ISLAMABAD:
There was an apparition in court on Thursday.
In a gripping hearing on the law and order situation in Balochistan, disgruntled Baloch leader and former chief minister of the province Sardar Akhtar Mengal made his first appearance in the Supreme Court – a fiery one that left the entire courtroom rapt.
Representing the first semblance of representation of the aggrieved party, Balochistan, a flood of heartache and anger was unleashed as an undeterred Mengal let loose a barrage of startling accusations before a three-member-bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
But, for perhaps the first time since the matter has been in court, there was more than just rhetoric. Mengal presented before the court six recommendations – recommendations that he termed the bare minimum preconditions for the beginning of talks between disgruntled Baloch militants and leaders and the government.
Mengal has stayed out of the country after remaining in jail for an extended period – and is one of the few, if not only, leaders that enjoys cordial relations with Baloch guerillas and their leadership.
He said that mere pardons and packages would not solve the Balochistan crisis.
“Before initiating a meaningful process of conflict resolution it is imperative that the Government of Pakistan should take and practically implement some measures which are must to build a conducive atmosphere for the Baloch reconciliation process,” the Baloch leader said before reading out the following recommendations:
1. All covert and overt military operations against the Baloch should immediately be suspended.
2. All missing persons should be procured before a court of law.
3. All proxy death squads operating under the supervision of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI) should be disbanded.
4. Baloch political parties should be allowed to function and resume their political activities without any interference from intelligence agencies.
5. Persons responsible for inhuman torture, killing and dumping of dead bodies of the Baloch political leaders and activists should be brought to justice.
6. Measures should be taken for the rehabilitation of thousands of displaced Baloch living in appalling condition.
In case these preconditions were not met, the worst was already around the corner.
Mengal’s appearance comes on the request of the court to the Baloch leader to lend a helping hand to judges in a case that, though of great consequence, has gone in circles – due chiefly to uncooperative officials.
History
Mengal said Balochistan had undergone five military operations, with no justification to the people of the province. Censuring the Pakistan Army’s strategy in the province, the Baloch leader argued that the role of the intelligence agencies in the province today was similar to its role in 1971 when Pakistan disintegrated into two parts.
Mengal decried the “death squads” being run by the intelligence agencies, saying attempts were being made to eliminate the genuine leadership of the Baloch people, replacing them with “artificial leadership”. He went on to add that the members of death squads were residing in official guesthouses and travelled in ministries’ vehicles.
“Chief Justice sahib, it is said that hopelessness is a sin but now for us to pin any hopes on our institutions is an unforgiveable sin,” Mengal said, adding that during military rule every attempt was made to suppress the political voice of the Baloch people.
The nationalist leader praised the top court of the country, saying it was the first time in the history of the country that the Baloch people had found a ray of hope. “It is for the first time in history that I am appearing before the court not as an accused,” said the former minister.
Missing persons
The former chief minister told the court that the root cause to the problems in the province began in 1976 when his younger brother, Assadullah Khan Mengal, was abducted, tortured and dumped in an unknown location. Mengal said that a resolution to the issue of missing persons was a precondition for any dialogue process to succeed in province.
He also proposed a bitter option before the establishment and government if the precondition could not be met: “divorce peacefully, rather than a bloody divorce.”
Govt slammed
He criticised the government for its limitations, military operations and recovery of mutilated bodies in the province, adding that no provincial minister had ever visited the rural areas in Balochistan, being confined to the CM House, Governor House or Zarghoon Road.
The former chief minister said that those responsible for Nawab Akbar Bugti’s murder should be punished, adding that the heirs of the late assassinated leader were not even allowed to attend his funeral.
Court’s directives
After 40 minutes, the former chief minister, it seemed, had succeeded in getting his points across to the judges, who, without naming the army chief, warned that, if the courts orders were not complied with, an injunctive order would ultimately be passed against the responsible person.
