Meeranzai

By: Aziz Baloch

Once I travelled from Eastern Balochistan, Pakistan to the Western part of Balochistan, Iran to offer my condolences to a family who lost their loved one. It was a short one and half hour drive. As soon as we reached the famous Goldsmith border line which has been drawn back in the 19th century, Balochistan was divided among Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan by the British Empire’s “divide and rule” policy.

Baloch leaders have referred such border as “artificial.” In fact, these artificial borders are very unpopular among the Baloch people due to many decades of tyranny that has been pressed upon them. Indeed Iran and Pakistan have both failed to win the hearts and minds of the Baloch people.

As soon as we cross the border I could easily see the Iranian security at the top of the mountain, sheltered by their bunkers, their eyes were chasing and looking for individuals fleeing or entering its borders under the gaping sun and scorching heat. There was a tiny village near the border, as our vehicle entered, there were family compounds. As soon as we went inside the house, within five minutes two Iranians security force vehicles rushed inside the compound, they parked right next to our vehicle.

"You know how the Jews of Russia feel now. That is how I feel --- like a slave." Says Kurdish leaders Mustafa Barzani.

As a Baloch I felt the same way because. The same security force on May 16, 2007 shot and killed an 11 year old innocent Baloch girl Roya Sarani right front of her house as her powerless father and brothers stared with a complete sense of helplessness. She was coming from her school exams in city of Zahedan, Seistan-Balochistan. In Eastern Balochistan, on May 2008 city of Dera Bugti, three innocent peasant Bugti tribe members Nazar Mohammed Bugti, Rostam Bugti, and Jeo Bugti were burned alive to death. Such extreme acts of brutality from the state security forces are crime against humanity.

When 28 years old Yaqoub Mehrnehad a cultural and human rights activist from the capital city of Zahedan, Sistan-Balochistan, was arrested on May 2007 by Iranian security forces. He was taken to an unknown location, never explained what his crime and guilt? Neither gave him an opportunity in the court to present his evidence to prove his innocence, he suffered some of the worst torture in prison. Amnesty International expressed their concern of his illegal arrest and safety.

He was the head of, “Voice of justice youth associations” which is a non-governmental organization, his activities were purely about the promotion of Baloch culture and education. Trying to reaching to the young and help them in many fields of education. He was a writer and reporter for the newspaper Mardomsalri which is based in Tehran.

On August 4, 2008 he was executed in the city of Zahedan, Balochistan, Iran.

I would say in all part of Sistan-Balochistan, Iran there is complete vacuum of free media due to the fact that the media is control by a radical regime, which provides biased news reports about the ground reality in Sistan-Balochistan. Because Iranian security forces have a strong grip in Balochistan, they are indiscriminately arresting the Baloch youth and labeling them as a terrorists, smugglers, and as anti Islamic. Hundreds of Baloch youth are hanged in public. Many Baloch religious leaders (Sunni minority group) are executed and assassinated by the Iranian regime.

«The civil campaign and political activities are illegal and illegitimate in Balochistan and therefore, anybody who engage in civil campaign peaceful activities can condemn to death." Says Reza Hossein Borr a Baloch intellectual’s.

Since the forceful occupation of Western Balochistan by Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1928, the dark history of aggressive polices of all Iranian regimes towards Balochistan is not hidden. Baloch people are deprived their linguistic, cultural, social, political, and economical rights.

“According to the official figures of Iranian regimes 76 percent of the Baloch people live in poverty line such high level of the poverty line result of the deliberate policies of the Iranians regimes for eradicating the Baloch people through salvation."

Baloch people believe the United Nations can play the important role resolving the Balochistan conflict. Their involvement will help to stop the further genocide, aggressions, arrest, torch red, extrajudicial killing, displacement and assassinations of Baloch leaders. If the Balochistan crisis continues to be ignored by the world, such atrocities and aggressions will continue by both regimes of Iran and Pakistan.

According to the international court of justice “crimes against humanity” is explained in the article # 7

(a) Murder (b) Extermination (d) deportation or forcible transfer of population (e) imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international laws; (f) torture (h) persecutions against any identifiable group or collectivity of political, racial, national ethnic, cultural, religious, gender.... (i) enforced disappearance of persons;"

All of the acts have been committed by the both regimes against the native Baloch people. This is the moral duty of the United Nations to step in and perceive both ruthless regimes to resolve the legal and legitimate demands of the Baloch leaders.

