General Misconception about Nawab Khair Baksh Marri Nawab Marri does not allow development in his area and that he wants to keep his people in the dark that they should not get educated and pose no threat to him or his system, but this is all a pack of lies and that is the propaganda of the punjabi Pakistani agencies. Since the day Nawab Khair Baksh Marri became the Nawab of the Marri tribe he has done a lot for the development of his people. He took the revolutionary steps by freeing Marhatta Marris who were enslaved for hundreds of years and taken prisoner during the wars against Marhattas in the plains of India. Nawab Marri abolished all tax’s on all goods in the Marri tribal area, in the early 1950s. Yes it is a fact that Nawab Marri has done everything in his power to stop the Punjabi exploiters to enter his area and exploit the resources of the Baloch people in the name of development of the Marri area. If development means a few jobs or a few roads in return of the pillage of the Baloch natural resources then yes he is against development. But history has proved to us that the punjabi Pakistan has exploited the Sui gas since 50 years in the Bugti area, and what is the development that Pakistan has give to the Bugtis or to Balochistan in return of what they have taken. A few days ago in a statement by the Bugti Quam Parast’s Tanzim (Bugti Nationalists) and Bugti Mutabirin, they have asked the Marris to learn a lesson from the mistakes of the Bugtis. Not to let the Punjabis fool the Marri’s into believing that the punjabis are going to give any development to their area or to Balochistan. The Bugtis natural resources have been exploited by Pakistan in the name of development since 50 years. They ask what has Pakistan done for them, if all of Pakistan can benefit from the Sui gas then why not Balochistan and specifically the Bugti area, what has Pakistan done for the Bugtis. Has Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti stopped the Pakistani authorities to develop Balochistan or the Bugti area? Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri believes that Baloch are the owner of the land and the recourses of Balochistan. The natural resources and it’s ownership belongs to the Baloch people and they should be the masters of their fate and not beggars in their own homeland. The Baloch should not settle for anything less then that. The Punjabis should not buy us by giving us a few jobs, and that also if in return of what they take. If Nawab Marri wanted to get any benefits from the oil or any other natural recourse from his area, he could have done it a long time ago, nobody could challenge his decision or even question him. Who in Balochistan has been stopped from exploiting their resources in their areas. It is Nawab Marri who did not allow himself or the Punjabis to exploit what is neither his alone or of the punjabis. The Oil in the Marri area belongs to all Balochs and Balochistan. If Oil in the Marri area is ever to be explored it should be done with the approval of all of the Balochs and with proper agreements. The revenue should be spend for the development of Balochistan and its people, not for Islamabad Lahore or any other area in punjab. For this ideology Nawab Marri has been struggling all his life. Now it is time for the Baloch to understand what is theirs and stand for there rights. Nawab Khair Baksh Marri always firmly stood on his principles, which he believes in, which we know are right and safeguard the Baloch and Balochistani interests, I ask My Baloch brothers, tell me one thing that Nawab Marri has done in his 50 years of political carrier, which proves that he has sold or even compromised with the foes of Baloch interest no matter what the consequences were. And if the Baloch could not unit behind such a Leader then I think it is very difficult for the Baloch to find a leader who is acceptable to all. Nawab Marri has never taken any office in the Government. Nawab Marri the Nationalist or the Nawab, it is for you to decide. Nawab Khair Baksh Marri is that person who’s followers fought the punjabi army in defence of baloch rights for many years, he was imprisoned through out the Bhuttos regime along with other Baloch Nationalist leaders and thousands of Balochs on allegations of treason against Pakistan. Afterwards Nawab Marri release from the prison he went into exile, Nawab Marri stayed for many years in Afghanistan with his people. Nawab Marri could have lived any were else in the world but he preferred to be with his own people. By the efforts of Nawab Marri efforts the youth not only went to school but went to universities in Afghanistan and the USSR. More then 500 students got diplomas in different specialities: engineers doctors etc. It is Nawab Marri who introduced the Baloch question to the world. Today when somebody gets up and blames Nawab Marri of keeping his people in the dark and uneducated, I think that such a person is not only miss informed but does not know anything about Nawab Marri and his lifelong struggle. A few Baloch think that we are not in state to start a guerrilla war or to migrate to some other country. I ask all My Baloch Brothers what state do we have to be in, to start a guerrilla struggle or raise our voices and struggle for equality and justice? If we are not ready today then when will we be ready? If someone kicks you out of your house and offer you a job over there as a sweeper, will you agree with him and think that this is your fate or you will try to get back what is yours at any cost, wouldn’t you? A question asked by a Baloch brother, is Nawab Marri still a big political force which poses a threat to the punjabi agencies? A leader’s strength lie in his followers. If the followers are weak the Leader is weak. Maybe a few Baloch are weak but Nawab Marri still has got enough followers in the Marri area and rest of Balochistan, who will die for him and his ideology. They will never let the punjabis exploit the Baloch resources in their area. That is the reason today Nawab Marri is imprisoned. If Nawab Marri could have been bought, then punjabis would have bought him a long time ago. Nawab Marri would not have to suffer and his followers killed in army operations, which continue to this day. Today Nawab Marri is again imprisoned on some false allegations of murder and his followers and tribesmen are being tortured in prisons through out Balochistan under army supervision. All of this is not happening in the 70s but today. !!These people are beaten, electrocuted, hung up side down for days, deprived of their sleep, hands and feet are broken, all of this is happening in CIA centres. I ask all My Brothers What is their crime? Are they all involved in Justice Nawas Marri’s murder? or there is some other reason behind these arrests and interrogations? Many of these 200 men have been crippled and have become mentally unstable because of the intensity of torture which they have endured. The punjabis who call them selves Muslims, send the police and the militia with bulldozers on the first day of Eid and have arrested all the men of the Marri settlement near Quetta, bulldozing their houses, leaving women and children homeless in the winter freezing cold. These punjabi agencies actions against the Baloch are crimes against humanity. They should be condemned not only by the Baloch, but by all citizens of the world. In the 21 st. century man kind should not, and will not tolerate such atrocities by oppressive dictator regimes. By Balach Marri 1.1.01