Hyrbyair Marri: A dedicated leader of Baloch freedom struggle

By Shahdad Baloch
“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” I believe Hyrbyair Marri Baloch is among the one to whom greatness has been thrust upon.

Self-made men often have to overcome great obstacles to achieve their national objectives. He spent most of his early adolescence with his wretched people in Afghanistan where he experienced their pain and sufferings. During his school vocations instead of going elsewhere he preferred mostly to visit the Baloch refugees in Helmand (Afghanistan) where he witnessed the sufferings of his victimized Baloch people, victims of Pakistani cruelty. His two elder brothers disliked his closeness with the Baloch refugees in Afghanistan but their behaviour didn’t hamper his ambition to visit his poor people and be with them in most difficult times.

Baloch nation, its sufferings and deprivations are the core subject for him to ponder on. Pakistani army and agencies tried a lot to distract his keenness towards Baloch nation. Pakistan’s anti Hyrbyair propagandas and their attempts to use carrot and stick could neither bribe nor hamper his love and dedication towards Balochistan and Baloch people. Today he is recognised as architect of current freedom movement in Balochistan.

Born on 4 august 1968 in Quetta Balochistan, at Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri’s house, he studied at Quetta Grammar School. He continued his studies in Kabul (Afghanistan) when he moved there along with his family in 1980s. He went to Russia for further studies where he studied journalism. During this time he made frequent visits to Baloch refugee camp in Helmand Afghanistan and his ties grew with his own people. This was a new chapter of life for him. He used to listen to the stories of Baloch Veterans of 70s war and the difficulties they had faced.

He returned from Afghanistan in 1992 and started working for Baloch freedom struggle. He along with his ideological and likeminded friends organised study circles to educate Baloch youth about their right to independence. He took part in Balochistan Assembly elections in 1997 and won the votes with overwhelming majority. He then became the minister of C&W ‘Communication and Work’. He was the youngest and first Baloch Member of Parliament and minister who declined to pledge loyalty to Pakistan. Instead of the words ‘I shall remain loyal to Pakistan’ he vowed “I shall remain loyal to my Nation”. Mr. Marri was also the first Baloch minister to protest against conducting nuclear tests in Balochistan in May, 1998.

In 1999 he went to Europe for vacations, he was still abroad when Musharraf’s government implicated him, his father Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri and brothers in murder case of Justice Nawaz Marri who was killed by unknown persons, presumably by Pakistani intelligence agencies, on 7, January, 2000. Hyrbyair Marri stayed in London and effectively promoted the Baloch national freedom movement in accordance with the requirements of contemporary world.

In December, 2007, Mr Marri along with Faiz Baluch was arrested in London, United Kingdom on behest of Pakistani government and on request of General Parves Musharraf. Prior to his arrest there were reports in British media that Pakistan and Britain wanted to agree on a swap deal under which Pakistan would hand over Rahid Rauf (a man wanted for a murder case in UK and accused of planning to blow up of transatlantic airlines) to UK and in return Britain would extradite Baloch leaders including Hyrbyair Marri. However, in reality Pakistan wanted to silence Mr Marri because he was exposing the atrocities of Pakistani state and its army against the people of Balochistan. Pakistan was afraid because this young man has internationalised the Baloch freedom movement and because of his tireless efforts the world organisations and international community was becoming aware of Pakistani state barbarism in Balochistan.

He was imprisoned for more than four months and then released on bail under strict conditions including he had to wear a tag at all times, he was not allowed to make phone calls to Balochistan, he was not allowed to speak to media and he was not allowed to attend any meetings about Balochistan. This ordeal continued for almost one year before he was put on trial which continued for around two months where he eloquently explained the problem of Balochistan and successfully persuaded an ordinary British jury about Pakistani state’s crimes against humanity against Baloch people. The jury of British men and women saw through his cause and acquitted him of three charges whereas the CPS later withdrew the remaining charges against him as there was no evidence. Hence he was set free as a dignified Baloch leader and human rights activist. After one year of ordeal Sine his acquittal he has continuously been advocating for the Baloch freedom movement.

Hyrbyair Marri is a great statesman, diplomat and politician. At public events he delivers his speeches with wisdom and maturity. He weighs his words well before he speaks them out. Moreover, he disclaimed himself as prince or Sardar. Despite belonging to the Sardar’s family, he says he is an activist of Baloch freedom movement and he is not better than any ordinary Baloch who struggles for Baloch national freedom. His humbleness, honesty and straightforwardness are his strength. He has not ever been afraid of enemy’s strength and power, wanting to win he always rightly estimate occupier strength and he knows his nations resolve and will power for an independent state. His eyes and mind are always fixed on the ground to his struggling nation and defenders of his motherland.

