Family to block Quetta-Karachi highway against non-recovery of Shams Baluch

He was abducted by the intelligence agencies while taking his 80 year old mother to Quetta for treatment; Baluch parties should join the protest campaign: Wife of Shams Baluch

Occupied Balochistan: The family of ex-district Nazim (Council) has warned that if he has not been released today then the Quetta-Karachi high way will be blocked for an indefinite period. The family made this announcement during a press conference at Quetta Press Club here on Friday. The wife of Shams Baluch has said that her husband was abducted on his way to Hospital to Quetta while he was taking his 80 year old mother for treatment.

He was traveling in an official ambulance along with other members of family on 1st July 2010 when they reached at Main Ghundi police check post; they (police) signaled the ambulance to stop for routine check up. The security forces personnel had asked Shams Baluch to alight the vehicle; as soon as Shams Baluch step out of the Ambulance four men wearing civilian clothes knocked him on the ground and started to beat him with the butts of guns. After a while of beating up he was dragged and put to a private car and driven away.

She appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan and the members of civil society to help the family in their battle for justice and to make sure that Shams Baluch regains his liberty as soon as possible.

She said after the abduction of Shams Baluch his mother’s health condition has deteriorated and she keeps on asking about her son’s whereabouts. “ We always try to give her false hope that Shams will be back soon but in reality we do not know anything about Shams’s whereabouts and conditions”.

The recovery of the bodies of Baluch prisoner have raised our concerns about Qadeer Baluch: Sister

Quote:

The state [Pakistan] has started to kill Baluch prisoners to cover it failure to stop the struggle of Baluch youth. If brother is not released soon, we’ll announce scheduled protest and demonstrations

Khuzdar: The sister of Abdul Kabeer Baloch while expressing her concerns about her missing brother said that the recent cold-blooded murder and recovery of the bodies of disappeared Baloch political prisoners has flared concern of family about the well-being of Abdul Kabeer Baloch. “We are concern for my Brother Abdul kabeer Baloch’s condition and well-being after the recovery of the bodies of four disappeared Baluch political activists”.

She said that the defeated forces of state are gifting the families of Baluch forced-disappeared activist with the bodies of their loved ones. “We suspect that my brother Qadeer Baluch might suffer the same fate as many others. If my brother is not released immediately, we’ll announce schedule protests and demonstrations”. She said the families of Abdul Qadeer Baluch and other Baluch political activists desperately waiting for their loved ones to return home and reunite with them.

She appeal to human rights organisations, UN and chief justice of Supreme Court to play their role for the recovery her brother and other forced-disappeared Baluch political activists.

Intelligence agencies are paving way to kill Zakir Majeed: Noora Baluch

Occupied Baluchistan: The president of BSO-azaad Lahore zone has alleged that Pakistani intelligence agencies are planning to kill Zakir Majeed Baluch, the central vice chairman of BSO-azaad, in their custody. Noora Baluch was abducted from Kings Adward Medical University Lahore city; reportedly he has been severely tortured by his captors.

Narrating his ordeal Noora Baluch said that few days back a convoy of three cars entered his University in Lahore and kidnapped him. He blamed the intelligence agencies of inflicting inhuman torture on him. He said that the Pakistani security agencies have tried to coerce him to address a press conference and say on media that Zakir Majeed Baluch was not in the custody of intelligence agencies but he was training in mountains. He further said press release prepared by the intelligence agencies contained lots of baseless allegations against Zakir Majeed Baluch, who was abducted on 8 June 2009 from Mastung Baluchistan. He alleged that on refusal to read the security forces prepared press statement he was severely beaten up and they (Pakistani forces) burnt several sensitive parts of his body with red-hot irons. “If you do not address the press conference against Zakir Majeed Baluch, we will pull your teeth out, kill you and dump you in a deserted area – just like the recent bodies which were found in Quetta”, added Noora Baluch.

He appealed the International Human Rights Organisations and especially the UN to take notice of the abduction of Zakir Majeed and thousands of other forced-disappeared Baluch activists.

Meanwhile the protest camp (established by family) for the recovery of Zakir Majeed Baluch has entered 79th day, several people from different walks of life and backgrounds visited the camp to show their solidarity with the agonised family of Zakir Majeed Baluch.

Interacting to the visitors the family of Zakir Majeed Baluch said that forced-disappearances are still taking place in Baluchistan, and instead of recovering the missing Baluch activists their bullet riddled bodies are being found. They appealed the UN and EU (United Nations and European Union) to take action against illegal abduction and the recent cold-blooded murder of Baluch activists.
The sister of Zakir Majeed Baluch said that after founding the dead bodies of four disappeared Baluch youth the families of Baluch forced-disappeared activists must take practical steps for the safe recovery of their loved ones; they must set up protest camps and take out rallies.

The judiciary and all other department in Pakistan are powerless they cannot do anything against the intelligence agencies. They cannot see the bullet-riddled bodies of Baluch youth which were found in Quetta and they cannot hear the cries of the families of 8,000 forcefully disappeared Baluch activists. Zakir Majeed sister has appealed the International Human Rights Organisations and the Baluch Diaspora to raise their voice against the ongoing human rights violations in Baluchistan, and take practical steps for early and safe recovery beloved sons, brothers and fathers of 8,000 agonised Baluch families.

Please sign the petition in support of Zakir Majeed Baluch

Baluch National struggle is not dependent on individuals or foreign help: Hyrbyair Marri

London: “Baluch Nation is a live Nation and they are capable of supporting the Baluch National Struggle, to defend themselves Baluch do not depend on foreign help”.

Baluch leader Hyrbyair Marri has expressed these views while speaking to friends of Anjuman-e-Itehad-e-Marri from London. He further said that the main objective of his struggle was Baloch National Liberation. On International level we struggling in accordance with the UN and Geneva conventions and Baluch youth have given us this mandate which is an honour [National responsibility] for me. The Baluch enemy are against my ideology (working for freedom of Baluchistan) and they are making so many failed attempts to suppress the Baluch voice on International level.

