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Balochistan, Power Politics and the Battle for Oil
Online Journal Contributing Writer
By John Stanton
Mar 30, 2007
Since 1947, the Islamic
Republic of Pakistan (Land of the Pure), a military dictatorship, has been
a fragile entity perpetually on the brink of internal civil war, and
constantly at loggerheads with India over contested Kashmir. It is a
destabilizing factor on the Asian continent. The recent sacking of
Pakistan’s
Supreme Court Justice by President Pervez Musharraf in March of 2007 is
just another one of many straws weighing on the central government’s back
in Islamabad, a portent of what more is to come.
The Sunni dominant country
is a nation-state in name only being held together by the force of its
military and with the Machiavellian support of the USA. It is a powder keg
of conflict pitting Pakistan’s ruthless military against tribal factions
in the North along Afghanistan’s border and, in particular, against the
Baloch in the South whose homeland is resource rich Balochistan.
In many respects,
Musharaf’s Pakistan resembles the US puppet regime of Hamid Karzai in
Kabul, Afghanistan. There, the central government has little influence
beyond its seat of government in the capital city and any authority it
does have comes from the barrel of a gun or the bomb rack of an American
made military aircraft. And, in rather depressing respects, Islamabad’s
handling of the Baloch and their homeland seems a mirror image of the US
treatment of local Iraqis in the ongoing US misadventure in Iraq. But, one
must have hope that the USA will learn.
PAK has NUKE:
Anyone Care?
The CIA Factbook 2007
paints an even grimmer picture of the Land of the Pure. It garners a “high
risk” mark for food and waterborne diseases such as bacterial diarrhea,
hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever. It suffers from water pollution from
raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff. Pakistan has
limited natural fresh water resources and a majority of the population
does not have access to potable water. It’s a transit country for opium.
Yet, this military dictatorship overseen by Musharaff maintains a nuclear
arsenal and each year, in the face of its internal strife, manages to find
the funds to purchase weaponry from an assortment of international
military contractors -- among them the USA. But the hard reality for the
USA is that Pakistan, or whatever may become of it, will remain a chess
piece for the geopolitical machinations of the USA, China, India and
Russia.
If the National Security
Policy of the USA makes any sense at all, then it’s Pakistan that the USA
should be looking to target with UN sanctions or economic/military
pressure, perhaps in conjunction with India and in consultation with China
and Russia. After all, Pakistan is a
failing state that already has nuclear weapons.
And it is worth stating again that the country is a military
dictatorship whose intelligence service -- the ISI -- is known to have a
lot of animosity towards the USA, and has continually lent support to the
Taliban. Moreover, US oil and natural gas concerns own 30 percent of the
finds in Balochistan. It would be in the USA’s best interest to court the
local Baloch rather than sit by and watch the government in Islamabad
crush the Baloch. Lessons learned in Iraq should have taught the leaders
in Washington, DC, something (anything?) about how not to make enemies out
of local populations.
Strategic
interests served
Balochistan is in the
southwest portion of Pakistan and borders Iran, Afghanistan, and India.
The province is rich in oil and natural gas and its mostly 800 miles of
underdeveloped coastline is flush with an abundance of ocean resources. A
portion of Balochistan resides in Iran and is known as “Sistan and
Balochestan,” an Iranian province bordering on the Sea of Oman and
Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is Iran’s poorest province and is home to
roughly 400,000 people. Could the The US and Iran find some common ground
for an independent Balochistan? Why not link the issue to current US and
Iranian grievances with each other? Perhaps Iran cedes some territory for
US concessions and economic aid. Once the troublesome Pakistani military
is out of Balochistan on the Pakistan side, and the Baloch become
independent and negotiate fair treatment for their people, and worthy
prices for their land and resources, the Baloch might agree to stop
attacking commercial interests.
The Baloch view themselves
as an occupied territory and have done so since March 27, 1948, when the
Pakistanis invaded Balochistan. Quoting Dr. Wahid Baloch, “Balochistan was
a free sovereign independent state with its own parliament, the Dar-ul
Awaam, the House of Commons, and Dar-ul Umraa, House of Lords. Soon after
the creation of Pakistan, Pakistan invaded Balochistan and forcefully
annexed it into Pakistan. From 1977-2005, Pakistan continues its crime
against the Baloch people. Thousands of Baloch political activists and
students have been arrested and are being tortured in secret jails. Many
are missing, including Dr. Allah Nazar Baloch, Goher Baloch and Akther
Nadeem Baloch. Pakistani military, paramilitary and security forces are
given the task to arrest, kidnap or kill any Baloch who talks or thinks
about freedom. More than 600 military check [points] have been established
all over Balochistan to control the activities and movements of the Baloch
people.
There are 60,000 Pakistani
troops stationed in Balochistan and more are on the way. Balochistan has
been turned into a military occupied war zone. Baloch people are living in
fear and in hopelessness. They are desperately looking to the world
community . . . for their help and rescue against the tyranny of Pakistani
and Iranian regimes.”
Just so.
According to a recent
report by Forum-Asia; Asian Legal Resource Centre, INFID; and Pax Romana;
in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, more than 4000 people have reportedly
disappeared as the result of military operations between 2001 and late
2005. They have not been produced before a court by the military
intelligence agencies -- such as the notorious ISI -- and their
whereabouts remain unknown.
Turkey to Pakistan:
Treat Baloch like Kurds!
