Iran meddling in Baloch freedom Movement

By Shahdad Baloch

After series of interferences in the Middle East, now Iran has opted the policy of diluting the Baloch struggle for an independent homeland through her notorious ‘proxy war’ doctrine. The most recent development was witnessed after the Kurdistan referendum, where Iranian revolutionary guards backed Iraqi forces in their attempt to sabotage the demand of Kurdish people for an independent state. Thus, Iran has opted the policy of brutal use of force against the Kurds because the Iranian regime is afraid of any upheaval from the people of Iranian occupied Kurdistan. Likewise, Iran is facing a critical threat from the ongoing resistance of the Baloch nation in Pakistani occupied Balochistan, the success of which might disrupt the colonialism of Iran and her current geographical existence.

Today the world is witnessing the meddling of Iran in the affairs of countries, where proxies are launched to play havoc with any doctrine that might hurt the religious and geopolitical interests of Iran. The support of Houthi tribe in Yemen and the killing of Abdullah Saleh through Iranian backed proxies are clear examples of Iranian interference in the affairs of other nations. Abdullah Saleh preferred negotiation and opened a platform for political dialogue, which was indigestible for Iran, who then faced the ultimate assassination just because Iran rendered Abdullah Saleh as obsolete. similarly, in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon the policy of Iran is quite clear and pessimistic for the Middle East and rest of the world.

Concurrently, Iran is playing the same game with some factions within the Balochistan liberation movement, but with different tactics which would be horrific for Baloch national sustainability, if the matter is not understood and resolved immediately. The policy of Iran towards Baloch liberation movement is solely based on enmity, means Iran is unwilling to support pro-freedom Baloch patriots politically but is up for military support with the doctrine that Baloch talk about Iranian occupied Balochistan. The Iranians first named Balochistan as Sistan because they didn’t like the word Balochistan but later changed it to Sistan and Balochistan. Currently, the Iranian regime is implementing its plan to remove the name of Balochistan and divide the Iranian occupied Balochistan into three different territories. Inside sources say they initially plan to name it Sistan, Walayat and Zabul but the eventual plan is to merge different chunks of Balochistan with other provinces of Iran.  Iran occupied Western Part of Balochistan after the British attacked Balochistan in 1839 and later divided united Balochistan into three different parts.

IRAN-PAKISTAN NEXUS IN CONTEXT OF BALOCHISTAN

Iran was the first country throughout the world that recognised the carving out of Pakistan as an independent state in 1947. Iran also did not retaliate during the 1948 forcible and illegal annexation of sovereign Balochistan by Pakistan. The Pakistani army penetrated on the soil of Balochistan with heavy tanks and military equipment, Iran did not declare Pakistan’s that move as illegal and threat to the Iranian so-called sovereignty, despite witnessing the expansionist policy of Pakistan in 1948. But today the dynamics of Iran-Pakistan relation are at different poles which are in fact delusion based political tactics to sabotage the freedom movement of Balochistan. Iran and Pakistan have kept themselves  on different poles just to show the world that there is contradiction between Tehran and Islamabad on the politics of Middle East, but in real picturesque of politico-social affairs it is the ‘camouflage’ tactics being operated against Baloch nation – the planned strategy to sandwich Baloch nation between Iran and Pakistan so that both could easily eradicate the freedom fighters of Balochistan within a single pinch and dilute the global attention against politics of Baloch nation.

The first round of which was a mutual agreement between Iran and Pakistan to convert the decade and more long arm resistance of Balochistan into Iranian proxy on terms and regulations which are both financial and political. The evidence of the camouflage tactics could easily be observed in the case of Taliban leader Mullah Mansoor Akhtar who dwelled in the territory of Iran with the passport of Pakistan so that Iran could easily provide ease to Pakistan against the growing pressure of the United States of  America. Likewise, the military leader of Jundullah a resistance faction against the Iranian regime, whose leader Abdul Malik Reki was arrested, with the help of information that Pakistani intelligence agencies provided to Iran, on his travel from Dubai to Kyrgyzstan in 2010.

Mr Reki initially led a Sunni resistance group that demanded equal rights for Baloch who are mainly Sunni Muslim in a Shiite dominated Iran. Reki’s group enjoyed a good conditional support from Pakistan but when he got inspired by the nationalist resistance movement in Pakistani occupied Balochistan, he changed his manifesto from a religious fight to nationalist resistance. Soon after the change of his manifesto, he became a bargaining chip between Pakistan and Iran’s clandestine diplomatic relation against Baloch nation, based on scepticism and delusion.

The interests of both Iran and Pakistan in the occupied territories of Balochistan are common, based on resources, coastal belts and vast territory of Balochistan. Then how could one be in the genuine position to claim that Iran will support the Baloch resistance movement in Pakistan occupied Balochistan? Iran may only give some relaxation to a certain fraction of Baloch liberation movement so to create mistrust and misunderstanding between the pro-freedom forces in occupied Balochistan.

HOW DOES BALOCH NATION SEE IRAN GROWING INTERFERENCE IN BALOCH LIBERATION MOVEMENT?

Today the Baloch liberation movement is divided into three main factions – the common Baloch and the politico-military resistance for the liberation of Balochistan. The former is unanimous regarding the occupation of Balochistan under Iran and Pakistan that’s why they are being killed on regular basis, yet thousands of innocent Baloch are either hanged by the Iranian regime in the name of drug trafficking or killed and dumped by the Pakistani military in a different manner. While the politico-military faction in the contemporary age is being witnessed on two different and contradictory poles in their support to Iran or Pakistan. On both sides, there is evidence that some Baloch in Iranian occupied Balochistan are working as proxies of Pakistan in the name of religious factionalism – Sunnis fighting against Shias regime whereas few in Pakistan occupied Balochistan enjoy the Iranian support against Pakistan in the name of liberation of Balochistan. The common Baloch on both sides is witnessing the fact that gradually the purity of Baloch resistance movement is being diverted by Iranian doctrine of proxy war.