He said that in late 2007 he was arrested in London because of his work for Baluch National freedom and there were several allegations against him, despite of checking all my personal bank accounts, contact numbers, and even spending a huge amount to build a case against me both the Pakistani and British government have failed to bring a single shred of proof against me; All the accusation against me had died their on death (were proven wrong) during the trail.

As for the question of Baluch struggle's financial support, thanks GOD Baluch are a live Nation and they are capable of supporting the Baluch national liberation struggle to defend themselves. They (Baloch) do not depend on individuals or foreign help. “I don't have enough personal wealth, if I had any I would have spent that on Baloch Nation's betterment; I am ready to give any sort of sacrifice for Baloch Nation because I want to see Baloch Nation as free and prosperous”, said Hyrbyair Marri. The allegations of enemy state (Pakistan) are of no importance to me and I don't feel the need to answer their allegations.

South Asia News - Killing of Baluch leaders condemned

Sister Threatens to Commit Suicide over Missing Brother’s Non-Recovery

Occupied Balochistan: Lawyers boycotted the court proceedings across the province on Tuesday in response to the call given by Baloch Bar Association over the non-recovery of missing persons.

Lawyers did not appear before the Balochistan High Court, sessions and local courts in order to register their protest for what they claimed killing of missing persons during their unlawful detention. All the court cases were adjourned for the next hearing.

The strike was observed in all the Baloch dominant districts including Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar, Lasbela, Sibi, Jaffarabad, Naseerabad, Kohlu, Turbat, Mand, Gwadar, Panjgur, Awaran and other areas.

According to statement issued here, the Baloch bar Association has strongly condemned the killing of Ashfaq Ahmed and Farooq Mengal whose dead bodies had been found from Quetta a day earlier on Monday.

Meanwhile relatives of other missing persons as they held a noisy protest demonstration in front of the Balochistan High Court. They shouted slogans against the judiciary for failure to recover the missing persons from official custody. They wanted to force the judiciary to take immediate steps to insure the safe and early recovery of Baluch forced-disappeared activists. Police had recovered the bodies of Farooq Lango and Ashfaq Mullazai on Monday from Killi Qambrani. They bullet riddled bodies were thrown to open for public consumption.

“I am afraid that they had killed my father as well,” said 15-year old Maharang, daughter of Abdul Ghafar Lango.

She said her father was whisked away from Karachi in 2009 and since then she does not know about her father’s whereabouts. “If my brother was involved in any crime he should be tried to court in a civilized manner because we, all the family members, are fed up with sleepless nights,” sister of Gaffar Lango told The Baloch Hal, removing her tears from her check. She said that no one is taking the issue seriously.

“If my brother was not traced during in a month, I will commit suicide,” she warned

The women and children were carrying placards and photographs of their close relatives who have been abducted by Pakistani intelligence agencies and have been missing for years. They chanted slogans against the judiciary and secret agencies of Pakistan.

According to Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), an organization striving for the recovery of missing people, more than several thousand people are missing from Balochistan but on the contrary the Pakistani judicial commission prepared a list of 99 persons.

BSO Azaad’s Seminar: Hiarbeyar Marri’s Message

Dear Friends of BSO-Azaad and other fellow Baluch,

I hope you have a successful meeting. In my opinion the Baluch National Struggle is gaining momentum because of devoted youth like you and the Baluch Sarmachaars. I am confident that the Baluch struggle for their legitimate right to freedom will continue until we reach to our destination. However, we have to work harder to spread more awareness among our people ‘to teach them the importance of liberation’.

Baluch youth from BSO’s platform have given numerous sacrifices and produced several ideological leaders. Unfortunately, today BSO is confuse and divided by these parliamentarians for their own gains. Pro-Pakistan leaders are using BSO as their fuel to continue their commercial politics. The Baluch youth under BSO’s banner should work independently instead of taking dictation from any political parties. Beside National awareness about liberation the Baluch students’ first and foremost interest should be knowledge and education and to share that knowledge with other fellow Baluch.

Baluch women’s role in today’s liberation struggle is plausible and the enemy is very fearful of the significance of Baluch women’s political awareness. We need to give priority to the sacrifices made by Baluch mothers and sisters. Several Baluch women have been killed during Pakistani military’s aerial bombardment or have become victims of Pakistani security forces dreadful acts. Baluch youth sacrificed their lives while fighting the enemy forces but our women were killed in indiscriminate bombardment on our villages and towns, they are also martyrs of struggle for freedom.

Many friends talk of unity, I also believe we must unite but we need to differentiate between pro-Pakistan and Pro-Independence forces and we need to decide which side we take. We must take a clear stand instead of sailing in two boats. Unity is need of hour and important but on principles and ideological basis.

We must not forget those who have been abducted only for demanding freedom; they are the heroes of Nation. We should be proud of such brave youth and honour their sacrifices. Our students, doctors, engineers and other political activists are being severely tortured at the hand of occupying forces.

I sympathise with the families of the forced-disappeared Baluch and want to assure them that we are doing what we can to raise the issue of forced disappearances in Baluchistan. Whenever I talk with the representatives of International Human Rights Organisations my first questions to them are what have they done for the Baluch abducted political prisoners? What have they done for the forced-displaced Baluch? On their part I have never been provided a reasonable answer so far.

At present the response of the International Community and International Human Rights Organisations to the atrocities in Baluchistan is not satisfactory, but we are trying to convince the international community to recognise our legitimate struggle against the illegitimate occupation of our land. Our struggle is for Independence and restoration of our sovereignty only. Our struggle is not a movement of separation but it is against the occupation of our Independent state which was occupied at gunpoint by Pakistan in 1948.

International political scenario are changing and the changes are going in our favour; the West and Europe are releasing that Baluch are the only secular Nation who can help maintain peace in the region. They are already unfriendly with Iran but now they are also starting to question the sincerity of Pakistan’s cooperation in the so called war on terror.

One of the fears the International Community is Pakistani’s nuclear bombs because they are a danger to the entire world. As we are observing that religious fundamentalism is on the raise in Pakistan. It is becoming obvious that they will sooner or later take control of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons and there is no guarantee that, they will not use these weapons against West and other States that they consider as the enemies to their fundamentalist ideology.

