ISLAMABAD:
The government is making efforts, ostensibly, to address the Balochistan crisis – but for the Baloch Republican Party (BRP) led by Nawabzada Brahamdagh Bugti, it makes no difference. The BRP remains adamant to refrain from participating in talks with a government-sponsored negotiation team.
BRP Central Secretary Dr Bashir Azeem told The Express Tribune his party chief had already made it clear that they would never accept any invitation from the government for dialogue on the Balachistan issue.
“I can tell you on behalf of Brahamdagh Bugti, Commander of the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) Dr Allah Nazar and (Dubai-based exile Baloch nationalist leader) Harbiyar Marri, that talking to the government is out of the question ... President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf or any other official are not in a position to take any decision on the crisis,” said Azeem, who is also Brahamdagh’s spokesperson.
“Everybody knows who is calling the shots in Balochistan ... Talks are possible but only on our agenda – independence. If the army is at all serious about having talks with us, it will have to recognise our agenda,” he added.
Speaking to the media earlier this week, Interior Minister Rehman Malik had suggested that a parliamentary committee should be formed to hold talks with Baloch leaders, including Brahamdagh and Harbiyar.
To political observers, however, the declaration seemed contradictory – BLF and BRP members, who are separatists, often forcibly hoist a Baloch flag and play a Baloch national anthem in far-flung areas of the province. Yet the interior minister had stated the government only wanted to hold a dialogue with those Baloch leaders who respected the national flag, anthem and Constitution of Pakistan.
Azeem dismissed the interior minister, saying his statement carried no value as he’s known for “overstepping his authority”.
The spokesman added, “Those who are serious about talks should approach Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri (Harbiyar’s father) in Karachi as he is the only Baloch leader in Pakistan who can take any decision on the Balochistan conflict ... I don’t know whether Nawab Marri is willing to enter into dialogue with the army or the government. However, the solution is in the hands of Nawab Marri.”
Azeem claimed that Balochistan Governor Nawab Zulfikar Magsi and various cabinet and parliamentary commissions appointed to hold talks with Baloch leaders, have also told the federal government that it should talk to only those Baloch who are “genuine leaders” of the province – an apparent reference to Nawab Marri, his son Harbiyar, Brahamdagh and Dr Allah Nazar.
That’s why, Azeem said, “It is a matter of surprise that Pakistan’s government is talking to those Baloch politicians who are part of the country’s parliament. Pakistani media also projects those pro-federation Baloch parliamentarians who cannot play any role in resolving the issues faced by Balochistan and the Baloch.
“Pakistan’s media never contacted us or our leaders as it does not want to listen to the voice of the true and authentic leaders of Balochistan who have been fighting for our rights for the last 62 years.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 21st, 2012.
COMMENTS (40)
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We don't need sardars, we need a Jinnah to get us freedom.
Let him eat swiss cheese!
@Ozymandias: They comment here because they know we Pakistanis are polite, educated and cultured people and so we do not like to use abusive language, as is used in their news papers' comment section.
Placate the Baloch and sideline the Sardars... just ignore them or punish them... they are all into one crime or the other... If only they know how to govern this problem would not have arisen. We spoilt them by giving them money instead of doing development in Balochistan for the poor Baloch and educating them. We listened to the sardars, see where have we landed ourselves in.
Balochistan is 54% of the land mass of Pakistan while the population is barely 5.4% and most of them Pakhtun too. The numbers are stacked against them. The problem is demographic. Osmosis of population is going to take place. It is a natural process you cant stop it. It is better we recognise this now than later and plan accordingly.
The area is going to be inhabited eventually why not we as Baloch do it on our terms. First side line the sardars. Get them out of our psyche. Allow investment, allow planned immigration of Muslims from neighboring countries. Like Indian Muslims are the best choice. After all they and Bengalis fought for the creation of Pakistan, not Punjab.
If you get them from areas where they are suppressed they will be happy to come over. Give them some sort of permanent residence permit even if you do not give voting rights and make Baloch an essential language. People are more understanding and will make Balochistan the banana basket of the world.
Plus millions of Balochs fed up of the sardari system have left Balochistan and have made their home elsewhere. If you have development in place they will all come back. That will help greatly.
Whether we like it or not we cannot keep Baluchistan as it is kept now. If we think we can we are living in fools paradise like the sardars.
Yaar, my best friend is a Baluch, and two other good friends are Pashtuns from Zhob. They agree with Ahsan Baloch. These BRP, BLA and all are terrorists who no one supports except very few (the ones repeatedly shown by the media). However, it's true that Balochistan does not have rights, but that does NOT mean they're separatists. They demand for rights, not for freedom. And also the situation is highly exaggerated. Quetta has electicity 24/7, something the whole Pakistan doesn't have but yes, gas is a problem. And terrorism is restricted to mainly Quetta, other cities are relatively safe, cities like Zhob, Khuzdar, Mastung and Gwadar. Not too safe, but they're not that dangerous either. Out of over a hundred tribes, only 3 want independence. So there's no reason why the problem can't be solved.
