 |
|
|
Commission on Human Rights Sub-Commission on the Promotion and
Protection of Human Rights Fifty-fifth Session 27
July – 15 August, 2003 Palais des Nation Geneva, Switzerland Agenda
Item No. 4 Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Intervention
by: Mehran
Baluch
11 August, 2003 Madam
Chairperson, If
there is an example of the grossest violation of Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights committed by a state, it will be found in Balochistan,
the south west province of Pakistan, through suppression and repression
and through arbitrary and unilateral enforcement of illegal and
unconstitutional decrees. The Baloch land, whose independence had been
recognised even by the British rulers of India, was forcibly and
illegally occupied and annexed by the ruling elite of the Punjabis in
Pakistan through the might of their military in 1948. The Punjabi ruling
oligarchy in Pakistan has unleashed a reign of terror and brutalities on
the people of Baluchistan just because they never agreed to the
surrender of their independence and dilution of their historical
identity. In 1973, the Baloch movement for the realization of economic,
social and political rights and autonomous status for their land was
brutally suppressed. Madam Chairperson, The
sin of the people of Baluchistan is that their leadership never accepted
the merger of Baluchistan with Pakistan, and they never reconciled to
the present status of Balochistan as an occupied province of Pakistan.
Therefore Islamabad based administration always looked upon them with
suspicion. This has drawn a wedge between the people of Balochistan and
Islamabad and the rulers seek revenge through discrimination.
Consequently the Baloch have minimal representation in the federal
administration and its higher ranks. Madam. Chairperson, Balochistan
continues to remain a neglected region. Literacy rate is bare 3 per cent
and income per capita is the lowest in Pakistan. It was not without a
design that Islamabad rulers exploded the nuclear device in the Chagi
hills in Balochistan in 1998. The radioactive fallout of this experiment
on the people of the area is simply disastrous. Madam Chairperson, Absence
of viable educational and medical structures have spelt a disaster for
the entire Baloch population. Punjabi oligarchy is afraid of Baloch
becoming knowledgeable about their civil, political, economic and
cultural rights. They would like the budding Baloch youth to remain
illiterate and backward so that they are labelled as criminals and are
hunted down in police encounters. This is how the oligarchy has been
trying to strike at the roots of Baloch society. Growing unemployment
among the Baluch youth forces them to head towards the metropolitan city
of Karachi to find a livelihood. This results in tremendous ecological
and demographic imbalance and encourages slum growth. increased crime is
its by-product. Madam Chairperson, It
should be mentioned that the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan provides for
royalty to Balochistan for exploitation of natural gas reservoirs at
Sui. But Pakistani rulers never implemented the terms of the agreement.
Indeed, the exploitation of natural resource of Balochistan for the
benefit of the Punjab is continuing unabated It
has to be reminded that not a single clause of the Sui Gas Agreement is
enforced by the Federal government of Pakistan. Even in the case of bare
necessaries of life, blatant discrimination is made between the local
employees and the Punjabis at Sui Gas Corporation. While supply of fresh
and drinkable water to the non-locals is plentiful, the locals thirst
for a draught of fresh water. At the Sui Gas field, the Punjabi
employees are provided heavy security cover and are distanced from the
locals so that they are not approached for jobs or medical assistance The
discrimination is distinctly visible in how the Punjabi oligarchy that
has monopolised political and economic power is not at all interested in
the development of Balochistan and in raising the living standards of
her people. The resources of Balochistan are being exploited for the
entire benefit of Punjabi elite. The so-called development project such
as Gawadar port and Sandak Project are prime examples of how the
establishment exploits the States resources of Balochistan. Madam Chairperson, The
Gawadar port is a major attempt by the Federal Government of Pakistan,
to exploit Balochistan resources as well as to displace the local
inhabitants of the area to accommodate the Punjabis, who are incharge of
the project in conjunction with the Chinese. This project is yet another
conspiracy to benefit the Punjab province and further deteriorate the
Bloch society. The
Oil and Gas Development Corporation (OGDC) is the main culprit in
planning and carrying out major exploitation projects in Balochistan.
The Sandak Project is designed to exploit mainly gold, silver and copper
reserves in Balochistan. The exploitation is estimated to bring in large
revenue to the federal exchequer. The
spread of religious fanaticism in Balochistan is evident in the recent
elections results. The Federal Government’s tireless efforts and
tactics of inducing religious extremism in Balochistan has come to bare
its fruits. This is not a normal phenomenon but an imposed and
artificial one. The Baloch nation has always remained a secular nation.