There are people within Pakistan Army and Intelligence agencies who are very sympathetic to the religious extremists. Hence, The International Community and the Human Rights Organisations, who are demanding the disarmament of nuclear proliferation, should emphasize and focus on Pakistan’s nuclear arms as well because there is a high possibility that these arms will fall into wrong hands. If we unite and make the International Community believe that we can run our own affairs then I think they day is not far when the International Community even without our repeated requests will intervene in Baluchistan

My message to Baloch Nation is that we should unite on the single agenda of Independence. Freedom is our fundamental right; united we can regain our sovereignty and live with pride dignity as a free Nation once again.



Baluchistan Sabz baat o Baloch Raaj Zindag baat!



Thank you!

Another two Baloch forced-disappeared persons found dead

Occupied Balochistan: The bullet-riddled bodies of two men who had been missing since May 2009 were found on Qambrani Road here on Monday morning.

According to officials, residents of Qambrani Road spotted the two bodies lying in a field and informed local police. Police said the victims’ hands and feet were bound.

The bodies were taken to Bolan Medical College for an autopsy and were later shifted to Provincial Sandeman Hospital, where they were identified as 25-year-old Ashfaq Mullahzai and 30-year-old Farooq Mengal.

The victims received multiple bullet wounds on their heads and died on the spot, Dr Noor Baloch of Sandeman Hospital told The Express Tribune.

According to families of the victims, both men had been missing for more than two months. “Farooq Mengal was picked up by secret agencies from Lakh pass area, at the exit point of Quetta city, on May 10, this year,” claimed one of his relatives. The relative added that Ashfaq had been whisked away from Saryab area of Quetta on May 21. The victims were residents of Jail Road Hudda.

A case has been registered against unknown persons at New Saryab police station and officials say they are investigating the murders.

Meanwhile, the advocacy group Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) held a demonstration before the Quetta Press Club on Monday, demanding that authorities trace the whereabouts of missing persons immediately.

Protestors carried placards and photographs of missing persons and chanted slogans against the government and judiciary, condemning them for their failure to locate missing people.

Addressing the protestors, VBMP Chairman Nasurrallah Baloch said the ‘democratic’ government and the ‘independent judiciary’ did not seem to be sincerely invested in the plight of missing persons and their relatives.

“Missing persons are being killed and the list of deaths has been increasing every day,” Baloch claimed, adding that “after the killing of Najeebullah Lango, Faiz Baloch and Farooq Mengal there is threat to the lives of other missing people.”

Other relatives at the protest also criticised the United Nations and international humanitarian organisation for their silennce regarding issue of missing persons.

They warned that if the missing persons issue was not taken up by the UN soon, they would organise a long march in protest and attempt to disrupt Nato supply lines from Pakistan to Afghanistan.

Special Report from Balochistan-1

Watching Balochistan slipping through our fingers; Quetta residents in grip of fear; CM spends 15 days in a month in Islamabad or Dubai; middle class leaders who oppose separatists and support Baloch cause being eliminated

By Amir Mateen

QUETTA: Anybody who has not been to Quetta for some time will be aghast to see the ghost town that it has become. Half of the once-bustling and lively town goes to sleep as soon as the sun sets. The other half trembles even to the sound of a cracker while locked inside their overly guarded houses.

The British garrison city that was known for its cultural diversity and for its laidback evenings stands divided into quarters based on ethnicity and religion. And, more important, whether you are a “uniformed person” or not. A quarter of the city is a no-go-area worse than Karachi’s killing alleys in the 1990s. A non-Baloch would not venture into areas around Saryab Road and Arbab Karam Road even during daytime.

The localities of Spiny Road and Smungli Road are no less dangerous as the marauding gangs of armed youth are found witch-hunting for anybody wearing trousers or matching the profile of a “non-local.” Local police enter the localities at considerable risk. Even the paramilitary Frontier Corps pickets get attacked occasionally. The picket leading to Bolan Medical College, meaningfully named as “Golimaar,” has been targeted more than once by grenade attacks. In suburbs, 16 kilometres off Quetta city on the western bypass, the Hazar Ganj bus stand was ambushed by rockets. The situation on the east side is equally scary. Life in the Quetta Cantonment is stable, thanks to the 24-hour armed-to-the-teeth vigilance. But the ordinary citizenry has been left to the butchery of a lethal mix of extremist nationalists, political separatists, religious fanatics, smugglers, drug dealers and the land mafia hand in glove with criminals, not to forget international terrorists and foreign intelligence agencies. The locals are shifting to the relatively safer Pashtun localities of, say, Nawankali and Sraghurdhi. The so-called Punjabi settlers, who may have lived in Quetta for generations, are being forced to leave for other provinces, sometime after selling their assets for pennies.

“The country seems to have given up on Balochistan,” says social activist Dr Faiz Rehman. He believes doctors are being discouraged to attend clinics in trouble areas so that such incidents do not get reported. Dr Yousaf Nasir, a top surgeon who was a cousin of former federal Minister Yaqoob Nasir, was ambushed in a target killing on Thursday. Another senior surgeon Chiragh Hassan is also receiving threats to move out. “Everybody wants to get out of here,” he added.

Security officials are on top of the hit lists. Around 1,600 government officials have applied for long leave and for transfer to other provinces.

Under such trying times, one hardly finds a notable politician in Quetta or even in Balochistan. The doyen of Baloch nationalism, Sardar Khair Bux Marri is in Karachi, Sardar Attaullah Mengal in Wadh, his son Akhtar Mengal in Dubai and MNA Hasil Bizenjo in Karachi. Equally important among Pashtun nationalists, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai is believed to be in London. His family said he was out of the country but they would not share where or when he might return home. Most Balochistan politicians who pour their grievous heart out regularly on television talk shows reside either in Islamabad, Karachi, London or the US.

While half of the province is inundated because of floods, killing scores of people, Chief Minister Aslam Raisani is languishing in Dubai. His staff said he was in Dubai for many days and they could not confirm when he would return. In any case, he is known to be a part-time CM as he lives in Dubai or Islamabad nearly 15 days a month and is never available, intelligibly that is, after 8:00pm come crash floods or cyclone. The only exception was when, military sources confirm, his son was caught by the Frontier Constabulary in a vehicle name-plated “Sarawan 2.” The chief of Sarawan tribes that he is, Aslam had to seek the intervention of military and political leadership at the highest level to bail out his son.

