The Martyrs of Balochistan

By Aaliyah Shah

Martyrs are those who sacrifice their lives voluntary for a noble cause, those who refused to renounce a country, religion or other beliefs. A who person suffers greatly or dies for the nation or motherland rather than give up and the ones never accept slavery can die willingly for the motherland, that become Martyrs.

Martyrs devote their everything for their nation, motherland and other beliefs. Similarly, in Balochistan there are have been lots of selfless sons and daughters, whom we regards as national martyrs, have sacrificed their precious lives for their motherland. The Baloch Martyrs Day is on 13 November 1839 – the day when British colonial forces attack Balochistan and the Baloch ruler of the time Mr Mehrab Khan chose martyrdom over surrender and slavery. It is day of great pride for Baloch nation as Mir Mehrab Khan and his comrades resisted against the British army and had fought bravely against them till the end of their lives, but they did not quite the battle or run away from the battlefield.

He surely knew that it was not easy to defeat an army armed with sophisticated weapons and in large number and kept the culture of resistance alive and did not submit before the might of enemy forces. He greatly fought and embraced martyrdom on 13 November 1839.

This was not the first and last Baloch resistance or foreign attack against Balochistan because after the British left their legacy of divide and rule or weaken and occupy remained intact. Pakistan and Iran begun their expansionism and evil designs against Baloch nation. Even though the British had divided Balochistan but before leaving the sub-continent, they recognised the independence of Eastern part of Balochistan (currently occupied by Pakistan).

The freedom, however, was short-lived because the British brainchild Pakistan started its conspiracy and eventually occupied Balochistan in March 1948 after the Baloch nation overwhelmingly rejected to merge their country with Pakistan on the basis of religion. Hence, the Baloch war of liberation was once again intensified.

Even today, the Baloch brave sons and daughters are sacrificing their lives for the freedom and a dignified future. The Pakistani and Iranian intelligence agencies and armies are committing war crimes in Balochistan by using excessive force and brutalities but the resolve and determination of brave Baloch fighters is unbreakable. Those of young men, women and children who have been martyred for Balochistan.

Thousands of brightest and educated people in Balochistan including journalists, writers, teachers, leaders, students have been abducted and disappeared for years, tortured and killed in custody by Pakistani forces. An example is the case of Abdul Hameed Hayathan Baloch, a young journalist who was abducted from Gwadar on 25 October 2010 and on November 18 his body was found beside the river Sami in Turbat area of district Kech in Balochistan. The body of a student, Hamid Ismail was alongside Hayathan Baloch’s found on Eid day and a massage found with the bodies that” Eid present for Baloch people” these were the words of Pakistani forces. This act of sheer savageness by Pakistani forces shows their hatred against Baloch nation and their frightfulness from the educated Baloch youth.

Furthermore, on 26 April, a Baloch artist Minhaj Mukhtar was attacked by Pakistani forces fire and terrorised his family members including women and children. On June 1st Saba Dashtyari, a professor at the University of Balochistan and one of the greatest poets and writers was shot by unidentified gunmen in the provincial capital Quetta, in a public place. As like on 10 Feb 2011, Jamil Yaqub’s body were bearing marks of torture was found on the outskirts of Turbat.

Moreover, the Pakistani and Iranian state crimes have become so common in Balochistan that with the passage of time the number of Baloch martyrs continue to increase. Baloch women children, elderly and people from all spheres of life are being killed in Balochistan only for raise voice for the freedom of their motherland and being Baloch. The occupiers of Baloch nation on both sides of the artificial border are killing Baloch indiscriminately.

Today, Balochistan feels proud to have brave sons and daughters who are willing to die for their for the freedom and dignity of their motherland. The culture of resistance ignited by Mir Mehrab Khan, Agha Abdul Karim and Babo Nourz Khan has been continued by thousands of other martyrs and will their legacy will continue till their mission of regaining Balochistan’s independence is fulfilled.

Every martyr deserves praising, A huge great salute to all those martyrs who have devoted their priceless lives….. a cruel rule before death. As it is said the martyrs remain immoral and their death is the begging of the life of their nation. Martyrs live forever – Shahmeer Nameeran ant.

Mahatama Gandhi had rightly said, ” Let us all be brave enough to die the death of a martyr, but let no one lust for martyrdom.”