We seek moral support from all nations of world: Hyrbyair Marri interview with BBC Urdu

Translated by Archen Baloch

QUETTA:  The BBC Urdu service could not hide its prejudice towards Baloch nation when it interviewed Baloch national leader Hyrbyair regarding Balochistan’s relationship with India and put up a misleading headline on their website which was in complete contrast of what Mr Marri has said in his interview.

BBC Urdu Service’s Adil Shahzeb interviewed pro-freedom Baloch leader Hyrbyair Marri on Friday night regarding the allegations of Pakistani media that Mr Marri went to Delhi to launch Balochistan freedom movement.

The Pakistani media unleashed their propaganda against Marri Marri after a Baloch activists in Delhi attended a seminar on 4^th of October, 2015 which was organised to discuss human rights violations in Pakistani Occupied Kashmir, Balochistan, Gilget-Baltistan, Sindh and Paskhtunistan. Balaach Purdili Baloch a political activist from Northern Balochistan, who has been living in India since 2009, read out the message of Hyrbyair Marri.  Mr Hyrbyair in his message urged the Indian leadership to adopt a clear proactive policy about Balochistan freedom movement and the Baloch human rights issues just like Pakistan’s stance over Kashmir.

In his interview with BBC Urdu the Baloch leader said that if the government of India officially invites him and offer moral support to Baloch struggle, he will certainly visit India and any other country around the world to seek moral and diplomatic support for freedom of Balochistan.

However, in their website the BBC Urdu has deliberately misquoted the Baloch leader by putting up a misleading headline which read, “I have never sought help from India and would never ask for its help for freedom.”

The audio interview of Baloch leader Hyrbyair Marri and the Urdu script by BBC are still on the BBC Urdu service’s website to be tallied. After listening to the audio and reading the Urdu script of BBC any fair-minded person could easily conclude that BBC has attempted to misreport the Baloch leader to create confusion about Baloch nation’s appeal for support from international community.

In fact earlier on Friday the ANI in a report wrote, “Hyrbyair Marri said he was looking forward to the day when India would have a clear policy on Balochistan, and insisted that New Delhi needs to diplomatically and morally support the Baloch freedom struggle.”

On Saturday pro-freedom Baloch leader Hyrbyair Marri ‘s  full interview with BBC was posted on his Facebook Page. Below is the transcript and English translation of Hyrbyair Marri’s full interview with BBC Urdu.

Adil Shahzeb: Mr Hyrbyair, there are reports that you are in India and you have launched a campaign for free Balochistan. What is the reality in these reports?

Hyrbyair Marri: No, I have not been to India since a long time and I have not launched any campaign about free Balochistan yet. There was a seminar in India – if people are referring to that and saying that I have gone to India – which was organised by Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena (BSKS) to discuss the human rights violations in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Sindh, Balochistan and Pashtunistan. Friends have decided to send one of our Baloch brothers who lives in Delhi India to attend the seminar and give awareness to India public about human rights abuses in Balochistan by Pakistan.

Adil Shahzeb:  You are talking about Balaach Purdili?

Hyrbyair Marri: Yes, Balaach Purdili exactly

Adil Shahzeb:  So he is a member of your Baloch Liberation Front?

Hyrbyair Marri:  I don’t know about Baloch Liberation Front because neither of us is member of Baloch Liberation Front. We are working for Free Balochistan Movement which is an awareness campaign about liberation and independence of Balochistan. Our main demand is that Pakistan must withdraw from Balochistan. We are working for freedom of Balochistan. This [Balaach Purdili] is one of our Baloch brothers and he lives in India.

Adil Shahzeb:  So he is not an Indian citizen. He is from Balochistan but currently he’s living in India?

Hyrbyair Marri:  Yes, He is a Baloch from the Afghanistan controlled Balochistan. We all Baloch are one nation no matter in which area we live in.

Adil Shahzeb:  So Mr Marri you’re saying that you have not gone to India. Since when you have not visited India?

Hyrbyair Marri: I think it has been around 25-30 years when I first visited India as a tourist with my friends from Moscow.

Adil Shahzeb: Your slogan is free Balochistan but you have not launched any such activities in India as such so far?

Hyrbyair Marri: No, I have not launched any such activities so far

Adil Shahzeb: But if they invite you to India would you go?