In the meantime, on average two persons die every day in target killings. The official figure for target killings in the last 10 months is 370 but others say the actual number should be around 600.

The country, particularly Islamabad, wakes up to the Balochistan tragedy only when a high-profile politician like Habib Jalib gets killed. That he was murdered in the wake of other Baloch Nationalist leaders like Maula Bux Dasti and Liaquat Mengal makes it all the more tragic and mysterious. Theories abound about these killings depending on whose side you are on.

Many like Jamhoori Wattan Party Secretary General, Rauf Khan Sasoli, believe that the commonality among these killings was that they were middle class leaders who opposed separatists and supported the Baloch cause while remaining with the framework of the Pakistani federation. “It’s the extremist separatists who have killed Jalib,” Sasoli said emphatically. Others think that Sardar Khair Bux Marri has issued the decree for the Baloch youth to choose violence as the only way for the independence of Balochistan. Political sources say on the condition of anonymity that the ‘lumpen’ groups are targeting the moderate Baloch. Still others blame it on the intelligence agencies like the CIA, KGB and, interestingly, those of India and Pakistan.

Military sources at the highest level confirm that they have proof of the involvement of the exiled Brahmadagh Bugti, the grandson of the Nawab Akbal Bugti, who allegedly runs the Baloch Republican Army from Afghanistan, in these killings. They say they have a copy of Brahmadagh’s Indian passport which the Pakistan Army has also furnished to the Indians as a proof.

The Pakistani security agencies are equally blamed. “The target killings of Baloch nationalists are being carried by those who think they can control us by eliminating our political brains,” says former Senator Manzoor Gichki. Many in Quetta believe that Baloch Massallah Daffah Army (BMDA), the outfit that has claimed all three recent killings, is a front for Pakistani agencies.

Most people in Quetta have stories to share that they believe proves the involvement of Pakistani security agencies. Chairman of Balochistan’s Peace Committee, Sardar Hameed Khilji names many people who were caught with evidence on close circuit cameras but later released. “I have helped catch many culprits but they always come out to threaten you,” said Khilji.

Military sources explain that the biggest problem was the lack of prosecution and investigation, sometimes out of negligence or incompetence but mostly because of fear. They say it is very hard to prosecute criminals. In some cases, judges refuse to take up cases and in nine cases out of 10 witnesses fail to give evidence. Investigators operate under tough environment. In many cases senior police officials wear scarves to hide faces from the accused terrorists. “There are serious flaws in the legal and administrative systems to handle the situation,” said one military source. “Once these people get out they become more confident while those who help us get punished, even killed,” he said.

The Balochistan issue may not be as simple as the policy makers and pundits in Islamabad think. It’s not just about politics and terrorism. It is also about the crisis of governance, capacity, the feelings of deprivation and exploitation. Most important, it’s a psychological issue that exists in the hearts and minds of the people of Balochistan. It will take much more than the so-called the Aghaz-e-Hqooq-e-Balochistan. We shall focus on that in the coming days.

NP Leader Khalid Langov’s Younger Brother Killed in Kalat

Occupied Balochistan,QUETTA: A younger brother of Mir Khalid Langove, a central leader of the National Party, was killed and three other members of the Langove tribe were injured in a deadly attack on the van of the Mir Khalid Langove on Saturday evening.According to the details,Mir Khalid Langove and his younger brother were returning to Quetta after offering Fateha at the residence of Mir Najeeb Langove when they were attacked. Multiple bullets hit the car of Mr. Khalid but he remained safe. However, his younger brother Mir Ziab Langove was killed after several shots hit him.


” I am clueless about the murders,” said Khalid Langove, ” I have no enmity with anyone. I can only wait and pray to God to bring the perpetrators to justice on the Day of Judgment.”

Mir Zaib Lango was traveling along his brother in a convoy of cars along with his security guards while heading towards Quetta when unidentified armed men ridding on a motorbike in Kili Darakzai area of Manguchar ambushed and opened fire on them.As result of firing, four of them sustained multiple bullet wounds. The attackers managed to flee from the spot. The injured were taken to Quetta for treatment while Zaib Langove succumbed to his injuries on his way to hospital. It is believed Mr. Khalid Langove was the main target of the attack which he luckily survived.

Senior administration officials and notables rushed to the spot where the incident took place. Officials started the investigations and so far no one had claimed the responsibility for the deadly attack on Mir Zaib Lango lost his life.Mir Khalid Langove, the brother of the diseased, is a prominent leader of the National Party, a central leader of which, Mir Maula Baksh Dashti, was killed in Turbat two weeks ago.The National Party has strongly condemned the killing of its leaders’ younger brother. The party has given the call for a complete shutter down strike on Sunday.

BPRM Announcement

BPRM declares Mr Abddul Rauf Rigi as spokesman for the party

The Baluch People Resistance Movement (BPRM)of west Baluchistan (Iranian occupied) announced new spokesmen for the party. In a letter dispatched to the Public Relations department of BPRM, Mr Muhammad Zaher Balouch, the leader of BPRM appointed Mr Abdol Rauf Rigi, as spokesman of the BPRM.

Text of the letter:


In the name of Allah

Now that the activities of BPRM is steeply progressing and widening in all aspects, some organizational changes in political, military and security arenas seemed necessary.

In this regard besides appreciating the tireless efforts of other members, Mr Abdul Rauf who has a good hand in the area of politics and diplomacy, and is also committed to the mission of the BPRM, is appointed as official spokesman for the party with effect from July 20, 2010.

I hope that he in the light of previous experience and efforts and above all relying on the Almighty would perform his duty and responsibility as best as possible.

Wish him success in his responsibility and life.