One of his revolutionary steps is the formulation of “BALOCHISTAN LIBERATION CHARTER” a political road map for free Balochistan. Hyrbyair Marri and his friends believe that Baloch nation needs a written pledge from their leaders which they say is the Balochistan Liberation Charter. They presented the Charter for feedbacks and improvement to leader of BRP Mr Brahumdagh Bugti, Dr Allah Nazar Baluch, Khan Suleman Dawood Baloch, BSO-Azad, BNM, BNM (Shaheed Ghulam Mohammad), BNP leader Akhtar Mengal, Baloch Salvation Front, Baloch Raaji Zrombesh, Balochistan Peoples Party and other organisations inside and outside Balochistan.

His true comrades are those who struggle for Balochistan’s independence; he called his own brother Jangaiz Marri as one of those who have sided with the enemies of Baloch and are working against Baloch national interest. He gives ideological relations priority over blood relations and his truism lays in the fact that he loves those who sacrificed their lives for Free Balochistan and those who sincerely struggle for Baloch national liberation. He has successfully drawn the attention of international community towards atrocity of Pakistan in Balochistan. Due to his extraordinary advocacy of Baloch cause, Pakistan considers him a headache that is why on several occasion Pakistan tried to mislead the international community in their endeavour to get Marri deported so that they could imprison torture and kill him like thousands of other Baloch leaders and activists.

Two other well-known names in Balochistan freedom struggle are of Dr Allah Nazar Baloch and Brahumdagh Bugti who have had close proximity with Hyrbyair Marri. On several occasions Hyrbyair Marri and his friends have supported them and worked closely with them in term of experience and stragies, diplomacy and brought consciousness in them regarding changing world order and its growing favour towards Balochistan freedom. The recent example of which is the formulation of “BALOCHISTAN LIBERATION CHARTER” and presenting it to all stake holders for their suggestions and feedbacks to improve it further and make it a national document which could unite all stake holders before the world with a clear political road map in their possession.

Sine 1990s Hyrbyair and his comrades have been actively galvanising the Baloch nation from Kohlu to Mashky for freedom of Balochistan. Among Nawab Marri’s sons he is true follower of Khair Baksh Marri and he was a supporter of Balochistan’s independence long before the others even knew there was a movement for Balochistan’s freedom. If Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri was the architecture of Baloch freedom movement, then Hybyair is the engineer who built this strong foundation and the building designed by Nawab Marri.

However, as the ill-luck would have it, few of his comrades deviated from the broader cause of free Balochistan and internal political rifts emerged among pro-freedom stake holders. After his arrested in London and subsequent imprisonment some of his comrades mismanaged liberation struggle but still he favours negotiation on those misconducts. He wants to address the internal political rifts so that all stake holders can unite and work for the freedom of Balochistan instead of wasting time and energy on blaming each other. He is man of principles who believes that accountability is very first step for an organised and combined movement.

On several occasions he offered world nations to open their Embassies in Balochistan and allow the Baloch people to open embassies of Balochistan around the world. Indeed he is a grand strategist he knows well how to lead the dimensions of a movement he always speaks of geographical importance of Balochistan. Moreover, he rejects the current geographical distribution of Balochistan and considers it obsolete. His personality is unique he selects people on the basis of ideology, his political ideal is his father (late Khair Baksh Marri) and he has been influenced by his brother Hunza Marri as a young boy, he also had great working coordination with his brother late Balach Marri. His hope and ultimate sources of inspiration are Baloch nation.

Today Baloch nation has its eyes on him that how he resolve the prevailing issues in Balochistan and its independence movement. He is abiding by the responsibility on his shoulders and it’s important to bring all Baloch stakeholders on one platform. He should convince Brahumdagh Bugti, Allah Nazar, and rest of the Baloch pro-freedom parties and individuals to come forward and support the “BALOCHISTAN LIBERATION CHARTER” so that it can be presented to the international community unanimously which help Baloch national freedom movement gains more will support internationally. It is the national duty of all these pro-freedom Baloch stakeholders to bury their personal egos and grudges and adopt the charter as a national document. That is because Baloch nation is a nation of Martyrs; thousands of Baloch have sacrificed their lives for independence of Balochistan. The mothers, sisters, bothers and other family members of Baloch martyrs of liberation struggle are asking for the freedom of nation for which their sons and daughters poured their blood.

Making a human chain and holding hands in the air as a show of unity is one thing but for a great vision and having a comprehensive document like the Balochistan Liberation Charter in your hands is quite another thing. Empty handed with no clear vision the unity will remain an empty slogan and rootless cause which will soon fade away with the passage of time and becomes a disappointment for the Baloch nation.