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 Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a hitherto an underground organization, is
striving against "Punjabi oppression" and for the rights of Baloch
population in Balochistan through arm struggle by rejecting the
parliamentary politics. It claims that Baloch population being a less
populous Nation in Pakistan has no say in national policy making and
will never get their rights through assemblies and arm movement is the
only way that get them their basic rights including the right of self
determination and liberation.
There is also a website under the name of "Baloch Voice" which carries
the details of the arms actions in Balochistan carried out by BLA and
BPLF, their aims and objectives, flag, national anthems and articles and
pictures over the plight of Baloch population.
Although the government circles have been denying that such an
organization does exist and claim that a desperate group of Baloch youth
operate with such name, confining to telephones calls to newspapers
offices about bomb blasts and rocket attacks and the facts is contrary
to their claims.
Both BPLF and BLA used to exist during military operation in Balochistan
and Baloch youth and tribesmen, fighting against Pakistan army in the
mountains have been operating as its members.
When late Z.A Bhutto dismissed the popular coalition government of
defunct NAP and JUI in 1973 and arrested the NAP leaders, Baloch youth
and members of NAP took arms and went on mountains in protest. NAP was a
popular party among Baloch population for being the only representative
of their political aspirations.
BLA name again was heard when bomb blasts and rocket attacks started in
Quetta city particularly on cantonment area soon after few days of the
arrest of Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, a renown Baloch nationalist on the
charges of murder case of Justice Mir Mohammad Nawaz Marri, a senior
Judge of Balochistan High Court in 2000. The government buildings in
early days were the target of these bomb blasts and rocket attacks which
are still continue. Later they started targeting railways tracks,
telephone and gas installations, power transmission lines, passenger
trains, carring military personnel and convoys of Para military forces.
The same group also spread their actions to different towns in Baloch
area of the province. A number of soldiers were killed and injured in
these attacks.
BLA claims the responsibility for these all attacks through its
spokesman popularly known as Azad Baloch, Mirak Baloch or Colonel Doda
Baloch. These three persons always call the newspapers offices and Press
Clubs after any such action, carried out in Balochistan and claim the
responsibility for it. Although police claims to have arrested some
persons involved in bomb blasts and rocket attacks, not single person
was produced ever before the press that was involved in these acts.
The military intelligence personnel have been whisking away over one
hundred of Baloch political activists including the main leaders of
Baloch Student Organization (BSO) on the charges of bomb blasts and
rocket attacks and after toturing them physically and mentally set free
in precarious condition. Allah Nazar, the former Chairman of Baloch
Student Organization was one of them who was whisked away along with six
other BSO leaders by the intelligence agnecies personnel from a flate in
Karcahi in a night raid on March, 24 last and kept them in their custody
for over five months. Later Nazar who was wanted to security forces in
the an armed attack on Frontier Corps in Turbat District in which five
of them were killed and a scores of others injured, is under treatment
in the jial ward of provincial Sandeman hospital Quetta.
Asghar Bungalzai who was missing for the last four years was picked up
along with a friend Iqbal Bungalzai on 18, October, 2001 in the murder
case of late Justice Mir Mohammad Nawaz Marri. Later his friend was
released after a month while Asghar is still in their captivity. His six
sons and daughters, all under 12 years old are on a token hunger strike
dawn to dusk for the last six weeks against the missing of their father.
The intelligence agencies' personnel have been giving some money as
financial support to the family and assuring that he would soon be set
free once the investigation into the case is completed.
The intelligence agencies and the government are certain in their
opinion that BLA is in fact a wing of Marri tribesmen led by Nawabzada
Balach Marri, an independent MPA who has taken arms against the
government for its policies in Kohlu Marri tribal agency. They view that
in fact Marri tribesmen loyal to Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri who after a
couple of years of his release from the jail in late 1970's went into
self exile in Afghanistan. Later on his call some 15 to 20 thousands
tribesmen went to Afghanistan and lived there for over twelve years.
The government and his agencies also believe that these Marri tribes and
some other Baloch youth received trainings in weapon and explosive
handling during their stay in Afghanistan and they are behind of all
these bomb blasts, armed and rocket attacks in Balochistan.
Marri tribesmen who established over 40 training camps in Kohlu Marri
tribal agency (District) deny any link with BLA, but claim to extend
moral and political support for any such military group like BLA that
are pursuing Baloch cause.
"We have no link with BLA, but support it as they are pursuing Baloch
cause, the authority over their natural resources as we have common
goal, but different ways of struggle", Nawabzada Balach Khan Marri, the
MPA and leader of anti-government armed Marri tribesmen told a two
member of visiting journalists to Kahan town of Kholu district. He said
that his group who also include other than Marri tribesmen are
struggling for the rights of Baloch population and against the
domination of Punjabi rulers who in fact have been looting and
plundering Baloch resources. He further said that his group favour the
demand of right of self determination as if this right was granted to
Baloch nation, than Baloch can determine its future either to remain
with Pakistan or opt for a independent motherland.
Balach Khan and his other four brothers along with father Nawab Khair
Baksh Marri have been declared absconders in various cases of land
mines, bomb explosions and rocket attacks. Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri is
under treatment in Karachi for his leg problem while his four sons
including former provincial ministers Nawabzada Hairbiar and Nawabzada
Gazain are either in Dubai or in London. Balach Marri is the only one
who are leading the armed group of Marri tribesmen in Kahan, a town of
Kohlu tribal agency. He challenged the authority of government in the
district as the tribesmen loyal to him are offering tough resistance to
government efforts to explore the huge reservoirs of oil and gas from
the area and to build a short cut road ( Sibi-Tali-Kohlu-D.I Khan),
connecting Balochistan and Punjab. They think that the government wants
to serve Punjab interests as well as open up oil-gas rich Kohlu area by
building the said road.