Muhammad Zaher Balouch

Secretary General
Baluch People Resistance Movement
(BPRM)

Despite repeated appeals no positive response form Baloch Community abroad: Sister of Zakir Majeed

Occupied Balochistan: The agonised sister and family of Zakir Majeed Baloch and other forced disappeared Baluch activists have once again expressed their disappointment for the lack of practical work of Baloch community abroad. On 71 day of the family’s consistent protest she said that despite the continuous protests and appeals it seems that her requests were falling into deaf ears. She said that Human Rights Organisations has not taken any notice of the hunger strike protests of the families of Baluch forced disappeared activists. She charged that National and International Human Rights were also ignoring her appeal just like the Pakistani judiciary, media and other state apparatus.

She also seems disappointed from her fellow Baluch brothers and sister, according to her “despite repeated appeals to establish protest camps in their areas for the recovery of Baluch disappeared activists, regrettably, so far there has been no positive response from the Baloch Nation in Balochistan and Baloch community abroad”. She appealed to Baluch brothers and sisters once again to organise protest demonstrations and hunger strike in the countries and areas where they live. She also repeated her appeal to the International Human Rights Organisations to take notice of forced-disappearance in Balochistan.

Teenagers, my kind Sir, are honest and the future of Balochistan

By Ahmar Mustikhan

The tragic killing of Baloch politician and former senator, Habib Jalib, was an eye opener for all those who think their skins will be saved -- and their political interests served -- if they please Islamabad by rejecting the idea of independence of Balochistan.

One of the most sensible and balanced statements was from Mehran Baluch, youngest son of Baba-i-Azadi Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, who has represented Balochistan at the U.N. Human Rights Council for almost a decade now. While condemning the killing, Mehran Baluch had appealed to the Baloch to unite on a single point agenda of independence of their homeland.

The news International quoted Mehran baluch as saying, "Balochistan is burning. The dark forces are openly eliminating the first and second tier leadership without any fear. It is the duty of every Baloch to resist this onslaught through every means possible. Those who fail to come to the side of their people today will be condemned in the history books.”

Unfortunately in stead of a show of unity over the killing by the Inter-Services Intelligence, a slew of statements from diverse groups, added to to the general despair and despondency.

Former chief minister Sardar Akhtar Mengal came out with a very strong statement against the forces of Baloch liberation and the media widely reported that "The central president of Balochistan National Party Sardar Akhtar Mengal has taken serious exception of the poisonous statements of .... teenagers on the martyrdom of Habib Jalib, the party’s secretary general."

Let us pause for a moment and see what the word teenager means.

The words teenager and youth are used interchangeably. Roget's International Thesaurus describes teenager to be synonymous with youngster, youth, sapling, fledgling, hopeful, while the words that are synonymous with youth are prime of life, flower of life, springtime or springtide of life, flowering time, seedtime of life.

Thus the word teenagers and youth have very positive connotations both in literature and poetry. Teenagers are the future of a nation. Teenagers are catalysts of change and have played a major role in every revolution, including the American revolution. According to the Executive Intelligence Review:

There is one leading example of an indispensable youth movement which did play a positive role: That youth movement was that of the American Revolution itself.

The evidence is surprising, but undeniable. You must start from understanding that Benjamin Franklin, born in 1706, was the chief organizer of the American Revolutionary movement. He epitomized the quality of scientific and political thinking, as well as organizing skills, which had come out of the Italian Renaissance conception of man and society, and which understood the fact that human progress demand the creation of a community of republics, based on the conception of man as a creative, thinking individual. From his teens on, Franklin effectively became an agent for those international networks who understood that it was in the American colonies that a breakthrough could be made, in achieving a society based on those ideas.

Franklin worked for decades—but he did not quickly succeed in unifying the American colonies around that idea. That unification didn't come until the 1770s to 1790s, and it came from the generation of his grandchildren, a youth movement par excellence.

There were intermediaries, of course: crucial collaborators of Franklin and organizers of the nation, such as George Washington (born 1732), John Adams (born 1735), and Tom Paine (born 1737), among others. But the "movers and shakers" within the American Revolutionary movement of 1776, and its progression into the establishment of the U.S. Constitution, came overwhelmingly from that generation which was born in the 1750s and '60s, a full two generations after Franklin. And it was an international grouping at that.

Start with the following list (which is by no means exhaustive):

• Alexander Hamilton, born 1755
• Marquis de Lafayette, born 1757
• Mathew Carey, born 1760
• John Quincy Adams, born 1767
• James Monroe, born 1758
• John Marshall, born 1755
• James Madison, born 1751.

Thus, at the time the American Revolution was declared, in 1776, this generation of leaders was anywhere from 9 to 25 years old!

Even if Sardar Akhtar Mengal has his eyes set on returning to the Chief Minister's House in Quetta, we wish him the best but must point out that neither he nor his dad Sardar Ataullah Mengal are respected by the Baloch because they were chief ministers. Their respect stems from their political struggle and the supreme sacrifice of their family -- the killing of Mir Asadullah Mengal.

What has intrigued political observers is that when Sardar Ataullah Mengal returned to Pakistan after his self-exile on the death of Baloch politican Mir Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo, the then chief minister Nawab Akbar Bugti, who is now reincarnation of Mir Chakar Rind after being killed by the Pakistan army on August 26, 2006, went to the airport to receive him. The senior Mengal said at the time he did not believe Bugti was the chief minister -- meaning Baloch elected officials are powerless--, but readily accepted the same post for his son seven years later.

The day after Bizenjo's burial, when journalists met him, Sardar Mengal quipped, "Yesterday I buried Mir Bizenjo and his politics in Na'al." But, the Balochistan National Party of which he is patron-in-chief is still busy doing the same Bizenjo politics that he buried in Naal on August 12, 1989.

Not listening to youth can be tantamount to commiting political suicide. One example is the protest by Baloch youth each year against the horrific nuclear tests in Balochistan.

Regrettably, one of the most controversial pictures of Sardar Akhtar Mengal's political career is the one from the Raskoh nuclear test site in Chagai. Amidst slogans of Allahu Akbar, Mengal is seen rubbing shoulders with Pakistan military generals and then prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Raskoh in District Chagai on May 27, 1998 during the worst rape of Islamabad against Balochistan -- the nuclear tests. One doubts if Mengal went to Raskoh of his own free will? Or was this because of a phone call from the Corp Commander's office in Quetta? If he was so powerless on that fateful day when Balochistan was being raped what are the guarantees he will not be as powerless as he was in the future?