I believe the problem is with the people of balochistan for not having the equal rights for last 65 years what was promised to them by Qaid. Let this not be about baloch only because millions of Baloch live outside balochistan & are very well settled. Definetly Baramdagh & his co workers are on indian payrol & can never reflect what people want. All these stupid thugs want is lots of Aid in the name of separation war from india & some how if they suceed With all natural resources of the province make another UAE. Army made it worse by killing Nawab Bugti. Govt has no writ or will to solve this problem todate But hope is there let the Democracy survive & soon Whole of the province will be thriving with prosperity.
@ 3 Baloch Separatist Leaders:
Balochs are our brothers, and I myself demand for their equal rights as most of my friends are baloch and they tell me about the situation in Balochistan. Just a humble question, why people in parliament do not represent Baloch and why do you three leaders claim representation, given the number of tribes and sardars? Let alone other ethnicities!
@stenson @Rohit Sen: Perhaps you don’t know that the majority is pro Pakistan in Baluchistan.
No we don't, let UN hold plebiscite there and show the world
@Atheist: Let's start with plebisite in Kashmir and we can think affter 50 years in Balochistan. Media should intro why these sardars, wadaras n chaudrys are exploiting the miseries of poor and tribals. They donot allow school, health facilities despite being MPs infact all are ministers. Solution is merging all provinces and making new ten so that nationlist issuee does not rises. Who handles Balochistan issue in GoP and army level? What's their qual and experience? Or everything tickles down from top and junior officers just follow it since they no idea of complete picture.
@Ozymandias: Truth is bitter. you people have no tolerance.
@Rohit Sen: There is no comparison. This one is the same nation unlike the two nation theory you on which you divided the country. This is not Kashmir which has no parallel. We know it is India behind all this. But this unrest is not of the people and by the people and for the people like it is in Naxalbari. Why dont you hold a plebiscite there.
where are you from. do you know how many sardars are in Baluchistan, 70. how man y are calling for seccession, 03. wak eup and please don't compare it with kashmir. remeber, these terrorists are killing there own people. @Atheist:
yes exactly, lets putup a plebscite and let the world know that these 3 sardars do not enjoy the call for independence over 70 other sardars and tribes in baluchistan. LET the world know the facts and then give them choice, live in pakistan or die in exile. @Rohit Sen:
@Aryabhat: The ground realities are different in Baluchistan it's a dirty politics from both sides.Nothing is going to happen with Baluchistan.Sardars are living in fools paradies,hoping for foreign assistance which was never there and will never come.
Too much publicity of baluchistan in national media indicates something fishy.It's not good for democracy.
How can government talk to people who are calling for 'Independence'. A handful of so called Nawabs, can not be allowed to decide the fate of a Province which has several ethnic groups living there. The Nawabs are an outdated and a backward phenomenon, and can not be considered the voice of people in this day and age. They are responsible for keeping their subjects completely illiterate and under their shoes. These sardars are on the pay rolls of foreign agencies who are involved in a big game. Part of this big game is to hit Iran at it's under-belly and split Balochistan-Sistan from Iran, therefore, Balochi nationalism is being drummed up to prepare the ground work for this. Pakistan has to walk a very thin line here, and we need some one better than the current set-up we have in Islamabad to face this challenge.
you are bunch of thugs, won't succeed in your foreign agendas,ever. Pakistan ZindaBad.
@Rohit Sen: remember the agenda of partition? muslim and hindu state based on majority. had there been any other basis, india would have been divided into 20 countries based on language/princely states/culture
@Rohit Sen: Perhaps you don't know that the majority is pro Pakistan in Baluchistan. A handful of sardars on the payroll of India and their lackeys in Afghanistan makes no difference. Ask the majority of people in Baluichistan and you will get your answer. As for Pashtuns who are over 50% of Baluchistan - they are pro Pakistan. Let's make a deal - we'll have a referendum in Baluchistan and you hold the referendum in occupied Kashmir. This will settle the issue!
@True Indian: True Balochistan Zindabad and Pakistan Paindabad! Never miss this second phrase, it is irremovable part of the first one. Like all of us Pakistanis, glued to each other like a living, prospering body.
Request to ET:
Can we hear more from patriotic Balochis like Siraj Raisani. Why does it only have to be seperatists who only come from 3 tribes Bugti, Marri and one other I can't remember. Why not show us the Gallup survey that shows 61% of Baluch ethnicity people are in favor of Pakistan and not independence. Why not show the stat from Gallup which shows 89% of the Pashtun population in Baluchistan who are in favor of Pakistan. Because this sort of news is demoralizing!