The chief justice further told the Balochistan chief secretary to discuss the issue with the president, Director General (DG) of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and DG Military Intelligence (MI) and to inform the court in writing as to what steps are being taken to resolve the issue by today (Friday).
“We will not hear this case at the low level. We are not political people but we are bound to adhere to Article 9 of the Constitution,” the chief justice remarked while appreciating Mengal for appearing before the court.
In his closing remarks, the chief justice said that the ISI and MI “death squads” should be abolished while subsequently adjourning the next hearing of the case until Sept 28.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2012.
COMMENTS (37)
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i,sitting in gujranwala punjab dont knw da exact situatn of balochistan. nt dat i dont want to know bt i am nt allowed to know by our biased media. 1st of all any baloch brothr please tell me details of balochistan wt a normal baloch feels abt all da situatn...? 2ndly i want to ask a few qstnz 4m dose who r talking so much against ISI n militry...1=why is it so dat no 1 being abducted 4m other provinces. 2=isnt ISI our agency or dey thnk it belongs to some odr country...? 3= are dese leaders true baloch leaders if so den y we hear dat even deir tribes dont support dem cmpletely bcoz of deir cruel actions...???
@Tausif: Dear! we are ashamed of blunder committed by our ancestors, whenever i study the history of Muslims of sub continent, it looks incomplete without Bengali brothers and their sacrifices for the independence especially. unfortunately, due to wrong policies of establishment and the greed for the power of some politicians widened the gap between two lands which were attained after a long struggle of the people of the both sides. we are unable to do anything but we wish that the history will not repeat inshAllah i wish u your land an economic prosperity and political stability, and hopeful too for the same well wishes from the Bengali bros stay blessed
Farirest of fair demands ,good for all pakistan ,not only baluchistan ,let us take lessons from history if we do not take lessons from history, it is going to punish by repeating itself!!!
It is often said that, history is written by the victors of a war and the winning party tries to manipulate it as much as possible to project itself as a "hero and just" and the lossing party as a "villain and unjust" for the cause over which the WAR has been fought! I am from Bangladesh (which used to be a part of Pakistan before 1971), and I don't know how Pakistani people consider Bangladeshies now a days, as people who betrayed Pakistan (as according to their textbooks) or people who choose the right path in 1971??? Pakistani people may consider us as traitors but are they going to see the Baloch people from the same lence??? Our textbooks say otherwise to what Pakistani books say about us! If I look at the plight Balochistan now, I can see the history repeating itself. So, who manipulated the textbooks, Pakistan or Bangladesh???
If someone in our family commits something wrong, we just try to manage it through dialogue; we never use arms against our own family members. Same is the case with the Baluchs, if a group of people committed something wrong, it doesn’t make sense to use arms against them. They are part of our family (Pakistan). We have treated and still treating them like terrorists and it is the high time to heal their wounds through some serious steps. The survival of Baluchistan is the survival of Pakistan. Judiciary is acting in positive way and it has become a trust worthy institution, but without cooperation of government and agencies, its efforts are just useless. LONG LIVE PAKISTAN
It's very easy to criticise everyone but the Baloch should ask themselves one question:
Why always the Baloch?
When one feels that the whole world is against you, it's best that you ask yourself the question above.
@Mona: ~~~~~~~~~MONA is right : "----- spent many happy years in Balochistan. It is my home too. It is part of the country I love.---"
Regionalism is fine if one is talking ofa sensible autonomy, but it can never be NOW : "Balochistan exclusively for the Balochi folk "
Regionalism has to be generous to justify its wants.
the appearance of Akhtar Mengal is a good omin and show a trust to apex court , but all the things should not be limited to dialogue and discussion . if the court take serious action to address the issues , maybe; there is a hope of willingness in baloch youth, if lost this chance i think there will be obscure atmosphere in the balochistan that could not be controlled.the issue must be solved by reconciliation and sincerity not by bullet which would have negative impact on balochistan.@Adam Baloch:
nonsense...the ISI and army are easy targets by baloch insurgents and separatists who have no loyalty to their country. they are receiving full backging from afghan and indian intel agencies. the army has solid proof of this. perhaps this mengal man can verify where he gets rockets and funds from? theres no death squads. these are baseless accusations being used to malign the army and the ISI.