Investors don’t care
China, through Islamabad,
has already gotten a piece of the action in Balochistan. China’s Harbour
Engineering Company recently helped Pakistan complete Phase II of the
mammoth deep sea Port at Gwadar and it is open for business for all, it
seems, except Baloch locals. Associated with that development effort are
dozens of opportunities that are destined to cut out the local population:
resorts, casinos, and the letting of commercial fishing rights are among
those listed by the Pakistan Board of Investment that are, worldwide,
normally associated with corruption. The PAKBOI showed its contempt for
the Baloch when it indicated on its website (pakboi.gov.pk)
that “ . . . Balochistan can provide land on easy terms.”
In 2003, the South Asian
Analysis Group (saag.org)
noted the many ways in which the Musharaff government has exploited the
Baloch.
- Military authorities have
bought most of the prime land at throw-away prices.
- Large-scale influx of
Pashtuns from the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan and
Afghanistan, officially encouraged by the Pakistan Army, and
re-settlement of Punjabi ex-servicemen in order to reduce the Balochs to
a minority in their homeland.
- Non-payment of adequate
royalty to the people of Balochistan for the gas found in their
territory, which has contributed to the economic development of Punjab,
without any economic benefits for the Balochs; the displacement of a
large number of poor Balochs by the construction of the Gwadar port and
town with Chinese assistance without adequate compensation; the
re-settlement of a large number of Punjabi and Pashtun ex-servicemen in
Balochistan to work in the Gwadar port and Mekran coastal highway
projects, in violation of the Government assurances that preference
would be given to the sons of the soil for work in the projects;
violation of the labour rights of the people employed by the Chinese
construction company which is building the port; and the setting-up of
three new cantonments by the army in Balochistan.
- The anger over the
non-payment of adequate royalty for the gas being supplied to Punjab and
Sindh has led to a number of incidents of sabotage of the gas pipelines
and attacks involving the use of explosives and landmines directed
against the staff employed for the protection of the pipelines.
- The construction of the
Gwadar Port and the Mekran coastal highway has resulted in the
displacement of thousands of Balochs from their ancestral land and the
forcible acquisition of their land by the Government without paying them
adequate compensation and without giving them suitable land in return.
Moreover, fearing Indian attempts to sabotage the projects, the
Government has forcibly removed the Hindus and many of the Balochs,
whose loyalty was suspected, from the area, which has been declared a
sensitive defence zone.
- Balochs, who are suspected of
being sympathetic to India, have been removed far away from the site of
the Gwadar port. A large number of Punjabi and Pashtun ex-servicemen,
whose loyalty to Islamabad is beyond doubt, have been re-settled in the
Mekran coastal area to work in sea port projects.
Washington, DC!
Hello! Listen to this!
According to Shaukat
Baloch, here’s what would happen if the Baloch got their shot at
nationhood. “If a referendum under the supervision of UN is held in
Balochistan and the people are asked to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the
question ‘whether Balochistan should be declared to be an independent
country,’ it is certain that this question would answered in the
affirmative by a large majority of people. If the international community
seriously puts its pressure on Pakistani generals -- who are the de facto
rulers even during civilian governments -- they would agree to it. Gas and
minerals would be sold to Pakistan and India on rates fixed by
Balochistan. In this regard no artificial problems would be created for
the people of remaining Pakistan. Pakistan would be treated as a friendly
country. Foreign companies would be invited to invest on further research
of oil, gas and minerals.
Balochistan would be a
secular, democratic country with freedom of faith, religion, thought and
expression in a peaceful manner. There would be complete freedom of
worship for all. No person would be allowed to preach hatred. Under the
constitution, slogans based on religion, sects, etc. would be excluded
from election campaigns. There would be a parliamentary system of
government accompanied with an independent judiciary and a free press.
Religious extremists would be asked not to meddle in politics. However
they may keep their views with themselves. Unlike today, religious
extremists will not receive funds in millions of dollars from ISI and
other sources. Consequently they would remain peaceful. A Nation of Baloch
of about 7 million will run and flourish in a way similar to Switzerland
and Scandinavian countries. Professors, scientists and experts in other
fields from the West would be invited to work in the universities and labs
of Balochistan.”
The Baloch Nation wants
Independence not just because they are being persecuted and cheated by
both Iran and Pakistan with regards to their natural resources, said
Shabir Ahmed. The primary reason is that they want to be free to govern
themselves. Whatever the reasons for the creation of Pakistan , the
illegal annexation of Balochistan by Pakistan is a bitter pill to swallow
.
According to Ahmed,
“Simply put the Baloch Nation will never accept Pakistani or Iranian rule
. It is inhuman and cruel to expect people of different races and
languages to become 3rd class citizens in their own land , and to be
governed by aliens . With regards to what shape a future Baloch Government
should take , the best role model in that respect is the British political
model we have today . The House of Commons and the House of Lords . This
particular system was up and running in 1947 , and then brought to an
abrupt end by the illegal annexation of Balochistan by Pakistan. The
Baloch are very different from their more fanatical immediate neighbors .
Baloch society is naturally secular and very tolerant of other religions
and races . However it must be noted that history shows us that the Baloch
love their freedom and will never tolerate interference from outsiders ,
or alien rule. There are many a Widows sons who will fight to the bitter
end to bring about an Independent
Baloch State.”
An independent Balochistan
is inevitable (as is an independent Kurdistan) and essential to peace on
the Asian continent. The sheer will and tenacity of Baloch freedom
fighters makes this outcome certain.
As anonymous said, “Dear
Baloch friends. 90 percent of Balochistan is controlled by real sons of
soil -- meaning Baloch Liberation fighters. Pakis and their cronies
control few cities and towns in Balochistan. Bravo! Baloch Fighters.
Victory belongs to Baloch warriors!”
John Stanton is a
Virginia based writer specializing in political and national security
matters. Reach him at
cioran123@yahoo.com. |