbat, in the Makran region. We strongly believe that China assisted Pakistan in the drone attack as it is not that capable”, says Faiz.
Baloch advocacy groups are engaging with members of parliament in the UK and also in Europe to explain the human rights violations in Balochistan. We are asking them to put pressure on Pakistan. Protests help us to connect with the local people and create awareness among them. “We tell the British tax-payers that by supporting the Pakistan government, the UK is indirectly supporting Pakistan’s violations of minorities.
(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
The Baloch rights activist said the brutality of the Pakistani state has led to an unending tragedy for the people of Balochistan….reports Asian Lite News
Munir Mengal, a Baloch political and human rights activist on Tuesday raised concerns about the violation of the ongoing rights against minority communities in Pakistan.
Speaking at the 49th session of UN Human Rights Council, Munir said, “No amount of violence and no amount of brutality, no amount of regression can crush the people’s desire for the basic right to freedom. Since 1948, Pakistan with a colonial mindset has unleashed a might on the people of Balochistan who refuse to surrender their most basic right — the right to regain their sovereignty on their land.”
The Baloch rights activist said the brutality of the Pakistani state has led to an unending tragedy for the people of Balochistan.
“The family members, the civil society representatives and students are continuously rallying at press clubs at Quetta, Karachi and Islamabad for the safe release of victims of enforced disappearances,” he added.
Citing the reports of the human rights group, Munir said thousands of Baloch are victims of enforced disappearances including Baloch women and infants. “The practice of disappearing by force, extrajudicial killings and target killing are done in Balochistan systematically on daily basis with impunity.”
Notably, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) earlier had expressed alarm over reports of a fresh wave of enforced disappearances in Balochistan and the rest of Pakistan, including most recently, Hafeez Baloch, a postgraduate student at the university in Islamabad.
Experts believe that the missing persons may be dead or their mutilated bodies dumped into ditches and may be locked in some detention centers.
The 49th regular session of the Human Rights Council started on February 28 and will continue till April 1. (ANI)
The Baloch people under the leadership of Prince Agha Abdul Karim Khan Ahmadzai led a nationalist uprising against Pakistan in 1948 and since then there have been six armed freedom movements in the region, writes Mark Kinra
With time taking its toll on memory, fewer people are aware that Balochistan was an independent country for almost 9 months before it was illegally colonised by Pakistan on 27 March 1948. The Baloch people under the leadership of Prince Agha Abdul Karim Khan Ahmadzai led a nationalist uprising against Pakistan in 1948 and since then there have been six armed freedom movements in the region.
The current flare-up in the region with many attacks on Pakistani armed forces has been termed as the sixth armed freedom movement which is a direct result of the consequences of fifth armed movement which led to the assassination of Nawab Akbar Bugti on 26 August 2006 under the then president Pervez Musharraf’s rule. The fifth armed movement can be attributed to two reasons namely–rape of a female doctor by a Captain of Pakistani Army at Sui Gas facility, where she was employed, and the rejection of a 15-point agenda by Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti and Mir Balach Marri, who wanted Balochistan to have more control over its resources.
In the first case, Pakistan sided with its Captain, pronouncing him not-guilty and in the second one Pakistan rejected all demands over Balochistan resources, which led to strong armed backlash between the Baloch and the Pakistani Army, which resulted in the killing of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti. This ignited calls for an independent Baloch nation and led to the formation of various armed organizations and catapulting Baloch youth towards an armed struggle against Pakistan.
The initial freedom movement was started by the members of Ahmedzai royal family and tribal chiefs like Marris and Bugtis but now even educated people and the common man, who were earlier content with following the tribal chiefs, are now taking up the mantle of freedom movement and becoming new leaders of the national struggle for independence.
The following groups are currently carrying out armed insurrection against Pakistan:
Balochistan Raaji Ajoi Sangar (BRAS) – It is an umbrella organization which was created in 2018 comprising Balochistan Liberation Army, Baloch Liberation Army-Bashir Zeb and Balochistan Republican Guards. Later on, BRA (Gulzar Imam group) and UBA (Sarfaraz Bangulzai group) too joined BRAS showing its potential as a magnet among the spread-out Baloch organisations. Importantly, the Sindh Revolutionary Army (SRA) is also part BRAS.