Heart of every Indian bleeds when they hear about atrocities in Balochistan...I as a global citizen demand plebiscite..My dear Balochis stay strong, freedom is near...
This Dilemma of Balochistan can only be settled by removing the Nawabs and Serdars. No government can open School or a hospital. These Nawaba and Sardars do not want any modernisation because they cannot rule the educated public. These rulers get royalties from government of Pakistan which goes straight to Switzerland and London. When they do not get money they go to India, Indians are happy to help because Pakistani will be busy here , In general people of Balochistan are very very poor. If any one wants proof, please visit Baluchistan and see your self. Down with Nawabs and Serdars of Balochistan. Pakistan Zinda bad.
Balochistan zindabad...
@ A J Khan: " Balochistan is not an estate of few Nawabs. It is a multi lingual, multi ethnic, multi cultural and pluralistic society" only Baluchistan..what about other provinces of Pakistan?
Nobody cares. Keep on enjoying licking India's Shoes
Look at this guy. Posing with a cheap gun & 'living it up' in Switzerland & calling himself freedom fighter. These so called 'Baloch freedom fighters' have no concern about ordinary balochis, they are just using them for their 'fifteen minutes' of fame & fortune. If they are really freedom fighters they should not be hiding in Switzerland, Dubai & London, they should be with ( what they call) their people.
Secondly, Baluchistan will never become independent because Baloch are not a majority, there are Hazaras & Pakhtuns who comprise big population of the province. They have nothing to do with this so called freedom movement.
This is not to say the Balochs don't have genuine grievances. They have & they should be addressed within the Constitution of Pakistan.
Other than that, these occasional statements from these people hiding abroad are meant to show their 'handlers' that they are on top of the situation & to please our Indian friends whose only purpose in life is to live in " Bollywood fantasy" thinking how great India is & dream & wait for Pakistan's collapse!!
What a laugh that the sons of sardars and nawabs are now clamoring for independence. Did they feel their livelihood threatened by changing dynamics in Balochistan of, dare I say it, better education and prosperity ? This would make their previous arguments against deprivation invalid. Having seen personally, how much money is pocketed by one, now deceased, sardar, I feel the Baloch people will be much better off without these nawab/sardars who are literally leading them up the garden path.
Yes, yes, KILL THEM ALL as well, like we advocate for the "Taliban"
@Rohit Sen and rest of the Indians:
We can surely hold a plebisite but I can tell you the results in advance. The entire Pakhtun belt and the settlers who are in fact majority of Balochistan population would vote for Pakistan. The Baloch who are considerably less than 50% of population will not en masse vote for Independence because a number of tribes have deep bonds with the neighboring Sindh. Result will be a heavily polarised province with probably thirty-forty percent demanding independence and the remaining voting for Pakistan.
Bottomline: A Plebisite won't help!
Donn`t forget Moist,Sikhs,Kashmiri and so many other groups in India asking the same rights
Inshallah When the most credible goverment of PTI in the leadership of Imran khan will come in to power very soon...then all these brothers will come on to table for discussion..there is no other way out of any crissis..other then talks...its up to us or them when to do it..rather to do it after 50 years of conflict or before doing any further damag to each ohter..look at mooros of philipines..bask guireallas of colombiaa..each fought for 30 and 50 years..and now they are talking to solve the issues..Those crisis were worst then Balochistan..what balochistan need is a credibel govermetn in center who can assure ther wrights and maximumm provinicial autnomy...not only in written but in implemtation also..once done all problems will go away..but only if people vote for a party or person whod ont
Balochistan is not an estate of few Nawabs. It is a multi lingual, multi ethnic, multi cultural and pluralistic society where Pashtun, Baloch, Brahvi, Sindhi, Punjabies, urdu speaking, Persian speaking people live. The much ado about a certain ethnic group means nothing to the others. The Nawabi and Sardari of every Nawab and Sardar is limited to his own people and not to the area as other tribes also reside there. If Demography of Balochistan is studied critically, it will reveal a very different picture than what is being perceived and projected. This perception has very intelligently been carved and created as a part of the new great game in the area. The people who cannot win support of their people and are shy to enter the election for fear of losing have taken an easy route to power through gun totting.
Don't you indians have your own papers to comment on?
Where are those who froth at mouth for rights of Rohingyas, Kashmiris and Palestinians?
Time to look closer at home and first resolve the dispute on rights of Baloch people!
Good opportunity for Pakistan to show they genuinely believe in the right of self determination as they have stated they want people of Kashmir to have. They should hold a plebiscite starlight away in Balochistan and implement views of the people of Balochistan. Then they are well placed to speak with India on Kashmir. After all Pakistan's stand on Kashmir is one of principle.
"Talks are possible but only on our agenda – independence" I suppose that settles it then
yes...never ever!!!!!!!!