Pakistan violating international laws and human rights conventions in Balochistan: Hyrbyair Marri

The Baloch pro-liberation leader Hyrbyair Marri in a statement said that attack on innocent Pashtuns by so called Baloch activists are part of conspiracy and nefarious policies of the occupying state to pit the two brotherly nations against each other. Such attacks are aimed at defaming the Baloch national liberation struggle, which is in accordance with international and human rights laws.

He said with help of these organisations Pakistan is trying to deprive Baloch struggle of international political, moral and ethical support. In the guise of these attacks on one hand the Pakistani state wants to conceal its crimes against humanity in Balochistan and pave way for further atrocities, on the other hand it wants to engage the Baloch in a fight against their neighbouring brotherly nation to divert their attention from national struggle. “The Mastung incident was state’s policy where some so called activists were used to accomplish its evil designs,” he said.

He said that the occupying state is using Pashtuns on front line to continue its occupation over Baloch land, especially the Pashtuns from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are recruited in FC (Frontier Corps) and sent in Balochistan to fight against Baloch nation to prove that Pashtun as a nation are equal partners of Pakistan’s occupation in Balochistan and that Pashtun as a whole are Baloch enemy. To achieve this they are killing Pashtuns in Balochistan with help of their agents who have infiltrated in the ranks of Baloch pro-liberation forces in their effort to create rifts between Baloch and Pashtuns and to disturb the harmony between both nations.

The Baloch leader said that some Pashtuns from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in FC are involved in Baloch genocide for the sake of money in the same manner as were the killers of the innocent Pashtuns who used the name of Baloch freedom struggle are criminals and wrongdoers. There is no different between those Pashtuns in FC and those who are killing Pashtuns in the name of Baloch liberation struggle, both are committing similar acts of violence and human rights violations. The Pashtun in FC for the sake of money are furthering the agenda of Pakistan army while those in the guise of Baloch activists are involved in conspiracies against Baloch national struggle in the name of freedom.

He said despite atrocities of occupying state and murder of thousands of Baloch, the steadfastness of Baloch nation has forced the Pakistani state to use new tactics and accelerate its brutalities, as part of its new tactics, the state has succeeded in infiltrating some of its agents in Baloch liberation movement and these so called activists have been continuously committing acts that are in total contradiction with Baloch freedom struggle. Their actions are benefiting none but the occupying state of Pakistan and on several occasions their anti-liberation movement acts have been exposed.

Mr Marri said killing of innocent Pashtuns was to give a negative message to the Pashtun nation and the world that Baloch freedom movement is not a just struggle but it is a brutal extremist armed movement which doesn’t respect international and human rights laws. “Such incidents are staged by Pakistan to defame Baloch struggle,” he said.  The Baloch and Pashtun relations are centuries old and apart from some small misunderstandings the collective approach of the two nations have been of respect of each other. He added, “The Pashtun and Baloch will jointly foil the state’s conspiracies and will not allow their historical relations to be the target of such evil ambitions because both nations have always stood by each other at difficult times and naturally their lands have acted as safe sanctuaries for one another.”

He said both Baloch and Pashtuns are two oppressed nations who were first enslaved by the British and their land was divided by drawing of arbitrary Durand Line – after this division both nations remain under Pakistan’s interference, slavery and brutalities. The Punjabi occupiers have always tried to make Baloch and Pashtun fight against each other and for this purpose they first tried to create hatred through so called nationalists in the name of elections but they have failed to achieve their desired results.

Now with new tactics they are trying to pit the two oppressed nations against each other to make them weak in order to strengthen the Punjabi domination and loot and plunder of their natural resources. That’s why on one hand Pakistan army is continuing their barbarism in Balochistan while on the other hand the historical neighbours of Baloch – the Pashtuns – are being systematically targeted to defame the Baloch. “Can such people be well-wishers of Baloch freedom struggle and Baloch nation?” He questioned.

Historically from Khorasan to Punjab both nations fought shoulder to shoulder against their common enemies under the leadership Mir Nasir Khan and Ahmad Shah. When Punjab facilitated the British weaponry for the use in attack on Afghanistan, the Baloch resisted against British and refused to allow them to use their land against Afghanistan that is why the British attacked Balochistan and martyred Mir Mehrab Khan in 1839.

It is now obvious that Mastung incident was continuation of Pakistani army’s evil designs against Baloch aspirations. He said for the benefit of Baloch freedom struggle and regional changing scenarios it was the responsibility of Baloch political activists and Baloch intellectuals to discourage those who want to damage the Baloch freedom movement with such acts of hatred and provocations.

He said, “Pashtun nation should also, like the Baloch nation, strive for their freedom from Pakistan so that both brotherly nations together can re-establish peace and tranquillity in that region.”

Expressing his view on ongoing Baloch genocide Hyrbyair Marri said that occupying state of Pakistan from the beginning has been violating international laws and conventions by conducting military operations almost every day and targeting non-combats and indiscriminately bombing villages as acts of collective punishment against civilian populations in Balochistan.

He said, “With the passage of time the state has intensified Baloch genocide. After suffering defeat at the hand of Baloch activists, Pakistani forces are targeting innocent Baloch. In past two years Pakistani forces have been targeting civilians in Makuran, Kalat, Johan, Kohlu, Dera Bugti and other regions of Balochistan only for being Baloch.”

Mr Marri said that the recent mass arrests in Quetta and other area of Balochistan prove that Pakistan is indiscriminately targeting citizens of Balochistan in violations of article 50 of Hague Regulation [1907] which prevents occupying states from collective punishment of people of an occupied territory.

This article of Hague Regulation was later expanded at fourth Geneva Convention in August 1949 as following: “No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited.

Pillage is prohibited.

Reprisals against protected persons and their property are prohibited.”

 Hyrbyair Marri said that Pakistan is clearly violating these international conventions by indiscriminately bombing Baloch populations, mass arrests, pillage of villages and houses and collective punishment of non-combats in Balochistan. “Pakistan is committing war crimes that are against international laws but the silence of United Nations and international community on Pakistani atrocities and Baloch genocide is beyond comprehension.”