BRAS is said to have brought together people from the middle class who were not part of the Baloch tribal leadership. The creation of BRAS shows that the Baloch people are becoming more united in their approach towards armed rebellion against Pakistan. BRAS has also led the Baloch armed groups to strategize their operations against Pakistan. The latest example of this is the devastating BLA twin attack on the Panjgur and Nuskhi Frontier Corps (FC) camps, where the BLA stated that the operation was supported by the allied organizations of BRAS.
Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) – It is said the BLA was created in 1999 under the leadership of Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, Mir Balaach Marri and Brahamdagh Bugti. The coming together of the Marri-Bugti tribes was due to a friendship pact but later the Bugtis parted ways. The BLA is an ethno-nationalist organization working towards achieving the goal of a United Balochistan (parts of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan). According to an anonymous Baloch human rights activist living-in-exile, BLA derives its strength from all over Balochistan but is most powerful in Marri areas such as Mach, Harnai, Nasserabad, Jaffarabad, Loralai, Quetta and Awaran.
From 2003-13, there were about 15,000 members in Marri areas. Today there are around 200-300 active members, while overall numbers are thousands in the tribal areas. The BLA receives local support while most weapons come from Afghanistan and Pashtoon areas of Balochistan. Also, some sections of Afghans did support the BLA but they have used them as proxies for their own benefits. The Baloch human rights activist states that after 2016, India stopped all support to the Baloch freedom movement which was initiated in the Vajpayee era. Initially, the BLA was involved in the killing of civilians, which was mostly in retaliation, but later recused itself from targeting civilians and its focus is only on Pakistan’s armed forces.
The BLA has been designated as a terrorist organization by the US, the UK and Pakistan, which alleges that Hyrbyair Marri is the leader of the group while the BLA has never disclosed its leader. BLA’s spokesperson is Azad Baloch.
On 14 Dec 2005, BLA members tried to assassinate then President Pervez Musharraf, who was visiting a paramilitary camp in Kohlu. Musharraf was unharmed. On 13 June 2013, BLA also fired rockets at the summer house of Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Balochistan Liberation Army (Bashir Zeb Group) – Pakistan security analyst Muhammad Amir Rana states that Aslam Baloch after having grievances against the BLA leadership formed a splinter organization of the same name in 2013. After Aslam Baloch was killed in a suicide attack in Kandahar in 2018, the leadership was taken over by Bashir Zeb. The Bashir Zeb Group enjoys local support and gets its strength from all over Balochistan but considerably from central and coastal Balochistan.
The BLA has created the ‘Majeed Brigade’, which is a suicide squad and has carried several attacks even against civilians. Majeed Brigade takes its name and inspiration from Majeed Langove, who tried to assassinate PM Bhutto in 1974, while Balochistan was suffering military operations by Pakistan. Years later in 2010, Majeed Langove Junior (brother of Majeed Langove) was killed by the Pakistani Army, while trying to save his comrades. This led Aslam Baloch to formally announce the formation of the Majeed Brigade.
After coming from exile in Afghanistan, Nawab Khair Baksh Marri used to give lectures to youth on various topics where Aslam Baloch came in contact with Nawab Marri. These gatherings later produced a group of politically charged youth who would later form BLA. It is a hearsay that Nawab Marri raised questions on the idea of Majeed Brigade during his study circles. Majeed Brigades’s first attack was on 30 Dec 2011, when they tried to target Shafeeq Mengal—a Death Squad leader.
In another attack, Rehan Baloch (son of Aslam Baloch) sacrificed himself while carrying out a suicide attack on a bus carrying Chinese engineers in Dalbadin. The Majeed Brigade has carried out several high-profile attacks on the Chinese Consulate in Karachi, the Pearl Intercontinental hotel in Gwadar and the Karachi Stock Exchange in Karachi.
On 2 Feb 2022, the Bashir Zeb group carried out massive attacks on FC camps on Panjgur and Nushki whereby BLA memebers took hostage of army camps for 72 hours and have allegedly killed 195 soldiers.