"Government is not sincere in its announcement of development as
being the elected representatives of the area. the local people have
been identifying the schemes of electricity, telephone, water supplying
and irrigation, but they all were turned down and the government put the
condition that all these schemes are acceptable if the road ( Sibi-D.I
Khan) is allowed which we think is not for the development of the area,
but for the interests of Punjab", said Balach Marri.
Marri tribesmen who are armed with sophisticated and heavy weapons and
are believed having expertise in all kinds of explosives including land
mines claim to have the strength of over four to five thousands trained
man and are capable of offering tough resistance to military for
defending their natural resources.
According to Frontier Corps Commandant Dera Bugti Col Furqan that Nawab
Akbar Bugti is running some 60 training camps of Bugti tribesmen in Dera
Bugti tribal agency and challenged the government authority. The Bugti
tribesmen made rocket attacks on the post of Defense Security Guards (DSG)
posted at Sui gas installations to express their resentment over the
rape of one DR. Shazia Khalid inside fenced area allegedly by a Major of
Pakistan army Captain Hamad in January last. The responsibility for the
rocket attacks on DSG posts was claimed by Baloch Liberation Army.
Bugti tribe which is known for pro-Pakistan establishment in history,
for the first time challenged the authority of the government by taking
arms against its forces. They claim that the gas is being produced since
1953 from the area and pumped to every nook and corner of the country,
but the people of the area and Balochistan are still deprived of this
resource. They also pin point the economic condition of Balochistan
government which always face financial plights and say the provincial
Chief Minister visits every month Islamabad to receive the salaries of
provincial government employees.
The killing of of five Chinese engineers in the coastal town of Gwader
in a remote controlled bomb blast and an armed clash between a group and
Pakistan army in Turbat area created ripples in government circles who
assessed the capabilities of the armed groups operative across
Balochistan. In the clash, the armed group shot down a helicopter
killing two crews and succeeded to disappeared into mountains. After
these events the security forces claimed to have raided a training camp
in Turbat area and recovered sophisticated communication equipments like
satellite phone and explosives from the camp.
The government agencies believe that Baloch armed resistance group and
nationalist forces are receiving funds from neighboring countries
possibly India and Iran for the sabotage activities in Balochistan. They
also suspect that some members of the ruling family of United Arab
Emirates also provide financial assistance to Baloch armed group/BLA to
disrupt Gwader deep water port as they think that Dubai free port will
receive a setback once Gwader port becomes operational. The first phase
of Gwader port has been completed while the work on second phase is
about to start in the near future.
Baloch armed groups are reported to escape into neighbouring Iran after
the rocket and armed attacks on Para military forces close to Pak-Iran
border (Mund area of Kechh district). The government agencies believe
that these armed groups having also very close link with drug
traffickers who operate in the border areas, are provided shelter inside
Iran. On the other side there are reports that Iranian government
believes that there are American agents with the help of local Baloch
youth, operating on Pak-Iran border with the active help of Pakistani
agencies for intelligence gathering for US government.
Almost all Baloch nationalist parties are opposing Mega development
projects mainly Gwader port on the ground that these projects will cause
influx of outsiders (the non-Baloch people from other provinces of the
country) in Gwader and other areas of the province that will ultimately
turn Baloch into minority on their own land. These nationalist forces
pin point the excesses, have been done by the successive government in
the past with Balochistan in development sector and services on federal
level and claim that Balochistan has been treated as colony by Islamabad
rulers.
The government had constituted two sub-parliamentary committee--one for
political issues and other for constitutional matters-- with the
consultation of Baloch nationalists parties and inclusion of their
parliamentarians. However Balochistan National Party (Mengal group) quit
the committee as protest over the house raids and arrests of Baloch
youth while Jamhoori Watan Party announced its disassociation with the
committee as protest over after the deployment of forces and
construction of cantonment in Sui town of Dera Bugti. In the absence of
these parties, the committee recently announced its recommendations
about some relief for Balochistan and its people which the Baloch
nationalist parties rejected out rightly.
Some three to four hundred armed Baloch guerrillas last month
captured the coal mines owned by non-Baloch (Mostly Punjabi) people in
Much of Bolan district and demanded funds for Baloch struggle against
the government. They remained in the mines area till the owners did not
not submit to their demands. The owners ran between pillar to post,
calling upon the civil and military officials and demanded for action
against the armed group, but in vain.
According to coal mine owners that they found luke warm attitude from
the government and military side rather some of the government
functionaries suggested them to settle with Baloch guerrillas on their
own. Some fifty coal mines now started paying tax/fund for their
movement and in return Baloch guerrillas are responsible for the
security in whole area.
An army helicopter hovering in the area was fired upon by the same
Baloch guerrillas who claimed to hit the copper in the area. The ISPR
also confirmed the incident, but denied of any damage to the chopper.
There are reports that military forces are pondering to take action
against the Baloch guerrillas encamped in coal mine area which hardly 90
KM away from the provincial capital.
If any military action is taken in any part of Balochistan, as believed,
it will have a chain reaction in whole province and will not only
confine to any area or tribe, but almost all Baloch sections may join
the action against the government.
By Irfan Saeed
Weekly Pulse Islamabad 7-13 October 2005 |