This ‘divide and rule than crush policy’ is understood by every ordinary Baloch in occupied territories of Balochistan. Pakistan wants Iran to raise timely support to the military resistance of Pakistani based occupied Balochistan because during the decade and more war, Pakistan has witnessed series of failures in their war against Baloch freedom fighters. Pakistan is aware of the fact that Iran is globally and regionally not being welcomed by the world powers, thereby rendering Baloch liberation movement to be the proxy of Iran, is in Pakistan’s favour in the long run – the policy of detachment of any international support for the success of liberation movement of Balochistan.

HAYRBYAR MARRI’S TIMELY ATTEMPT TO FOIL THE PRE-PLANNED STRATEGY OF IRAN AND PAKISTAN

Mr Hyrbyair Marri has clear stance on both Iran and Pakistan since decades. His political doctrine is clear that the world should help Baloch nation in their demand for restoration of Balochistan’s freedom on the 1839 geographical position. During the time of nuclear deal between world powers and Iran, Mr Marri didn’t compromise over his position despite the fact that America was the author of the deal who was backed by rest of the world powers. There is a popular saying of Mr Marri on Iran nuclear that “Today the world has officially given the keys of the gates of hell to Iran. This day would be remembered as a dark day.” The approach of Hyrbyair Marri is worth-meaning from the day when the president of USA Mr Donald trump ceased the nuclear deal. Despite the global support of Iran Mr Marri was alone to stand up against the world powers and muster up the courage to criticize the entire international community who supported the deal. Such a courageous stance showed his leadership quality that he has been the protector of Baloch interests rather than compromising over the territories of Balochistan.

Concurrently, when some factions within the Baloch nationalistic movement showed their inclination towards the support of Iran, Mr Marri interrupted and grasp well the evil designs of Iran and Pakistan against Baloch resistance movement and called the Iran support as a policy of ‘bargaining chip’ to open an easy way for Pakistan against any imminent threat. In a statement Mr Marri said that: “The occupying state of Iran and Pakistan have always closely cooperated against the Baloch national cause in order to counter and eliminate the Baloch freedom struggle.”

He further added that; “Both states have adopted dangerous policies against the Baloch national struggle. both occupying states through their infamous intelligence agencies are trying to pit-pro freedom organizations against each other on both sides of occupied Balochistan. In some places they succeeded in other, their evil designs have failed.”

The credibility of this statement is witnessed when both Pakistan and Iran came in front to disrupt the strong fabrics of Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and wanted to drag it in Iranian proxy doctrine through using several tactics which were plotted by Iran with the support of some segments within the liberation movement of Balochistan.

Since Mr Marri foiled the Iran evil design several conspiracies are hatched to bring Baloch Liberation Army under the influence of Iran but this attempt was miserably failed when the high command of the Baloch Liberation Army issued a statement and cleared its stance.

BALOCH LIBERATION ARMY STANCE OVER IRANIAN OCCUPIED BALOCHISTAN

In a fresh statement, the BLA high command declared Mr Azad Baloch as the only spokesperson of Baloch Liberation Army. It was clear before the Baloch nation and international arena that BLA would denounce any such step which dilutes its credibility ratio among the Baloch nation and called out that Iran is using all recourses to create a schism within the BLA through her proxy doctrine. The Baloch Liberation Army is well aware of the Iran-Pakistan nexus against the Baloch nation. Under the military doctrine and any imminent threat, Baloch Liberation Army high command has suspended the other two spokespersons, Jeeand and Meerak Baloch, of BLA keeping in view the sensitivity of growing influence of Iranian proxy war doctrine in the region.

BLA being the architect of rest of military organisations of Balochistan freedom movement has raised the slogan that Baloch nation would never step down from the demand of Iranian occupied Balochistan and called for a unanimous approach to mitigate the growing influence of Iran in meddling the affairs of Balochistan freedom movement.

CONCLUSION

Keeping in view the current socio-political developments in the region Baloch nation is witnessing three main flanks which are deterrent against the Iran-Pakistan clandestine and backdoor diplomacy. Firstly, Baloch nation means the common Baloch are unanimous in their demand for freedom of Balochistan under Iran and Pakistan occupation.

Secondly, the opinion leader is pivotal under such complex political situation. Mr Hyrbyair Marri has emerged as a great opinion leader to build the narrative that being the head of free Balochistan movement and holding the mandate of Baloch nation abroad is in non-compromising nature regarding Iranian occupied Balochistan and assured the nation and international arena that Baloch will not surrender from their demand of restoration of Balochistan as per 1839 borders.

Thirdly, Baloch liberation army high command Mr Azad Baloch has also cleared that BLA being the army of the Baloch nation will not support any proxy doctrine from Iran or any other regional and international power. This reveals that despite many hurdles Baloch nation, Baloch leadership and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) with Azad Baloch as its only spokesman, are committed to protecting the Baloch national interests at any cost. Thus, the Baloch nation is optimistic that in near future like Hyrbyair Marri and Baloch Liberation Army the rest of Baloch freedom seekers foil the attempt of Iranian evil designs in diluting Baloch cause, which is hands and gloves with Pakistan to derail and finally sabotage the liberation movement of Balochistan.