Bashir Zeb group has time and again stated that their motherland is under occupation and they are attacking enemy interests and installations. Bashir Zeb group is also part of Balochistan Raaji Ajoi Sangar (BRAS), which is an umbrella organization of Baloch armed groups. The spokesperson of the BLA (Bashir Zeb group) is Jeeyand Baloch.
United Baloch Army (UBA) – According to several reports, it is stated that UBA was created in 2010 after an alleged rift between Hyrbyair Marri and Mehran Marri. UBA is an ethno-nationalist organization that enjoys local support and has strongholds in Kohlu, Kahaan, Bolan, Lasbela etc.
Mehran Marri has been a regular speaker at the UN in Geneva where he has time and again highlighted Pakistani human rights atrocities in Balochistan. In 2017, Mehran Marri was detained at the Zurich Airport, Switzerland, and was placed on lifetime ban for entering Switzerland on the request of Pakistan. As per various news reports, it is said Mehran Marri is currently based in the United Kingdom.
The UBA has been designated as a terrorist organization by Pakistan. After the January 2022 Lahore blasts, Mehran Marri condemned the killing of civilians and advocated to continue the struggle within the parameters of International Law. Mehran Marri through his tweet is advocating the use of violence against armed personnel but in 2014 UBA was responsible for a blast in Islamabad Market which killed 24 people. UBA has also targeted trains in the past, killing several people. It has never disclosed the leader of its organization but its official spokesperson is Mazar Baloch.
United Baloch Army (Sarfaraz Bangulzai Group) – According to various reports, after having differences with the UBA leadership, Bangulzai created his group with the same name in 2020. Bangulzai has claimed that he was punished because he wanted to make UBA a part of BRAS alliance to bring more unity and solidarity among the Baloch organisations. Sarfaraz Bangulzai group is also ethno-nationalist and is working towards an independent Balochistan.
After separation, Bangulzai’s group later joined BRAS. It has recently merged with the Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA). After the Lahore blasts, Bangulzai criticized comments by Mehran Marri against hitting out civilian targets, instead suggesting that their group will continue to target Pakistan interests including civilians.
Baloch Republican Army (BRA) – It was formed in 2006 in response to the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti and growing resentment among Baloch over the control of Balochistan resources by Pakistan. Though the BRA doesn’t identify its leaders, however, Pakistan has alleged Brahamdagh Bugti as its leader and designated the BRA as a terrorist organization. BRA derives local support from Bugti areas like Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Loralai, and a few small pockets in Dera Bugti and southern Balochistan.
Recently, Brahamdagh Bugti condemned the Lahore blasts which targeted civilians stating there is no justification for civilian killings even if the Pakistan Army is doing the same. The spokesperson for the group is Sarbaz Baloch.
In some of its biggest attacks, on 21 April 2011, the BRA attacked a military run Frontier Works Organization camp thereby killing 11 people. On 21 Oct 2013, BRA planted bombs which derailed the Jaffar express thereby killing six people.
Baloch Republican Army (Gulzar Imam Group) – In 2018, the membership of Gulzar Imam was cancelled by BRA, after which he created his own group under the same name. The Gulzar Imam group has a considerable following in the Makran region. Imam’s BRA group later joined BRAS. Recently, Gulzar Imam group merged their group into the Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA).
Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) – Human Rights activist Mehrab Baloch states that BLF was formed in early 2000’s and it gets support from all parts of Balochistan with no foreign support. Mehrab Baloch elaborates that the BLF ideology currently demands attacking anyone who supports the Pakistan Government. After the Lahore Blasts this year, Allah Nazar stated that each independence struggle is unique and the strategy will be formulated accordingly. BLF is the founding member of BRAS. Major Gwahram Baloch is the current spokesperson for the organisaton.
Pakistan has designated BLF as terrorist organization and believes that medical doctor Allah Nazar Baloch is the leader of the organization. Allah Nazar himself has risen as a student leader from the ranks of the Balochistan Student Organization-Azad which tries to bring political consciousness around Baloch issues among youth. Later on, he took over the command of the BLF. Allah Nazar was arrested for a year in 2005 but was soon released under political pressures. Allah Nazar enjoys deep support among locals due to his long association with the youth since his college days.