Hyrbyair Marri: Yes, if the government officially invites me regarding moral support for Balochistan for which we are working. I will definitely go. I’m ready to go not only to India but to any anywhere in the world to create international awareness about what Pakistan is doing in Balochistan. They are [Pakistani army] killing Baloch people in their houses and dragging people out of their houses to shot them dead. All these allegations as you were saying and I have read in media as well that I have gone to India show that Pakistan is in a state of Panic because we are exposing them internationally. They are killing Baloch people on daily basis. If they kill a hundred or even two hundred Baloch nobody holds them accountable on international level but now they are in a Panic because we are giving awareness to the world general public about what Pakistan has been doing with Baloch nation. In Awaran Military operation they killed around a hundred people and I have heard that thousands have fled from there to other areas. They did the same thing in Kohlu and Naseerabad, they are doing same thing all over Balochistan including Turbat, Makuran, Panjgur. They are disappearing people every day but nobody asks them. We are working to expose them that’s why now they’re scared that people will know the reality about them.

Adil Shahzeb: You’re talking about asking help from India whether moral or otherwise but if you read the reports by Amnesty International human rights, they allege that India itself is involved in Human Rights violations. You’re alleging that Pakistan is violating human rights. There are allegations that both are involved in Human Rights Violation. So do you think it is OK to ask for help from India?

Hyrbyair Marri: I am seeking assistance from India Public. I want to spread awareness among general population and inform them. I am not asking for support from anyone.

Adil Shahzeb: So you’re not seeking help from India but you’re only informing the Indian public?

Hyrbyair Marri: I am informing them and we need their moral support. There are allegation against United States as well that it is involved in human rights abuses and it violated human rights in GITMO [Guantanamo Bay] but this doesn’t mean we will not take our case to America. Britain has also send its agents in many Arab states to forcibly extracted information form prisoners. So tomorrow they will say why you are living in UK because it is also involved in human rights abuses. That doesn’t make sense. I think we the Baloch should fight the case of Baloch nation on every forum. Baloch nation has one main demand that is Independent Balochistan and we should convey that demand to every nation in world and to their general public.

Adil Shahzeb: Brahumdagh Bugti also used to follow a straight line like yourself that he will not negotiate on anything less than independent Balochistan but not only he has soften his stance in fact he has completely changed his demand. He says he is ready to sit with Pakistani government if Baloch nation wants. He even says if the majority of Baloch want he is ready to accept Pakistan and he has no problems with Pakistan. So if the majority of Baloch want negotiations with Pakistan and abandon the demand for free Balochistan don’t you think you should also negotiate with Pakistan and give up your demand for an independent Balochistan?

Hyrbyair Marri: NO, I know the majority do not want slavery but there is not gauge to measure the will of majority. We have to work honestly for Balochistan according to our conscience and the fact is that Pakistan has occupied Balochistan. We have to spend our total energy to regain our independence and that is the will of Baloch nation as well. If Pakistan removes its artillery, fighter jets from Balochistan and the atmosphere of terror and harassment, you will see 100% of Baloch nation will say we want freedom. Pakistan is terrorising Baloch people by abduction and kill and dump where dozens of bullet-ridden bodies are found on regular basis.

Adil Shahzeb: Mr Hyrbyair if Pakistan army and FC withdraws from there [Balochistan] and the military operations are stopped. If the Baloch nation is given the right to decide what they want and if the majority of them say they don’t want independent Balochistan. Would you accept their decision then?

Hyrbyair Marri: NO, because I know the majority of Baloch don’t accept slavery. No nation in world likes slavery. Balochistan was forcibly occupied against the will of Baloch nation. Why would they bother to ask Baloch nation now? So if they withdraw the army, the Baloch nation will still be enslaved because there will be no army but slavery will still be there. The exploitation will continue, the distortion of Baloch national identity will continue and the Baloch natural resources will be looted and plundered. They will send their people from outside to turn Baloch into a minority in their own homeland but only the army will not be there.  No, that is not acceptable because they occupied Balochistan illegally that is why there is only one solution that they [Pakistan] must withdraw from Balochistan sooner or later. They must ‘see the writing on the wall’. Baloch nation has no other demand but the withdrawal of Punjabi army from Balochistan because they [Baloch] know that this army has destroyed Balochistan and they are dumping bodies on daily basis hence the hatred against them has increased.

Adil Shahzeb: Mr Hyrbyair Marri thank you very much for talking to BBC Urdu

Hyrbyair Marri: Thank you