The programme of Talibanising Balochistan is a conspiracy of Punjabi
elite to misguide the international community. Increasingly,
it is clear that countries that make most measured and sustainable
progress towards long-term economic development are those that are
characterised by good governance and the absence of massive corruption
and cronyism, conditions that are only possible in a climate of
transparency, civic control and vigorously independent media, there are
all requisites of democracy. Madam Chairperson, The
international community should hold the Pakistani establishment, the
army and ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence Agency) accountable for the
crimes of physical , social, economic and cultural genocide of the
people of Balochistan. Pakistan
requires a new Constitution embodying the true spirit of the Pakistan
Resolution of 1940. The art of carrying a religious, ethnic, linguistic
or cultural minority along with the majority population without taking
recourse to the much abused concept of "majoritarianism", its
learnt and practised only in a democratic arrangement, which has never
existed in Pakistan. Thank you Madam Chairperson |
|
|
59th session 17 March – 25 April 2003 Agenda
Item 14 Specific groups and individuals (b) Minorities Intervention By: Mehran Baluch Madam
Chairperson,
The phenomenon of Punjabi ethnic majoritarianism in Pakistan is
perhaps the most shameless story of suppression and repression of
national minorities ever brought to the notice of this august body. It
not only the denial of human rights: it is not only denial of civil and
political rights; it is a sordid story of general loot of natural
resources of the minorities and wanton destruction of prospects of their
economic and social development. Madam
Chair,
All conceivable maneuvering has gone into work in reinforcing the
Punjabi hegemony in Pakistan. Six-year long delay in framing the first
constitution of the country, and then deliberate separation of
Bangladesh in 1971, were strong manifestations of establishing Punjabi
elite hegemony over the Pakistani nationalities. Madam
Chair,
The Baloch nation in Pakistan has suffered the worst type of repression
resulting from the tyranny of majoritarianism. Their demand for
protection of economic and political rights was responded to with heavy
military operations including bombardment of civilian habitations and
ruthless torture and incarceration of political dissenters. A reference
to the report of the Working Group on Minorities 8th Session,
May 2002 (E/CN.4/SUB 2/2002/19 para 20) at this point will be desirable. Madam
Chair,
The ethnic Punjabi elite is determined to vandalise
rich natural resources of Balochistan. The Sui natural gas reserves in
Balochistan are mercilessly exploited to the entire benefit of the
Punjabis. Demographic complexion of the Makran cost is gradually changed
to safe guard the interests of Punjabi segments. The Punjabi class has
special interest in reducing the Baloch majority to a minority in this
region. Gwadar port is becoming an important commercial and strategic
port because of the Central Asian gas and oil pipelines are likely to
terminate here. Balochistan,s revenues are apportioned to the federal
exchequer leaving the local people impoverished. Madam
Chair,
Not only Balochistan but also the adjoining province of Sindh is equally
a victim of Punjabi hegemony. The revenues obtained in Sindh account for
65% of the national budget. Rich arable lands of the province are
allotted to the retired and in service army Generals who are exclusively
the ethnic Punjabis. The share of the sindhis, the Mohajirs and the
Baloch in civil and military services of Pakistan is insignificant and
disproportionate to their population ratio. Madam
Chair,
True democracy in a multi-faceted society can flourish only when the
ethnic groups and minorities enjoy political empowerment and equal share
in nation building. In the given circumstances, Pakistani democracy –
a sham democracy- carries no legitimacy what so ever with her
minorities. Therefore, there is no reason why such a democracy should be
given the privilege of being considered as a member of the community of
democracies. Madam
Chair,
It should not surprise anybody that in a bid to legitimize the sham
democracy. Pakistani military rulers have always managed to pick up a
renegade from among the oppressed minorities and put him up as a
showpiece to mislead minorities, the masses of the people and the world
at large. This has been true in the past and it is true in the case of
the present Prime Minister. Thank you Madam Chair. |
|
|
|
|
|
Geneva, 15 May 2003 UN
Commission on Human Rights Sub-Commission
on the promotion and Protection of Human Rights, Working
Group on Minorities Ninth Session (12-16 May, 2003) Palais
des Nation, Geneva. Intervention By: Mr. Mehran Baluch Agenda Item 4 Mr. Chairman, The Working Group on Minorities has played a vital role in bringing up the minority issues. The minorities of the world had no special forum to address their issues before the formation on this working group. Mr. Chairman, under your leadership, the Working Group is a light and a source of aspiration and hope for the minorities. The future role of the Working Group on Minorities should be to implement the basic principles of the declaration on the Rights of person belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. The very basic and first Article of the Declaration mentions that “States shell protect the existence and the national or ethnic, Cultural, Religious and Linguistic identity of minorities within their respective territories and shell encourage conditions for the promotion of that identity.” Mr. Chairman, How can a State protect the rights of the minorities, if they don’t accept them as a minority. Like in the case of Pakistan, the State does not recognize any ethnic or linguistic group as a minority and therefore, they don’t enjoy any rights, provided in the Declaration on the Rights of Minorities there is no provision in the Constitution of Pakistan safeguarding the rights of Ethnic or Linguistic Minorities. Pakistan is a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic society but the power to rule the country remains in hands of the dominant ethnic group, the Punjabis. The remaining ethnic minorities in Pakistan like Baloch, Sindhis and Mohajirs have always been subjugated and suppressed. The ruling oligarchy of Punjab, by the might of their Army, have even moved war machines to suppress the ethnic minorities like they bombarded Baloch from 1973 till 1979, military operations were carried out on large scale against Sindhis in early 80’s and Mohajirs in 90’s. In the
perspective of the future role of the Working Group on Minorities, we
have some suggestions concerning minority issue in Pakistan. 1. The ethnic groups in Pakistan should be recognized and their due rights be given as per mentioned in the Declaration on the rights of the persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (1992). 2. The National and Ethnic Minorities should an equal share in the nation building process as well as in the running of the country. 3. The natural resources of the National and Ethnic Minorities should not be exploited for the entire benefit of the Punjabi majority. 4.