On 25 January this year, BLF members took over a security forces outpost in Dasht area of Kech district, saying that they had killed 17 soldiers, making it one of the most demotivating attacks for the Pakistani military.
Lashkar-e-Balochistan (LeB) – Pakistan security analyst Muhammad Amir Rana says that the organization came into being in 2008 with the aim of maintaining the status of Mengal Sardars. LeB derives its support base from the Jhalawan area. Though several reports suggest that the LeB is working towards independence for Balochistan, it seems to be in dormant state and not much activity has been seen from the group.
Significantly, Javed Mengal—who is supposedly heading the group, is the son of Nawab Attaullah Mengal—the first Chief Minister of Balochistan in 1972. After Attaullah Mengal’s government was dismissed, he was thrown in jail and later went into exile. He returned to Balochistan in 1996 and formed a political party—Balochistan National Party. His other son, Akhtar Mengal is the president of the political party, who in June 2020 left the coalition government of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) in the federal assembly on the sensitive issue of missing persons among other Baloch issues.
Like all Baloch armed organisations, LeB too has not declared its leader though Pakistan alleges that Javed Mengal is the leader of the group with Lawang Khan as its spokesperson.
One of its biggest operations was on 25 September 2020, when LeB members attacked a Frontier Corps convoy in Khuzdar killing several Pakistani security personnel.
Baloch Republican Guards (BRG) – Pakistan security analyst Muhammad Amir Rana says that the organization was formed in 2012 after Bakhtiar Domki’s wife and daughter were shot dead by unknown assailants in 2012. Bakhtiar Domki’s wife is the sister of Brahamdagh Bugti and several news reports suggest that this targeted assassination was a message to Brahamdagh Bugti.
The BRG too does not disclose the name of its leader.
According to human rights activist Mehrab Baloch, the BRG is active in the areas of Naseerabad, Bolan, Quetta, Sibi etc. Despite being a part of BRAS, it has nominated its own spokesperson in Dosten Baloch.
Just a few days back, on 10 Feb 2022, BRG members had hurled a grenade in Dera Murad Jamali town killing one and injuring several others.
Baloch National Army (BNA) – Among the numerous Baloch organisations fighting for a common cause of an independent country, earlier this year on 11 January 2022, BRA (Gulzar Imam group) and UBA (Sarfaraz Bangulzai group) merged together to become the BNA. The idea behind the merger is to expand the resistance and unite Baloch forces against the Pakistani military.
The new outfit is headed by Gulzar Imam with Mureed Baloch as its spokesperson.
Immediately after its formation, BNA exploded bombs in the Anarkali market in Lahore killing three and injuring 20 people on 20 January 2022.
Reasons behind disunity among Baloch
Despite a common goal—the independence of Balochistan, a dozen Baloch organisations force an outsider to think that the Baloch freedom struggle is more divided than united. With abundant armed organisations and multiple factions, the Baloch groups have been evolving over decades.
A fiercely independent people, Balochistan has been governed by various tribal chiefs for hundreds of years. When the time for an armed revolution came, it was obvious that it would be started by the numerous tribal chiefs and the local population would follow them. With time, as more and more tribal chiefs were killed or forced to flee into exile, local commanders climbed up the ladder and began to assert themselves and their methodology on the resistance in Balochistan. This gave rise to various splinter organizations such as the BLF whose leader rose from the rank of student politics.
Currently, most of the leaders and alleged leaders are not living in Balochistan. They are managing the operations remotely from Afghanistan, Europe and even Iran, while their local units are conducting the armed operations in Balochistan. However, despite issues among the Baloch armed organizations, their differences don’t seem to deter their larger goal.
(The writer is a geopolitical analyst on Pakistan issues) (The article is carried under an arrangement with the indianarrative.com)
Sibi Assistant Commissioner Sana Mahjabeen said among the 10 injured personnel, the condition of six was critical, and they were being treated at Sibi’s Combined Military Hospital…reports Asian Lite News
At least four Pakistan Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were killed and 10 other personnel were injured in a blast on an FC convoy in the Sangan area of Quetta’s Sibi district on Tuesday, officials said, Dawn reported.