Yes! We are all with Sardar Mengal on this. I don't see anything wrong with his six points. The running of the province, and that includes managing security, should be handed over to the Baloch. But Sardar Mengal should not talk of parting ways. I was born in Lahore but spent many happy years in Balochistan. It is my home too. It is part of the country I love.
the paksitani government and army are responsible for what the current situation of Baluchistan today is. From the very beginning day of this country, the people of Baluchistan have been neglected. whatever is being done in the province is all our secret agencies, ISI and MI do. By killing innocent Hazara, Panjabi, Pakhtoons and other minorities, these' death squads' backed by the "agencies", want to develop a perception that everyone targeted in the province are all by the Baloch rebels which is a prevalent but wrong one. And this has been a great tactic of our agencies to target the Balochi people both inside Balchistan and ouotside th province like in Karachi where operations are instigated against Balochis on petty things though more severe operations need to be started in other parts of Karachi.
Bravo Akhtar Jan
Missing persons are completely innocent. They did not kill anyone. No one promised Sardars to be made governor of their region. The only solution is making more provinces on geo basis otherwise they will demand independence tom be it sindh or sariki or Hazara
If you stop blaming each other and appreciate people we can actually help our country and nation.
Bravo ... Pakistan supreme court
The day all SARDARS & NAWABS surrender these titles for the sake of ordinary and down trodden citizens of Baluchistan just like India did right after the partition most problems will be solved automatically. The same should also be applied in other provinces. We can not move forward unless all get same medicine and treatment. We also need more provinces carved in our country. Parties involved in sectarian violence through their sleeper cells should also be banned from taking part in any elections. Please be brave and upright for the sake of Mother Land.
If you keep blaming each other, the problem will never get solved. If Mr. Mengal wanted, he could earn loads of money being part of the government. The main problem is, we never appreciate true leaders, nor do we look a the other side of the story. Lets be logical, if these points are not implemented, Balochistan is surely gone then.
Balochistan is the most misunderstood province in Pakistan. General impression is that all Balochs live in Balochistan. Factual position is that Balochistan is inhibited by Pashtuns (Pashto is the single most spoken language in Balochistan), Balochs, Brahvi (now converted to Balochs. They normally converse in Udru with Balochs) , Hazaras, Urdu speaking, Punjabi, Sindhis and immigrants from Afghanistan. PrePartition Pashtuns areas were annexed by the British Empire (First and Second Afghan Wars). Balochs were living in the State of Kalat, Makran, Lasbela and Kharan which was made the Union of Balochistan in 1952. In 1970 , the State Union was annexed to the Pashtun areas and named Balochistan. So discussing Balochistan problem without the participation of Pashtuns will be futile and incomplete. The latest killings of Pashtun workers in four gruesome actions will have a far reaching effects on the Pashtun, Baloch relations in this area. We will just hope that Baloch leaders will rein in their death Squads and courts should also take a notice of this.
Why was Mengal not "fiery" when he was the CM of Balochistan?
I guess we have not forgotten that Mr. SARDAR Akhtar Mengal was former governor and chief minister of the same province. Its quite laughable to see such people claiming for Balochies. We see plenty of such people in our politics. Those who claim for new provinces in the name of people today were in power sometimes ago. Alas people could understand they want nothing but power.
For Balochies, I could only say that there is not even a single person I have ever seen living in cities like Karachi, Isb, Lahore etc who do not feel their pain and sufferings.