These questions beg honest answers.

A recent editorial by Quetta journalist Malik Siraj Akbar has greatly embarassed Sardar Akhtar Mengal and the Balochistan National Party that he heads. Akbar made a startling revelation: "Now that Akhtar Mengal has clearly stated his party’s policy, he needs to make it clear that why his party still refuses to play the role of an active opposition in Balochistan. With Usman Advocate in the National Assembly and Abdul Rehman Mengal, (both cardholder members of the BNP), in the Balochistan cabinet, it still needs to be clarified why the B.N.P. does not openly own these members of the parliament as its own members. In such a situation, BNP needs to play its role as an active opposition party by demanding mid-term elections in Balochistan because the province is in the grip of worst law and order problems."

Usman Advocate chairs the National Assembly Standing Committee on Tourism, while Abdul Rehman Mengal is the minister for mines and minerals in Balochistan. So was the boycott of the B.N.P. merely an eyewash? Can Sardar Akhtar Mengal please clarify his position why his party members are in government? For lack of better words, this is sheer political dishonesty.

In stead of showing fury one must show honesty. The basic question today is can the Baloch national aspirations be addressed within the context of a federal Pakistan? Can the Baloch national identity be saved within Pakistan? Do the Baloch have a good future within Pakistan? Will the Baloch ever be treated as equals with Punjabis [and Mohajirs] within Pakistan? Will the Baloch ports and resources remain in Baloch hands within Pakistan? The answers to all these questions are a big NO.

Not surprisingly, the praise for Sardar Akhtar Mengal's statement came from a journalist who is widely suspected of having strong links within the Pakistani spy networks, Rahimullah Yusufzai. Yusufzai, who is resident editor of the News International in Peshawar, wrote: "Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal, a former chief minister of the province and head of the Balochistan National Party (BNP) to which Habib Jalib belonged ... must be credited for taking a stand against Baloch youngsters and organisations pushing his party to demand independence after Habib Jalib's martyrdom."

In closing, let me quote Nobel prize laureate Pearl S. Buck, who said: The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible, and achieve it, generation after generation...

Honorable Sardar Akhtar Mengal, we continue to respect you immensely but please be honest and let the Baloch teenager dream a better future for themselves and the coming generations.

We’ll even welcome civil war for National liberation: BLF

Occupied Balochistan: A spokesperson of Baloch Liberation Front, Doda Baloch, has accepted the responsibility for a grenade attack at Baghbana police station on Thursday. Speaking to media men via satellite phone Doda Baloch further said that he wanted to make it clear to Baloch Nation and to the world that Baloch resistance organisations are unified and they are fighting a common cause under joint command and these organisations Baloch national assets. Nobody/group (in Balochistan or outside Balochistan would) be allowed to conspire against Baloch national struggle for freedom. Any individuals or groups, who try to spread confusion against the liberation struggle, will be considered as enemies of Baluchistan and the bargainers of the blood (sacrifices) of Baloch Martyrs. He warned that such collaborators should mince their ways else they will not be forgiven.

“We want to tell the Punjabi agents and their masters (Pakistan) that thousand of Baluch youth have sacrificed their lives for National liberation; if anyone is trying to spread fear in the name of civil war then we are ready to sacrifice thousands more lives to defend our mother land and we even welcome civil war for Baluchistan's Independence”.

The spokesperson of BLF said that they will not pardon the collaborators of the state, national traitors and the drug mafia who are busy plotting against Baluchistan. He also made it clear that even if any black sheep is found among the Baluch resisting group they will not be spared for betraying the national cause. “We want to make it crystal clear that there is no room for traitors on Baluch land” declared the BLF spokesperson.

Foreign company and Pakistani forces attacked in Khuzdar and Dera Bugti

Occupied Baluchistan: Unidentified persons have fired a rocked on a foreign company for constructing road in Kararo area in Khuzdar. No casualties or damage to properties have been reported in the attack.

In another similar incident at least one Pakistani FC men have been killed when unknown attacker open fire on their vehicle. The incident is said to have taken place near chamrok region on the main Quetta-Karachi highway. The Pakistani security forces have started a search operation in surrounding areas. A number of people have reportedly been detained and interrogated for several hours.

Meanwhile Sarbaaz Baluch of BRA has informed news agencies that BRA (Baluch Republican Army) have attacked a convoy of Pakistani force, which was dispatched for the protection of foreign Gas and Oil exploration companies, near Pailavagh Koh (Pailavagh Mountian). He claimed that at least three (3) Pakistani security forces personnel have been killed and (7) seven have been wounded. The BRA spokesperson has warned all the Gas and Oil exploration companies to cancel their activities in occupied Baluchistan otherwise they’ll have to face the wrath of the Baluch National Army (resistance organisations) because Baluch national wealth’s plunder will not be tolerated.

Warning those who work for foreign companies Sarbaaz Baluch said, “Employees of Oil and Gas companies must not be partner in loot and plunder of Baluch wealth otherwise they will be targeted. Our struggle will continue till liberation”.

Burning issues in troubled Balochistan

By Abubakar Siddique

While the world focuses on the end game in Afghanistan, multiple crises brewing in a neighboring region have the potential to spoil international efforts to stabilize the country.

Extremist groups, secessionist movements and grinding poverty and oppression are all contributing to instability in the Balochistan region, a vast desert area spanning western Pakistan, southwestern Afghanistan and southeastern Iran along the Arabian Sea shoreline. Islamabad and Tehran face active insurgencies in their parts of Balochistan. Developments in the region affect relations between Pakistan, India, Iran and

Afghanistan, delaying plans for economic and energy cooperation.
It was not surprising, then, that a much-anticipated meeting on July 15 between the Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers ended without progress. The meeting - the first high-level Indian visit to Islamabad since the deadly Mumbai attacks in November 2008 - fell victim to public accusations over Balochistan, proving that Pakistan's remote and impoverished province may have superseded even Kashmir as the biggest thorn in bilateral relations.