Sibi Assistant Commissioner Sana Mahjabeen said the blast was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED).
She said among the 10 injured personnel, the condition of six was critical, and they were being treated at Sibi’s Combined Military Hospital.
Meanwhile, Adviser to the Balochistan Chief Minister on Home Mir Zia Langove condemned the incident and said in a statement that the injured FC personnel should be provided the best medical treatment.
He also expressed grief over deaths caused by the blast.
“Terrorists are making failed attempts at sabotaging peace in Balochistan through such cowardly acts,” he said.
Separately, Balochistan government spokesperson Farah Azeem Shah also condemned the incident and expressed sorrow over the loss of lives.
She said the role of security forces in ensuring peace in Balochistan had been “exemplary”, adding that “anti-Pakistan forces were trying to sabotage peace in Balochistan.”
The blast on the FC convoy comes a week after a suicide bomber struck along the route of President Arif Alvi’s motorcade in Sibi, claiming the lives of six security personnel and leaving 22 others, including 19 law enforcers, injured.
The suicide bomber had blown himself up near a government rest house on Jail Road after the motorcade of President Alvi and other VIPs passed through the area on their return from the concluding ceremony of the annual Sibi festival held at Sibi Stadium, Dawn reported.
Rahul Kumar in conversation with Mir Suleman Dawood, the third-generation ruler of Balochistan after the princely state’s annexation by Pakistani forces in 1948
Mir Suleman Dawood, the 35th descendent of the founders of Balochistan, is living in exile in London from where he is lobbying with governments across the world to support the Baloch struggle for independence.
India Narrative met with Dawood, the third-generation ruler of Balochistan after the princely state’s annexation by Pakistani forces in 1948. He spoke with Rahul Kumar at the Marriott hotel Marble Arch, close to the busy Edgware Road, London. Dawood says that the Baloch struggle is consolidating and there will be surprises for Pakistan and for the region in the days to come.
Excerpts from the interview:
There has been a flare-up in Balochistan with deadly attacks on Pakistani security forces. Many people say the Baloch got their weapons from the Taliban after the fall of Kabul.
A: The Baloch uprising is a home-grown issue which is unconnected to the Afghan situation. The Baloch and the Taliban do not see eye-to-eye.
After the takeover of Afghanistan was becoming imminent, a lot of weapons went to Iran. The Baloch fighters got their weapons even when the American forces were present on Afghan soil. American weapons have been available in Pakistan’s tribal areas for a while.
Ever since the US coalition forces were present in Afghanistan, weapons, army uniforms, blankets and other equipment had been trickling out. So, it is a long shot believing that we got the weapons from the Taliban.
The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is seen as a resource-exploitation project by the Baloch community with large numbers of Chinese nationals working in the region. Do you fear the Chinese might outnumber the Baloch in the future?
A: The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is on occupied land. Whoever Pakistan has asked to invest in Balochistan is doing so illegally. Because Balochistan is occupied by Pakistan, the Chinese are not welcome there. For us they are coming through the occupier force-the Pakistani military.
I don’t think China will succeed in CPEC. Even though Pakistan is providing legitimacy to foreign investments in Balochistan, Pakistan itself is not legitimate as far as CPEC is concerned. Not much progress is happening on the project and China is not getting any money in return from Pakistan.
I don’t feel that the Chinese will outnumber the Baloch as the Chinese are settling in different parts of Pakistan-Gwadar, Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore. The Chinese are present in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but do not have a presence in Baloch rural areas.
There is a lingering suspicion that China intends to convert the Gwadar Port into a military facility. Do you think the powerful Pakistan military is unaware of it or is it in cahoots with China to make Gwadar a military base?
A: The Gwadar port is a military project with two issues that connect it-military and energy security. China requires a land route for these two. The Chinese are fearful that tensions in the South China Sea (SCS) can create problems for it, therefore, it needs a land route to import and export.
China has a large population and it needs energy from the Middle East, therefore Gwadar suits it well. The Pakistani military is defrauding China by taking money from them. It is aware of China’s intentions regarding Gwadar.