I think the conditions are pretty valid and should be accepted with the guaranteed proviso that the writ of the government will be adheared to, and thet the development of Balouchistan of its infra structure will not be compromised or obstructed by armed bandits. The laying down of arms will be mandatry. Otherwise a repeat of East Pakistan is on the wall. I am a Pakistani...I am a Balouch.
Very reasonable demands I would say, but only if the Bloch insurgents agree to lay their arms afterwards and guarantee not to kill the innocent non-Blochis living in the province.
I strongly endorse the point Mr Adam Baloch has made. Balochistan problem is the political problem.Baloch nation needs justice and unfortunately people living in cities in pakistan does not have any idea whats going on in there.Pervex musharraf made things worst.
Strange that Pakistan's government has the time, energy, resources and the WILL most importantly, to hold on to the Kashmir issue like a leech but doesn't display of these while considering their own backyard, Balochistan
When public of certain area raise arm movement against Pakistab then Nawaz listens to them i.e. Bangladesh, balouchistan etc. He is waiting for sind area uprising to listen to their rights
People living in other parts of the country might not have any remorse of what is happening in Balochistan but I hailing from Punjab and living in Quetta can understand it all. Its thanks to these "agencies" that we can now live in peace here. I remember the time when people from other parts specially Punjab we were being killed without "remorse" for the sole reason that they were "Punjabis". Is that a crime? Eversince the killers have gone "missing" that spate of killing has subsided. People fled in thousands can now return and live in relative peace in Quetta. Thanks to the "agencies".
It takes two to make a four. Mengal Sahib, when you will fight with state you are bound to bear the brunt as well.
Kudos to Mengal for telling it like it is. Let us see what the court is going to do after so many hearings and the refusal of FC and generals to even appear before it let alone stop the killing and torturing of Bloch. Unless all forces leave the province nothing would happen.
What is so FIERY about the six recommendations that Akhtar Mengal has put before the court? It seems that we still are not ready to see the reality and find it very hard to let go of our preconceived stereotypes about Balochistan and its leaders. May God help us.
The Pakistan Govt. needs to put forward the following counter six points: (1) Stop and cease all terrorist training camps being run in Afghanistan; (2) Stop asking for support from foreign secret agencies; (3) Stop the target killings of Punjabis, Pathans, and Mohajirs; (4) All rich and influential Sardars should share their wealth with the common Baloch; (5) Stop sabotaging any development activity in Balochistan; and (6) Bring to justice all the terrorists who were involved in the target killing of settlers, and people who were just passing through Balochistan.
Yes, it was about time the uniformed lot was exposed for its noxious role in the tragedy that has become Balochistan. Well done Akhtar Mengal and bravo to the Supreme Court for providing him with the opportunity to remove, for once, the veil of lies that are being constantly spread by the paid pen pushers.
The real problem in balochistan is waderas and feudals like mr. mengal who want to keep the the baloch jahil (dumb and illiterate) so that the baloch population's enslavement can continue. how come whenever the army or government builds schools in balochistan, the schools get encroached or destroyed. why is it that the feudals refuse to allow roads to be built in the province that will connect the rural population to the urban population? why is it that whenever a hospital is built in balochistan the feudals want their percentage of corruption money? why is it that whenever a balochistan natural resource is sold like natural gas, the money never gets shared by the poor balochis because the feudals steal it all themselves? Why have the feudals built their own private jails in balochistan to punish their own people? These are the REAL questions.
The Military backed death squad led by Siraj Raisani and Shafiq Mengal have been involved in killing, torturing and brutally murdering people everyday. If you would have lived in Quetta you would get the sense of terror they are displaying with their armed militia backed by non other our beloved ISI and Pakistan Army. In any respectful and peace loving country such groups would have never formed but in Pakistan the thinking starts from the bottom i.e. boots and hence we see Balochistan being pushed to the corner of no return. I feel sorry but its too little too late and whats more shameful of Pakistani society espcially people living in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad the capital that no one has a slight remorse for whats happening in Balochistan.