There should be development in Minority areas on the basis that
these developments are initiated and executed according to the needs of
the Minorities themselves. Mr. Chairman, We also urge the Working group on Minorities to request the Commission on Human Rights to appoint a “Country Raporteur” for Pakistan to investigate the Minority situation in Pakistan. Thank you Mr. Chairman |
|
Geneva, 15 May 2003UN
Commission on Human Rights Sub-Commission
on the promotion and Protection of Human Rights, Working
Group on Minorities Ninth Session (12-16 May, 2003) Palais
des Nation, Geneva. Intervention By: Mr. Mehran Baluch Mr. Chairman, The Pakistani establishment has continuously suppressed, violated and subdued the Baloch people and looted their motherland systematically and progressively and the world has turned a blind eye to the crises in Balochistan. But now the Baloch have pinned hope in the international community especially in the human rights defender and other organizations who work for justice and equality in the world. We are in the 21st century, the power of communication via media and the Internet. It is no longer possible to commit genocide behind closed doors, a practice that the Pakistani Army, is so accustomed to do in Balochistan for more then half a century. To the best of our ability we will expose the Punjabi Pakistani Army’s tyrant rule in Balochistan to the world and show the world, what is this devil in disguise is doing to its own people, and we ask the progressive forces of the world to stop their support to such a tyrant ruthless and unjust system. We never accepted force and injustice over justice and freedom in the past and we never will. Pakistani army can rest assured that the Baloch will no longer live under illegal occupation of their motherland and they will stand up united against the looting and plunder of their God given land and resources. On many other occasions Baloch people have been massacred, slaughtered, looted, arrested and even forced out of their homeland on false allegations of terrorism and subversion. Registering of false cases, illegal detention, torture and extra judicial murders are all tools of this ruthless institution. Who ever cannot be bought then Punjab uses these tools to enslave the people. All powers lie with the Punjabis in Islamabad and development activities are not carried out in Balochistan for the Baloch people. The projects like Gwadar deep-sea port, costal highway, building of dams etc, are planned by Islamabad and the people of the province have no say in this regard. Conquerors take steps for their own needs in Balochistan, this by no means can be declared progress or development as historians never termed it as prosperity of the oppressed nations. If the local people of the land are not given control over their resources, how can they plan the development activities according to their own needs. Mr. Chairman, The treatment of the Punjabi oligarchy towards political opponents is not only revengeful but also in human. My father Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, 74 years old and frail man who has been the most outstanding nationalist Leader of Balochistan spent two years in jail at this advance age. The government has refused him the permission to go abroad for medical treatment that he so desperately needs despite European Parliament’s formal recommendation. It is our responsibility as a Baloch to raise these issues to the attention of the international community and unmask these evil practices of Pakistani establishment in Balochistan. Mr. Chairman, The international should hold the Pakistani establishment, the army and ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence Agency) accountable for the crimes of physical, social, economic and cultural genocide of the people of Balochistan. In final analyses, we may say that challenging the viability of Balochistan and Sindh provinces would tantamount to challenging the very existence and viability of Pakistan. The viability and existence of the former East Pakistan was challenged in 1970-71 by the ruling oligarchy of Punjab and resultantly, they dismembered the State of Pakistan created by Jinnah on the basis of the “Two Nation theory”. Thank you Mr. Chairman |
|