Balochistan conflict under the shadow of Kashmir issue

By Shahdad Baloch

Since decades India and Pakistan are at dagger drawn over the Kashmir issue. Immediately after the division of India and creation of Pakistan scores of war broke out between India and its former integral part [Pakistan] over the status of Kashmir. India in entire time fought for Kashmir in an honest and trustworthy manner but Pakistan proved as a wolf in sheep’s skin. Pakistan mobilised its proxies and media to deter Kashmir issue in early days when Pakistan army wasn’t capable to confront India, it sent her tribal Pashtun civilian militias to fight Indian army in the name of religion. The fact, however, is that India fought an expensive war but Pakistan with her machination and deception confronted India.

Consequently, Pakistan despite losing the war won international support via her illusion and machination. Since then Pakistan has been flooding her proxies in the name of jihad to India and recently opened a corridor where Pakistani thugs are piercing Indian progress by providing a calm environment to China so that it becomes the leader of South Asia. The blunder was also committed by America in 1971 war when it deterred India against Pakistan and proved as an aide to the devil state which is now a mass producing machine of extremists for the entire world. The Afghan scenario is a bitter example for the world.

Historically, Balochistan freedom movement against imperialism and colonialism is diverse. From Portuguese siege to the occupation by Pakistan, Baloch people resisted for the freedom of their land. Balochistan emerged as a nation-state thousands of years before when there was no Kashmir. Despite, Pakistan with her seventy years of history has overtly highlighted Kashmir at every forum of the world and at the same time occupies a significant portion of it. Besides, she left a bad image for India through her machination and lobbying the example of which is a recent resolution passed by UN against Kashmiri people suffering under India. Indeed, the world is aware that India is countering the Pakistan lobby in Kashmir within the framework designed by international law and the civilized world the example of which is an ongoing protest by French people “Yellow Vest protesters” and role of French cops to deal with them.

Vice versa, the Pakistani army is abducting Baloch people from all walk of life and opted persecution methods like drilling, chopping off of organs and dumping the abductees in mass graves like the one found in Tootak area of Khuzdar.

The question is what India is doing to fulfil its responsibilities as a democratic and secular state to support Baloch?

Nothing satisfactory! Mere a single mention of Balochistan by Indian premier Mr Modi during his Red Fort speech that India would not remain silent on human right violations in Balochistan but as ill luck would have it; the Baloch nation has not seen further development except an escalation of Pakistani state atrocities against Baloch people. On contrary, Pakistan is hiring more and more jihadist through notorious Hafiz Saeed the mastermind of Mumbai terrorist attack and his team. Pakistan has given official status to Kashmir issue with her deceptions and turned her machinations into actions.

And to some extent, Pakistani succeeded in drawing international attention toward Kashmir issue. The Pakistani civilians and military are on one page about Kashmir issue. They invite Kashmiri leaders to their country, hold demonstrations and openly build a unanimous narrative that India is behind the genocide of Kashmiri people. In fact, they are mounting a negligible issue as a big problem for South Asian peace progress. The reality, however, is that the genuine and pure struggle among freedom movements in South Asia is of Balochistan but no one is paying heed towards this even not brotherly India.

Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Arab regions [the Gulf States] have also turned a blind eye to Baloch freedom movement and aligned themselves with Pakistan. Saudi Arabia, for example, knows that it was Pakistan because of which she faced humiliation on international forums when Osama bin Laden was dwelling in Pakistan. That humiliation came before the world when a verdict was passed by American judiciary that any American can sue Saudi Arabia as a nation with reference to 9/11 incident.

Likewise, Bangladesh faced the same tune from the military might of Pakistan as she is committing same crimes against the Baloch people and also Afghanistan is destroyed by Pakistan where bloodshed is rampant. But all the aforementioned nations are silent regarding Pakistan’s meddling in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Balochistan’s affairs. The question before the intellectuals, nations, politicians and diplomats of the world is that what Pakistan has offered for the peace of the world? The answer is unanimous nothing but chaos, bloodshed, hatred and deception.

Now with her machinations, Pakistan aligned herself with China just to legalise her illegal wrongdoings in UN, this is owing to the mistake that America did in the early 70s by not supporting freedom of Balochistan. The monster Pakistan has been gathering in return dollars and still deceiving mighty America through the ‘lollypop’ of Pakistan role in Afghan negotiation. But in every scene, Pakistan is betraying the entire world and they endorse this as a tactic against the world. On several forums, retired army generals have admitted that they betrayed USSR and America in their wars.

It is not essential to portray a list of betrayal by Pakistan but there is a question mark on India that if Pakistan is openly not only supporting Kashmir insurgency but its army is playing the role of surrogates against India. But on the contrary, Indian premier Mr Narendra Singh Modi has just once paid lip service to the agonies of the Baloch nation. it seems that India has backed out from the saying that they would raise the issue of Balochistan on international forums. However, Pakistan with her dual role, machination and deception is stretching her arms at full length to keep Kashmir as a bone of contention. Despite, the fact India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and western world coupled with America are silent about Pakistan’s atrocities in Balochistan.

Baloch leader Mr Hyrbyair Marri has on several occasion raised the apprehension that united nation has passed several resolutions across the world regarding human crisis but not a single for Baloch people. He also added that Pakistan army should be dealt with accordingly on international forums for the genocide of Bengali people. He also raised the curtain of betrayal of Pakistan on the war on terror. Mr Marri also offered the world for peaceful co-existence, if Balochistan would get freedom but despite all Pakistan is exploiting the world just to protect her declared pseudo jihadist assets like Hafiz Saeed, Maulana Masood Azhar etc.

Every nation has certain responsibilities and moral duties which are the favour that Baloch endeavours for. If the neighbouring countries and rest of the world start calling for Baloch rights then probably Pakistani butchers (army) stop their cruelties.

Like in case of India its premier Mr Modi should fulfil his commitment that he made with the Baloch nation on 15 August speech. Likewise, Bangladeshi premier Sheikh Hasina Wajid should come forward with Baloch national leader Mr Hyrbyair Marri and file a suit against the genocide of Bengali people in early seventy. It is also incumbent for Afghanistan to join the proposed alliance of both Baloch and Bengali against the bloodshed hatched by Pakistan in Afghanistan. For America, the only roadmap left is the message of Selig S. Harrison who was an international policy maker since the time of Woodrow Wilson who formulated the League of Nations.

Mr Selig S. Harrison in his book “In Afghanistan’s shadow: Baluch nationalism and Soviet temptation” showed the research-based scientific solution of Afghanistan problem and asked for a policy drift in South Asia by supporting free Balochistan. America has no option but an independent Balochistan otherwise the scores of betrayal by Pakistan to American state would be a mocking remark on the history of a superpower. India should not ponder on hue and cry of Pakistan regarding invitation of Baloch leader Mr Marri on his human right based trip to India because Pakistan has always been on front-line regarding Kashmir issue and never felt hesitation of dwelling Kashmiri insurgents on Pakistani soil. If Pakistan raises her voice about Hyrbyair Marri visit to India than let the leader of the Baloch nation answer Pakistan about the reality of Balochistan that is being hidden and mutilated by Pakistan.