In the wake of the first anniversary of Osama Bin Laden's killing by American elite troops, DW takes a closer look at Pakistan's "other" war in a rare interview with a prominent Baloch leader.

Hyrbyar Marri is the fifth son of Nawab Khair Baksh Marri, a veteran national leader and the head of the largest Baloch clan. In the late 1990s Hyrbar Marri went into exile in Britain. In 2007, he was arrested under a warrant issued by former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and held in Belmarsh - a maximum security prison in southeast London. Prominent British human rights advocates such as Peter Thatchell campaigned for Marri and accused the British executive of collaborating with Musharraf's regime. Marri was eventually acquitted in 2008 by a British jury and remains in Britain where he has recently been granted asylum.

DW: What's the current situation in Pakistani-controlled Balochistan?
Hyrbyar Marri: Islamabad wants access to the Baloch land to fill it with settlers and steal our resources. In the meantime, our people are being picked up by the Pakistani secret services and their dead bodies appear a few days later, bearing torture marks, cigarette burns and slogans -"long live Pakistan"- carved on their bodies with knives by the intelligence agencies. East Balochistan (under Pakistan control) was an independent state for nine months until it was occupied by Pakistan in March 1948. Since then we've been subjected to a genocide in slow motion under Islamabad's boot, a process of extermination that has left our language, culture and identity on the brink of extinction.

* The brutal beheading of ICRC official Dr Khalil Dale is inhuman and I condemn it in strongest possible terms
London: The Baloch Patriotic leader, Hyrbyiar Marri, has said that, “Baloch land has always been under illegal occupation of enemy. The Pakistani state is using indiscriminate force for past 64 years to plunder the Baloch resources and to wipe out the identity of Baloch people. Pakistan has badly failed to suppress the Voice of Baloch Nation despite brutally using Jets, Heavy Artillery, Gunship Helicopters and chemical, lethal weapons against unarmed Baloch population who ask for their freedom.

Pakistan is giving enormous monetary and logistical support to its proxies to quash the Baloch national struggle for independence. The high command of ISI is directly supervising these proxies, who torture and kill Baloch activists after abductions. The occupying forces, without respecting the sanctity of houses, are brutalizing the innocent unarmed people of Kohlu, Kahan, Chamalang, Mand and Mashkay till date. On the other hand there is full-fledge operation against Baloch underway in the historical Baloch area of Mai Kolachi, the present day Karachi. Women and children are being harassed, whereas youngsters are abducted and then killed and dumped.

The Baloch leader said, “The Pakistani Army and PPP have started a thoroughly planned operation against the people of Lyari. Rehman Malik had falsely accused the presence of Baloch armed forces to pave the way for a major operation in that vast Baloch populated area of Karachi. The purpose is to make the population forcefully vacate the area so settlement of Muhajirs is made possible. The state organizations have given full impunity to the Muhajir (Refugee) extortionists and mafia goons to abduct and kill Baloch youth. The Pakistani state is portraying the Baloch of Lyari as drug dealers and gangsters to hide its crimes against the indigenous people of the area. But the ideological struggle of Baloch nation has failed all the evil designs of Pakistan.

“The enemies of civilized world have waged a war against the Baloch nation, which confirms the fact that the Pakistani state machinery is trying to wipe out the secular Baloch nation,” said the Baloch patriotic leader Hyrbyair Marri.

He further said that, Pakistan couldn’t deceive the world with her double standards and it has failed to paint Baloch nation as a religious extremist force. This failed endeavour of Pakistan was to deprive the Baloch nation of help and support by the democratic and civilised world. The Baloch nation proved at different instances that it is not against any one on ethnic or religious basis. The Baloch nation is struggling only to defend their motherland.

The Baloch leader said that, “failed in quashing the Baloch struggle through threats, bribes, disappearances and killings the occupying state is now trying to use the foot soldiers of ISI and MI with the name of Pakistan Difa Council (Defence of Pakistan Council).” This council, Mr Marri said, is involved in sabotaging the peace process in Afghanistan and is a big supporter of stopping NATO supplies. They spew hatred against America and entire West during the rallies in every city of Pakistan. Not confined to this, their leaders even include people like Hafiz Saeed, who is said to be the mastermind of Mumbai Attacks and America has put head money on him.

This so-called council considers Baloch freedom activists as non-Muslims and has issued edict of Jihad against the Baloch freedom struggle. This clearly shows that instead of protecting Islam they are more interested in preserving and protecting the geographical existence of Pakistan which is a black stain on the name of religion.

London: Patriotic Baloch leaders Hyrbyair Marri and Mir Suleiman Daud categorically said that Balochistan was illegally occupied by Pakistan in 1948 and that the occupation was foreign aggression.

Both Mr Marri and Mir Suleiman Daud, the Khan of Kalat, expressed these view while talking to a private TV channel from London. Answering to a question about negotiations with Pakistan, Hyrybiar Marri said that he was ready for dialogues but not on anything less than independence of Balochistan. Talking about foreign involvement in Balochistan issue Mr Marri said that the only foreign hand he can see in Balochistan is the Pakistani aggression and invasion of Balochistan in 1948.

Answering to a question about “What is the mechanism of getting freedom and that Zardari would not give freedom to Balochistan”, Hyrbyair replied that we (Baloch) will knock the doors of International powers for support. He also urged the Baloch nation that every Baloch should work hard and spend their energy for independence of Balochistan.

Hyrbyair Marri further said that even though the Baloch tried to have friendly relations with Pakistan and co-exist as good neighbours but Pakistan Punjabi elite has never been friendly to Baloch, their attitude has been of master and slave; they treated Balochistan as a colony. Pakistan’s only interest in Balochistan has been the natural resources which it has been looting from past 65 years. He went on to say that Pakistan is the name of the interests of Punjab and its elite.

London: China’s demonstration of lack of interest in IPI (Iran-Pakistan-India) gas pipeline is a positive step and an illustration that China wants to bring positives changes to its policies with regards to Pakistan. However, other companies including the German Company I.L.F engineering and Russian Gazprom have not cleared their positions, as Pakistan has several times gestured to involve them with the IPI project. We expect the International multination companies not to become a party between Pakistan and the Baloch by spending their wealth in controversial projects in occupied Balochistan. Baloch patriotic leader Hyrbyair Marri has expressed these views, mentioned above, in a statement to media here on Saturday.

He further said that both Pakistan and Iran are well aware of the fact that IPI project will not succeed without the consent of Baloch nation but the duo are deceptively trying to blackmail the United States of America by spreading rumours to begin work at the controversial project. Mr Marri further said that Baloch Nation is struggling against this blackmailer and fanatic state for their national sovereignty in accordance with International Laws. Hence, we hope that international powers will clear their position about Baloch National struggle according the international rules and regulations.