Is it a roadmap for peace?
Mohammad Jamil
A 3-day Indo-Pak Conference on ‘roadmap for peace’ has been planned in
New Delhi from January 10 by a consortium of Indian fora. Participants
have been invited from Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir in addition to
participants from the host country, and the conference will be opened by
former Indian premier IK Gujral. On second day of the conference ie
January 11, the topic is “Issue of Autonomy: Kashmir and Balochistan”,
which will be chaired by Rajendra Sacchar former chief justice of Delhi
High Court. The session will be addressed by Asma Jehangir of Human
Rights Commission of Pakistan, Quetta-based journalist Siraj Malik
Akbar, JKLF chief Yasin Malik, Sajjad Lone of Peoples Conference and
Senator Hasil Khan Bizenjo. One does not understand how members of
Pakistani delegation have agreed to the topic which is bracketing
Balochistan with Kashmir. They are either too naïve or are infatuated
with India that they do not see the conspiracy? Don’t they realize that
the Kashmir dispute is a matter between two sovereign states India and
Pakistan, and there are United Nations Security Council resolutions
giving Kashmiris the right to decide through plebiscite under UN aegis
to join India or Pakistan. But Balochistan is a federating unit of
Pakistan and there is no relevance with Kashmir dispute.
However, quantum of autonomy issue is the internal matter of Pakistan
and can be resolved through dialogue. It is common knowledge that
India’s RAW is involved in fanning centrifugal tendencies and supporting
insurgents in Balochistan, which matter was brought up by Pakistan’s
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh at the Sharm Al-Sheikh. Anyhow, the organizers of conference claim
that this conference is being organized to mobilize the peace activists
and peace groups from India and Pakistan and to influence both the
governments to resume the peace process. In fact, effort has been made
to internationalize Balochistan issue in a subtle manner and to lend
support to point of view of a few Baloch Sardars who openly say that
they don’t believe in negotiations with the federal government. And that
they would not accept anything short of an independent Balochistan. In
this backdrop, those who advocate holding negotiation with sardars’
scions who are in self-exile should try and see their real visages.
Chairperson of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Asma
Jahangir, Co-chairman of HRC Iqbal Haider and IA Rehman also would
address the controversial session of the conference. Last year, when
three Baloch leaders were killed, the Human Rights Commission of
Pakistan in a statement had said: “The facts strongly suggest that
members of state security picked up the three victims, and tortured and
killed them before dumping their bodies.” The HRCP office bearers
relying upon the members of the banned organizations said that the three
men were taken away in cars who were closely followed by Frontier Corps
vehicles. One does not understand as to why human rights organizations
and activists do not see the murder of settlers from other provinces
especially teachers in Balochistan? Do only sardars are human beings and
other poor Balochs and settlers are not human beings? According to
another report, there were more than a dozen FIRs registered against
murdered Baloch leaders on various charges of attacking Frontier Corp,
laying anti-tank mine, destruction of government and public property
etc. Perhaps it is in this backdrop that fingers of accusation are being
pointed towards government and its agencies. Nevertheless, foreign hand
behind the murder of Baloch leaders could not be ruled out, as Indian
Raw is out to exacerbate the contradictions and fuel passions in
Balochistan..
Since 1950s, Baloch sardars have been coming out with unreasonable
demands. There were of course some genuine grievances of the people
especially after formation of the One Unit. Anyhow, the long dormant
crisis had erupted into a brutal confrontation with the center in 1973
when late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had tried to establish educational
institutions and construction of roads in Balochistan. The insurgency
had lasted for four years from 1973 to 1977, and it was after
promulgation of Martial Law by Late General Zia-ul-Haq that sedition
cases were withdrawn against Baloch sardars. It has to be mentioned that
sardars and feudal chiefs thrived even amid the clashes between them and
the security forces. In other words, poor people of Balochistan stand to
suffer in general by sardars during peace times and also become fodder
for the sardars when they challenge the writ of the state. It is
unfortunate that the civil society does not consider it worthwhile to
comment on what sardars have been doing to their people. No human right
activist cries over the atrocities inflicted on them by their feudal
lords and sardars in their private jails. It is too well known that RAW,
CIA and Mossad are active in Balochistan and FATA to destabilize
Pakistan, and Pakistani leadership – ruling and opposition parties -
should work in unison to frustrate the designs of enemies of Pakistan. .
There is no denying that during British Raj and after independence
Balochistan and NWFP were neglected so far as its development is
concerned. But this is also true that despite being part of the
provincial governments, sardars had neither done anything to develop
Balochistan nor persuaded the central government to make development
plans for their province. They consider all natural resources of
Balochistan their personal property and want to pocket all the profits
and royalties. From the statements and interviews of scions of Akbar
Bugti, one can understand that the bone of contention between late Akbar
Bugti and the federation arguably was that the latter wanted increase in
gas royalty. As regards Mian Nawaz Sharif’s suggestion of holding talks
with those who are not in Balochistan is intriguing and he is trying to
draw political mileage from the contradictions between sardars and the
government. He should have known that Brahamdagh Bugti is ensconced in
Afghanistan near President Karzai’s palace and Mir Byar Marri is in
London and both are reported to have the backing and support from
enemies of Pakistan.
There is no denying the fact that tribalism is firmly rooted in
Balochistan, and ethnic and tribal identity is a potent force for both
individuals and groups in Balochistan with the result that there exists
deep polarization among different groups. Each of these groups is based
on different rules of social organization, which has left the province
inexorably fragmented. Tribal group-ism has failed to integrate the
state and enforce a national identity. But those who have not weaned
from the poison of sham nationalism should take a look at the history of
the Balkans, and the fate they met. A couple of times Sardar Ataullah
Mengal appeared in a television interview, and said that America does
not pay any attention and would accept any outside help to disntegrate
the country. Sardar Ataullah Mengal, Sardar Khair Bakhsh Marri and
scions of late Akbar Bugti should try to safeguard the interests of
Baloch people but through democratic struggle and not through violence
and bloodshed. It is heartening to note that there is realization on the
part of the central government as well as provinces; and in this regard
Punjab and Sindh have sacrificed part of their share to Balochistan. |