Have the Khans of Kalat taken a back seat in the struggle for independence? Do you think the princely state can become a rallying point for the Baloch people-a symbol of hope and aspiration for an independent Baloch nation?
A: We have never taken a back seat in our freedom struggle. In 1948, after Pakistan occupied Balochistan by force, Prince Abdul Karim, my grandfather’s brother was the first one who started the uprising. When my grandfather Yar Khan was arrested by Pakistan in the fifties, fighters led by Nawab Navroz Khan went to the mountains with tribes to wage an armed struggle.
The Khanat of Kalat is an institution by itself and its head has certain responsibilities. The Khan is the head of tribes and is also the head of the judicial system called the jirga.
As the head, I am doing my best for the Baloch people and for Balochistan. I have taken up the Baloch cause at the US Congress in February 2012 and have been to the parliaments of every European country espousing freedom for the Baloch people. I have also approached Japan, Bangladesh and even the earlier Afghanistan government for support.
We were a country for nearly 600 years and have existed as a civilisation for 6,000 years after we built the foundations of Balochistan between the 13-14th centuries.
As an independent nation, we were sandwiched between Iran, Afghanistan, India and the Arabian Sea. We had agreements with Nadir Shah of Iran, the rulers of Afghanistan and also the British Crown. Kalat used to keep ambassadors in foreign countries like Oman and Ottoman. But now Ottoman itself is so many countries.
From our point of view just three princely states were not part of British India-Kalat or Balochistan, Nepal and Bhutan. Even Kashmir was part of India under the British.
When will Balochistan gain independence? Will the world take up the cause of the Baloch people?
A: We were an independent nation.
The tripartite agreement that we had with Lord Mountbatten-the last viceroy of India, was signed by my grandfather Mir Ahmad Yar Khan and Sultan Ahmed-the Kalat Prime Minister, with Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan for Pakistan after discussions held between 1 June to 7 August 1947.
Besides being the viceroy, Mountbatten was also the legal representative of the British Crown. As an independent princely State, we had a treaty with the British Crown. We were the guests of the British Crown unlike other princely States.
We have internationalised the Baloch struggle for independence. The governments across the world know about our struggle now. Because of geo-politics, the situation has changed a lot. We are progressing slowly but surely.
There will be surprises for Pakistan and in the region as we consolidate our struggle. I can’t talk about what these surprises will be. I am living in the UK as a refugee. I am living out of my country for our generation’s future.
How do you foresee the future of Pakistan?
A: Pakistan is a failed State. It is an illegitimate nation that has been forced upon people by the British. It was a country made for the military, not people. It was created to protect British interests.
Balochistan was an independent nation. Large parts of Sindh are a part of Balochistan. On the other hand, Khyber Pathtunkhwa belongs to Afghanistan. What I am trying to illustrate is that Pakistan is not a country.
It will not last long as it is a military nation and their military is corrupt. Pakistan is bankrupt and has no economic or foreign policy.
The Pakistani establishment is the terror outfit of the region. Every terror organisation is linked to Pakistan, whether these are internal terror groups or foreign terror organisations. Every terror incident leads to the Pakistani Army. In the future the Pakistani army might even be put on the list of terror organisations.
Where do you see India in this entire situation?
A: I would like India to wake up and act. Much water has flown under the bridge.
I do not see India anywhere in the Baloch struggle. Maybe perhaps twice-once Prime Minister Modi spoke from the Red Fort about Balochistan and another time an Indian ambassador mentioned us at the UN.
The Indian media is naive about the history of Balochistan. The archives in Delhi have numerous records about Balochistan yet Indian journalists keep getting their facts wrong. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
Families of the abducted victims have long been protesting for the safe recovery of their loved ones in the provincial capital Quetta, and their protest camp has now completed more than 4608 days…reports Asian Lite News
Human rights campaigners from the World Baloch Organisation have put up billboards in London to highlight the dire human rights situation in Pakistan’s Balochistan.
The signs have been seen on major routes in the city displaying slogans such as “Did you know? More than 8000 people have been forcibly disappeared in Balochistan” bringing to the attention of passers-by the cases of enforced disappearances in the region.