Otherwise, the un-ending crisis in Balochistan will hardly come closer to being resolved. The two un-democratic regimes have proven with previous records that they will keep betraying the Baloch people and continue their evil polices towards them. They will continue their aggressive polices and keep depraving the Baloch by denying their economical, political, linguistic, cultural, and religious rights. On the other hand Baloch leaders are tired of begging for their autonomy.

You cannot treat the cancer patient with the bandage; the crisis in Balochistan is not a scratch but more a deep gash. That’s what both theocratic and dictatorial regimes Iran and Pakistan have been doing for many years. From the Baloch prospective Balochistan’s un-ending crisis is reaching to a point of no return.

The day Pakistani forces forcefully occupied our homeland March 1948, the entire Baloch nation have been slaves up to this day.

The British Empire left our homeland but its legacy of 19th century colonial rule still hangs on our knick in this 21st century by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan who is cleverly using the tool of Islam as a binding force on one hand, slogan of so called autonomy, and pseudo- democracy on the other hand for the last 62 years to continue keep us as their slaves.

The state of Pakistan tried the same old card of Islam, autonomy, and democracy with the East Pakistan Bengali nation up to 1971, but evidently failed. Because, Pakistani rulers shamelessly denied Bengali people their language rights, excluded them from civilian, establishments and military jobs by saying the height of Bengalis were too short. The whole industries, businesses, and banks were occupied by dominated province of Punjab and by Urdu speaking {immigrant from India} while abandoning the Bengalis from all such opportunities. The irony is Pakistani rulers have been keeping parallel dark ruthless polices against the Baloch nations for many decades.

When Pakistani rulers aggressively continued its suppression against the Bengali nation the brutality of Pakistani military forces and injustices had awakened the entire Bengali nation who stood like an iron wall against the Pakistani ruthless army. Therefore, the Bengali national struggle led their people to their end destination, a separate state today called Bangladesh.

Similarly, since March 2005, Baloch nation realized the 5th bloody military operation, a massacre of Baloch nation. There has been extra judicial killing till today and the assassinations of their prominent Baloch leaders left no choice but struggle till victory and to protect Baluchistan’s rich-natural resources from occupiers who have forcefully and shamelessly been stealing for many decades.

These Pakistani rulers have two tiers of government and rules in their mind, one to protect their interest and one to keep exploiting the “Baloch national wealth”.

In such so called autonomy Baloch nation will never accept.

Pakistani intelligence agencies are at the same time using the inhuman and barbaric tactics by sponsoring the state terrorism across Balochistan [and around the world] such is burning the Baloch innocent people alive. Baloch leaders are given poison inside jails and are being hung upside down, an unimaginable image in a civilized society.

A Baloch writer’s genital was electrocuted, Baloch female teachers is being kept as sex slaves by Pakistani military officers. Balochi managing TV director is kept in dark cells, inhumanly treated and tortured because he wanted to have satellite Balochi TV.

Baloch leaders and activists are thrown from military helicopters to the ground. Baluchistan’s well known scholars are being targeted by state agents.

“The government is deliberately targeting the cream of Balochistan. The best of the Baloch intellectuals and politicians are being killed one after another” says Baloch leader, Habib Jalib Baloch "parliamentary politician." This is true that Baloch scholar and the secretary of Mines and Minerals of Balochistan, Jan Muhammad Dashti, was deliberately targeted on February 23rd, 2009, and many Baloch writers and journalist in Balochistan. But Baloch honorable leaders should know that without being united the state will continue to “kill one after another” until the extinction of Baloch nation.

Therefore, “The Human Rights World reports 2009” says “Journalist continues to face pressure and threats from non-state actors and element of Pakistanis intelligence apparatus.”

On April 3rd 2009, Three Baloch leaders, Mir Gulam Mohammad Baloch, Lala Munir Ahamed, and Sher Mohammed Baloch had been kidnapped by dozens of Pakistani intelligence inside from their lawyer’s office. Their lawyer Mir Kachkol Ali, a senior advocate and former Balochistan assembly opposition leader.

On April 8th, 2009 all three Baloch leaders’ {martyred} dead bodies were found 35 kilometers far from city of Turbat, Balochistan where they had originally been kidnapped

The United Nations Secretary General’s spokesperson, Michele Mantas expressed his views about the Baloch leaders’ killing by the Pakistani intelligence, saying it is a “serious concern” and his statements continued saying “The United Nations extends its condolences to the families of the deceased.” {April 10, 2009 the Nations Newspapers}

Recently the United Nations team had sought to help in freeing their refugee agency head (UNHCR) John Solecki who was kidnapped in Quetta, Balochistan, and two month ago by unknown arm groups, known as the Balochistan Liberation United Front (BLUF). They had demanded the Pakistani government to releases 1, 109 Baloch men along with 141 Baloch women whom are kept in prison in Pakistani intelligence secret cells.