Speaking to journalists after an exhausting day of official rounds in the damp monsoon weather, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi called the talks valuable and said the two sides would continue meeting. But he indicated that the issue of NewDelhi's support for ethnic Balochi secessionists had been discussed.

Qureshi said he had asked his Indian counterpart, S M Krishna, to cancel the Indian passport of Brahamdagh Khan Bugti, a Balochi rebel leader who is in hiding after the 2006 killing of his grandfather, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, in southwestern Pakistan.

"I think the interaction that one had with the [foreign] minister was very encouraging," Qureshi said. "His response was, 'India is not interested in the destabilization of Pakistan, and that includes Balochistan'."

Krishna instead demanded that Islamabad go after the planners of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, in which 10 gunmen killed 166 people. He urged Pakistan to act on new leads provided by David Coleman Headley, a US citizen of Pakistani origin who is now in US Federal Bureau of Investigation custody.

Krishna categorically denied Indian support for Balochi rebels. "We have been waiting in India for some evidence to be provided by Pakistan of India's involvement in Balochistan," he said.

Influencing events In Afghanistan
India and Pakistan are not the only countries in the region experiencing difficulties in relations stemming from Balochistan.

When 27 people were killed on July 15 in two blasts near a Shi'ite mosque in Zahedan, the capital of the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan-Balochistan, Tehran turned a suspicious eye toward Pakistan. Tehran believes the group that claimed responsibility for the attacks - the extremist Sunni group Jundallah (God's Soldiers), which champions the cause of Iran's 1.5 million Balochi minority - operates out of the Pakistani part of Balochistan. Iranian leaders have criticized Islamabad for not going after Jundallah in the past.

Jundallah, in a statement posted on its website, claimed the attack was in revenge for the hanging of its leader, Abdulmalik Rigi, who was arrested by Tehran on a flight to Kyrgyzstan in February.

Discussing the situation in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, Pakistani author Ahmed Rashid says that as a nationalist insurgency has simmered there over the past six years, the region has gained the potential to influence events in Afghanistan.

"It has a very long border with Afghanistan. It is, of course, part ofPakistan, but it is contested by Baloch dissidents who are very close to the secular government in Kabul [and] who receive support perhaps also from the Indians and the Iranians," Rashid says. "But Pakistan itself wants to use Balochistan as a launching pad for the Afghan Taliban. And it's there that the Afghan Taliban are based."

Hasten the nationalist struggle
Balochistan, Pakistan's largest but least-populated province, has been reeling from protests since the assassination of senior nationalist leader Habib Jalib Baloch on July 14. Thousands of civilians, soldiers and rebels have died in the ongoing Balochi nationalist insurrection against Islamabad, which they see as exploiting their hydrocarbon and mineral resources while keeping them impoverished. This is the fifth rebellion by armed Balochi dissidents in Pakistan's 63-year history. Earlier insurgencies in 1948, 1958, 1962 and 1973-77 were all suppressed militarily.

Rashid says recent events in Balochistan, such as the killings of Balochi nationalist leaders and the large-scale arrests of nationalist cadres, will hasten the nationalist struggle. He says the nationalists will step up their war against Pakistan with the help of neighboring states.

Islamabad, Rashid suggests, will once again try to crush the Balochi insurgency by force because the region is an important sanctuary for Taliban militants, which it supports as a hedge against Indian influence in Afghanistan.

"Balochistan is going to become a very contested area, just as much as Afghanistan is going to become a contested area as we enter into this whole idea of American withdrawal [from Afghanistan starting] next year," Rashid says.

Targets for insurgents
Instability in Balochistan has stalled economic cooperation. After 10 years of negotiations, Tehran and Islamabad signed a US$7 billion gas pipeline project last month that will provide gas to energy-starved Pakistan for 25 years, beginning in 2015. Another pipeline project - the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India route - even has support from the Asian Development Bank. But both might become targets for Balochi insurgents who have long targeted domestic gas pipelines.

Islamabad looks askance at a New Delhi-financed road network that links Afghanistan to the southeastern Iranian port of Chabahar. Tehran hopes the free-trade zone there will attract business from across Central Asia. China has bankrolled a rival port in Gawadar along Pakistan's southwestern Arabian Sea shores. Islamabad and Beijing want to turn it into a major industrial and transport hub with links to Central Asia and westernChina.

The nearly million-square-kilometer Balochi territories spark intense competition among states which see the region as prized real estate in the heart of Asia.

"Baloch lands span South Asia, Central Asia and South Asia," says veteran journalist Siddiq Baloch, who is based in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan's Balochistan province. "Thus, its presence in these regions makes it important for regional states, and whoever controls it also dominates these regions."

But the more than 8 million predominantly pastoral Balochis are an impoverished lot. They face state discrimination in Iran and Pakistan and wait for a day when their lives will be more important to regional states than the mineral resources and trade routes in their lands.

Heavy rains, floods kill over 40 in Balochistan

Occupied Balochistan,BARKHAN:Over 40 people, including women and children, have died and dozens reported missing due to torrential rains and flooding in parts of Balochistan, officials said on Thursday.

Flash floods following heavy rains over the past few days swept away about 50 people in Barkhan and Kohlu areas of Balochistan province. Provincial Disaster Management Authority chief Hassan Baloch said 30 people had died in Barkhan and 20 others were missing.

Torrential rains in Barkhan district caused flooding in the Han rivulet that washed away hundreds of mud houses, officials said. They said the rains and floods had severed all means of communication and authorities were trying to re-establish contact with flood-hit areas.

Thousands of Baloch political activists, students, and common people have disappeared without any trace

Around 1,101 Baloch have gone missing since 1992, a leader of the Baloch Unity Conference (BUC) Majeed Baloch said at a seminar on the Case of Missing Persons of Balochistan held at the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday. “This figure is based on cases which have been reported in the media. In reality, thousands of Baloch political activists, students, and common people have disappeared without any trace. Thousands others have been killed since the insurgency started in the province.”According to a report of the Asian Human Rights Commission, which has been published in a booklet form by the BUC, some 168 children and 148 women have disappeared from the province.