According to the Human Rights Council of Balochistan, only during the month of December 2021, more than 63 people were abducted and are missing while 37 were killed.
According to the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, an entity established by the Pakistani government, 8122 cases of enforced disappearances have been registered officially. Most of them are still unresolved.
Independent local and international human rights organizations put the numbers much higher. 20,000 have reportedly been abducted only from Balochistan, out of which more than 3000 have turned up dead as bullet-riddled dead bodies, bearing signs of extreme torture.
Human rights group Amnesty International has called for Pakistani authorities to end the use of enforced disappearances as a tool of state policy, as it releases a new briefing documenting the effect of such illegal abductions on the families of those who go missing.
Earlier, in January 2014 a mass grave was discovered in the Tootak area of Khuzdar. 167 bodies were recovered from the site. Human rights organisations believed the bodies belonged to previously abducted individuals who were killed and dumped however the recovered bodies were later buried by authorities without any DNA testing.
Pakistan’s establishment has been long criticized over its practice of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings by International bodies and local human rights organisations that dare to speak out on the issue.
Before being elected as Prime Minister, Imran Khan had admitted in multiple TV interviews the involvement of Pakistan’s intelligence agencies in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings and vowed to resign if he was unable to put an end to the practice, holding those involved responsible.
Families of the abducted victims have long been protesting for the safe recovery of their loved ones in the provincial capital Quetta, and their protest camp has now completed more than 4608 days.
The organizers of the campaign have long been engaged in efforts to highlight the worsening human rights situation in Balochistan at international platforms, organising events around Europe and in the United States, focusing on advocacy activities in the European Parliament, the US parliamentary houses, and the United Nations. (ANI)
The blast occurred near Thandi Sarak, close to an open area where the annual Sibi Mela was being held….reports Asian Lite News
A blast in Pakistan’s Sibi district of Balochistan where the annual Sibi Mela was being held, killed 4 security personnel and injured over 15, according to the police.
Hafeez Rind, a senior official of the Counter-Terrorism Department Sibi noted that the blast appeared to be a suicide blast adding that the investigation is still underway.
The blast occurred near Thandi Sarak, close to an open area where the annual Sibi Mela was being held.
“The blast took place 30 minutes after President Arif Alvi attended the festival in Sibi,” Rind said. According to him, four security forces personnel were killed and 27 others were injured in the attack.
Coordinator Balochistan Health Department Dr Wasim Baig said at least 28 injured were brought to the Civil Hospital, while five of them were in critical condition, reported Dawn.
Moreover, Medical Superintendent Civil Hospital Dr Sarwar Hashmi told that most of the injured were security personnel, adding that five of the critically injured were moved to Quetta.
Following the blast that left several dead, Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, the Balochistan Chief Minister condemned the blast and directed authorities to provide the best medical assistance to the injured. He vowed to thwart “all conspiracies against the province”.
Last week, a suicide bomber had struck inside a Shia mosque in Peshawar’s Kocha Risaldar area during Friday prayers, killing at least 56 worshippers and wounding 190 others, reported Dawn. (ANI)
Most importantly, Baloch successes can be attributed to the emergence of a new nationalist front, which has been forged by uniting former rival factions…writes ATUL ANEJA
Timed with precision, Baloch nationalists launched two spectacular and unprecedented attacks on Pakistani military camps separated from each other by over 400 kilometres. The impressively coordinated strikes took place when the beleaguered Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was in Beijing to unlock funding for the stalled China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.
The attacks immediately demolished Khan’s sales pitch to woo the Chinese to revive CPEC funding. Far from believing the Pakistani Prime Minister that Balochistan, through which most of the CPEC passes has been secured and will be stable, it is obvious that Beijing’s confidence in Islamabad’s capacity to secure the corridor would have been severely dented after the bold attacks on the Nushki and Panjgur camps. Clearly, Balochistan is on the boil, and the Chinese know it. Already Beijing has been rattled by the killing of their nine engineers, working at the site of the Dasu power project, during a pivotal attack in July, on a bus in which they were travelling to the site.