The prominent Baloch leaders Nawab Khair Baksh Marri had played an important role by freeing John Solecki along with the Baloch leader Gulam Mohammed Baloch and exile Baloch leader Nawabzada Hair Biar Marri from United Kingdom while all Baloch leaders had condemned the UN official kidnapping . All three {Baloch leaders} had met with UN personals and on April 2nd, 2009 John Solecki was freed. BLUF spokesperson Shehek Baloch said . “BLUF released the kidnapped UN employee on humanitarian grounds.”

Therefore in Islamabad the US embassy said “We condemned the recent killings of three Baloch leaders…one of the individual [Baloch leader Gulam Mohammed Baloch] played an active role in efforts towards the release of an American citizen and UNCHR official John Solecki.” (April 10, 2009 GEO televisions Pakistan)

The release of UN official John Solecki is good news. Yet, thousands of Baloch families still wake up every morning without seeing their loved ones, they continue to hope and dream of an end result like that of John Solecki . Their loved ones are still in the Pakistani intelligence prisons under torchers and Baloch nation is facing more disappearances and extra judicial killings across Balochistan as we speak.

The sharp reaction amongst the educated Baloch over the killings their leaders were strong across Balochistan such as ”By political killing of Baloch leaders, the independence movement can not be put down, through Martyred of Gulam Mohammed Baloch , Lala Munir Ahamed Baloch and Sher Mohammed Baloch, the Baloch nation can not be afraid. A martyred always makes history..Now the voice of freedom is coming from every house of Baloch. The Pakistani rulers, should remember that Baloch leaders Gulam Mohammed Baloch killing was not an individual case, by killing him they have murdered the whole Baloch nation..Baloch nation is going to rise up till their “independence.” Writes a Banodee Baloch from Balochistan, Master degree in political science {April 11, 2009 Daily Tawar}

Former governor and Chief Minister of Balochistan a secular Baloch leaders {Martyred} Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti who had in-depth knowledge and experience about the Pakistani parliamentary politics, he had observed very closely the Pakistani rulers psychic he said, “We Baloch leadership are being offered as Chief Minister, governorship, Ministers, by encouraging receiving tons of salaries for our self to compromise our nation’s rights and to destroy our upcoming generation future.”

He admitted boldly at the end of his political career that “ In Pakistan’s parliamentary politics, there is distress and distress only.” And he also exposed the Pakistani ruler’s true face towards Baloch leaders by saying “Pakistanis rulers never stood with their promises.” Baloch nations believe their legendary leaders had given a strong message to the present honorable Baloch leaders. Baloch gournalist Ahmar Mustikhan based in Washington DC writes the following regarding Akbar Khan Bugti: “Former U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, Robert Oakley, showered praise on Bugti during the slain leader's lifetime and said he was capable enough to become the governor of any state in the U.S. Oakley called Bugti a martyr." Pakistani rulers treated such a Baloch prominent and secular leader which has left a dark mark on Pakistani rulers’ history.

Perhaps, it will be a grave mistake by honorable Baloch leaders if they do not review their political strategy. This has been seen as bleakly effective, it has been failing their nation and if they continue with actions and methods of the past for the future, there is likely to be any positive or different result. They cannot expect a new result from such ineffective and tested parliamentary politics from the past, which can be stated in relevance to Albert Einstein’s explanation that “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” In the end the Baloch nation is going to pay a high price for actions they can currently change, hence if they do this will evidently translate to change for the future, if not the price to be paid will be immense.

Our honorable leaders must serve as base for change for our future generation.

While Baloch nation continue to fight for freedom from their occupiers and oppressors, they are well aware that achieving such a goal will be a monumental struggle and rigorous battle to the end. Thus the need for unity and a strong alliance that needs to start from within the Baloch population before it can perpetuate any further. The practice of appeasing the enemy state of Baloch, Pakistan for their self gain must stop and those leaders must refrain from such heinous activity. The only result that they should be happy with are those that further the cause of the Baloch National struggle till victory and nothing less.

Baloch nation believe through their honorable Baloch leader’s unity along with the backing of their entire nation we will regain our sovereignty and free ourselves from slavery. That’s a realistic and achievable long dream for the Baloch nation. And because Baloch national struggle is legal, legitimate according to international law. Similarly, like East Timor leaders who led their entire nation to victory and history witnesses East Timor freed from Indonesia’s occupations and have become an independent nation.

Ultimately, the nation believes the ball is in their honorable Baloch leader’s court.