Majeed Baloch demanded that the government take immediate notice of the alarming situation and take steps for the recovery of missing persons. “The Baloch have always been deprived of their rights. Our people have been abducted without any reason, illegally detained and murdered. We demand an end to the atrocities and recovery of those missing.”

Justice Retired Wajihuddin Ahmed urged the Baloch people to approach the commission formed to deal with the cases of missing persons. “The Baloch should stage demonstrations and demand of the commission to take notice of their cases. The Baloch should elect those leaders who are sincere and devoted towards their struggle.”


He said that the people of the province should ask for demographic guarantees from the government, demanding that no one would colonise the province. “Some countries have their eyes on the province which is rich in mineral and natural resources. In such times, the citizens should unite themselves and fight for their rights.”Tracing back the history of the province, he said that during the British rule, the Sardars did not work dedicatedly for the people, depriving them of basic amenities such as healthcare and education.

Jamaat Islami, Sindh, chief Asadullah Bhutto said that the government should announce a package for the recovery of the missing persons. “Today, the most important issue is to trace the whereabouts of the missing people. Both the government and the judiciary should work hand in hand for the recovery of the people who have been illegally detained or gone missing.”

Human rights activist Iqbal Haider said that it was saddening that a majority of the missing persons are Baloch. He blamed the United States for the polarisations in the country, saying that they wanted to create disharmony amongst the people under a conspiracy.

Workers Party leader Yusuf Masti Khan said that the cause of the Baloch people could not be fought in isolation. “The struggle of the Baloch for their rights should not be in isolation. People are calling for independence but the path to freedom is not an easy one. By secluding oneself, no one can attain success. Therefore, the Baloch people should work with others and garner international and national support for their movement.”

Meanwhile, the participants, especially journalists, were stunned and offended when a Baloch intellectual bluntly criticised the media representatives for not highlighting the Baloch issues.

Speaking during the seminar, Professor Saba Dashtiari said: “Today, journalists have become criminals. Their minds have become polluted and impure. Shaheed Ahbar Bugti had rightly said that journalists are dogs and they are just in want of bones.”On this, a senior journalist, Nargis Khannum, approached the stage and asked the speaker to leave the stage. She said that the speaker was openly abusing journalists at their home, in the Karachi Press Club. However, the speaker kept on saying that that “Gundagardi” of journalists would be not tolerated. Retired Justice Wajiuddin Ahmed then intervened and controlled the situation, asking the journalists to stay calm and the speaker to focus on the topic.

The media, however, did not boycott the event and the speaker was allowed to continue his speech.

Baloch Hal: Unfair Treatment to Cyclone-Affected

There are tens of thousands of affected people in “Phet” cyclone-hit region that had lashed major parts of Oman, Iranian Balochistan and Pakistani Balochistan who lost their belongings, including household belongings. Most of the affected people are from the remote region of Mekran where the government is fully determined to ignore and punish them by denying them the right to rehabilitate economically.

Some political activists claimed that more than 1000 fishing boats and vessels were destroyed and many more damaged in the cyclone that lashed the Baloch coast with full force. Others said that more than 10,000 houses were destroyed completely in torrential rains and floods washing away the belongings of the people in Gwadar region. The Government dispatched a few tons of foods and other supplies through a couple of chartered flights of C-130 planes that security forces distributed among the people in the vicinity of Gwadar leaving others at the mercy of nature.

The Chief Minister himself paid a visit to Gwadar followed by a Junior Federal Minister also visited and his report had never been published, nor are his valuable views known to the people through the media.

It was the fifth natural disaster that lashed Balochistan with full ferocity destroying every thing on its way during the past one decade. Earlier, Balochistan faced a prolonged drought and Government sought financial help from the overseas Pakistanis, a ridiculous idea, and not from the international aid and humanitarian organizations.

The Baloch economy was completely devastated in the prolonged drought and the Government willfully abstained from repairing the economy to the old level to this date for political reasons. It was followed by heavy torrential rains on two occasions that devastated the Baloch mainland completely. The Pat Feeder, the biggest irrigation canal of Balochistan, witnessed three hundred breaches as hill torrents lashed and destroyed its banks from both directions.

During one of the natural disasters, the former Prime Minister made a cruel joke with the Baloch people by allocating Rs 100 million as humanitarian assistance when the losses were close to Rs 50 billions according to conservative estimates. The damages estimated by the independent economists were of over Rs 50 billions to the people leaving aside the damage to the infrastructure.

The Government failed to rebuild the state infrastructure to the old level and left it for the people to rebuild the Pat Feeder to plug its breaches. The Irrigation officials used the tractors and manpower of the local farmers in plugging the breaches. It is the level of Government responsibility to rebuild the damaged economy of Balochistan at the earliest.

After six weeks of cyclone, it seems that the Federal Government is reluctant to allocate a substantial amount of funds for rehabilitating the local economy to the old level rebuilding the houses of people in Gwadar and other remote region. It is the responsibility of the representatives of the people to raise the issue at the National Assembly and Senate of Pakistan exposing the apathy of the Government towards the Baloch people even in natural disaster.

The Baloch political parties outside the Parliament should agitate the point exposing the evil designs of the state functionaries discriminating the Baloch people in every sphere of human activities. The public agitation for Baloch rights is the most useful means of protest exposing the Government designs against the poor Baloch people. They should continue it in all parts of Balochistan and elsewhere besides Gwadar, Pasni, Ormara and Jiwanri.

Meanwhile, the Government of Balochistan demonstrated its sense of high responsibility by allocating a substantial amount of funds for rehabilitation of the cyclone affected people of Gwadar and its adjoining areas. The money will be used to bring the house of administration in order and not to rehabilitate the fishermen or the common people.

However, it will go a long way in pacifying the anger of the Baloch people against the Federal Government which failed to announce a substantial financial for the cyclone victims. The Government had announced Rs 200,000 for each house rebuilding houses affected in the Attaabad Lake. In case of Balochistan, not a single penny had been allocated for rebuilding the houses destroyed in the cyclone. It is discriminatory and inhuman. The Federal Government policy is unjust and unfair, rather discriminatory towards the Baloch people.