With the collapse of the 62 billion critically important CPEC suddenly featuring on the radar, the Pakistani have gone into overdrive. Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa has already made three visits to Balochistan following the audacious strikes. A red- faced Khan has also headed for the restive province following his embarrassing return from Beijing.
There are several reasons that explain the stunning potency of attacks that are being currently mounted by Baloch nationalists. But most importantly, Baloch successes can be attributed to the emergence of a new nationalist front, which has been forged by uniting former rival factions.
The new front has been formed by merging two nationalistic tracks. First, the Baloch National Army (BNA) has been recently formed by merging the United Baloch Army (UBA) and the Baloch Republican Army (BRA). The two groups unite Balochistan’s two major tribes—the Marris and the Bugtis, which in the past have a history of bitter feuding. The UBA is led by Mehran Marri. He is the son of late Baloch intellectual and ideologue, Khair Bakhsh Marri, who led the tribe for several years.
On the other hand, the BRA is headed by Brahumdagh Bugti. He is the son of Akbar Bugti, a leader of the Bugti tribe who was killed in 2006 in a Pakistani military operation. In fact, Akbar Bugti’s assassination triggered the rise of the BRA as a serious anti-Pakistan insurgent force. BNA announced its formation last month with a bold attack in Lahore’s Anarkali bazaar. The location is important for it announces that the Baloch nationalists have extended their reach into Punjab, the heartbeat of Pakistan.
BRA is the link between the newly formed BNA and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) that was formed earlier. There are blood ties that bond the BRA and the BLA. The BLA is led by none other than Mehran Marri’s brother Hyrbyair Marri. The BLA has already demonstrated its clout as a guerrilla force after it claimed responsibility for the stunning attack on Karachi stock exchange in June 2020. That strike also sent a message to China, as Beijing has made significant investments in the financial hub. The BLA had earlier attacked the Chinese consulate in Karachi in November 2018, openly demonstrating its animosity towards China.
The BNA and the BLA, have now joined hands under the umbrella Baluch Raji Ajohi Sangar (BRSA). In fact, the apex BRSA was initially formed in 2018, when the BLA, the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), another militant outfit, and the BRA had merged. The BNA’s recent participation has further strengthened the BRSA Front.
Two major factors have provided that feedstock for the formation of an expanded BRSA—”oppression” by the Pakistani state, which has added an altogether new dimension after China decided to partner Islamabad with CPEC. The giant corridor , the flagship of the China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), starts from Balochistan’s port of Gwadar, heads northwards, passes through disputed Gilgit-Baltistan and ends in Kashgar, a Chinese city in the already restive Xinjiang region.
The formation of the BRSA, representing the coming together of the Bugti and the Marri Baloch tribes, is leading to another notable phenomena—the expansion of the anti-Islamabad/ Beijing movement beyond Balochistan. For instance, the BRSA in June 2020, allied with the Sindudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA)—a Sindhi militant group. The purpose of the alliance, cemented by a common rejection of CPEC, is to liberate both Balochistan and Sindh from the China backed rulers of Pakistan.
Balochistan, Sindhi nationalists unite to oppose Pak, China, CPEC.
Apart from the Sindhis, the Balochs and the Pashtuns could also be in contact with each other to broaden an anti-Islamabad front. In fact, the statement by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which demands formation of a greater Pashtunistan, in support of the twin strikes by the Balochs has already raised speculation about a likely behind-the-scenes parleys between the Balochs and the Pashtuns.
That view has been reinforced by a comment by Mohammad Khorasani , TTP’s spokesperson, who congratulated the Baloch rebel groups for their audacious twin attacks on the “enemy” forces.
“The Pakistani army is carrying out the massacre in Balochistan. We are against the massacre of Balochistan as well as in Waziristan by the Pakistani army. Our enemy is common,” he observed.
Pakistan’s interior minister Sheikh Rashid separately also told the media after the attacks that, “There’s some understanding between the TTP and Baloch militants. They have their hideouts in Afghanistan.”
Clearly, with Balochistan as the core, and radials of influence extending into Sindh and Punjab, a critical mass is building inside that is likely to seriously challenge China-backed Pakistan’s present territorial status in the months, and possibly years to come.
(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
