The sovereign state of Balochistan lost its independence on 27 March 1948: Free Balochistan Movement

LONDON: The Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) in a statement to media said that the Baloch people have lived on their land for thousands of years much before the creation of the artificial state Pakistan and Reza Shah’s invention of Iran in 1928, Balochistan existed as an independent country. One year before the British occupation of Balochistan in 1838, Sandeman wrote that ‘very long prior to British rule, the whole of Balochistan from Dera Ghazi Khan to the sea was under the sway of Naseer Khan of Khelat, a chief noted for his justice and prowess. He kept the Murrees, Boogtees, and other tribes resident along the Kafila route from Central Asia, in as good order as he did the people of the plains.’

The FBM said that documents after the occupation of Balochistan by British also prove that Khan Kalat like Noori Naseer Khan was the head of the state of Balochistan. One such document is the 1863 agreement between the British government and the Khan of Kalat which described the then Khan of Kalat Khodadad Khan as the Khan of Balochistan. In this agreement Makuran, Lasbela and other areas have been recognized as part of a Baloch state.

The statement issued by the FBM has added that during British withdrawal Indian national Mr Jinnah [Mohammad Ali Jinnah] was the hired as a lawyer of Balochistan. That is why he was well aware of the politics of Balochistan and the political weaknesses of the Baloch nation. When the Parliament of Balochistan refused to annex with Pakistan, then Pakistan started its conspiracies of forcibly occupying Balochistan.

In this regard, it [Pakistan] first unlawfully recognised Balochistan’s Makuran, Lasbela and Kharan as separate states and then started military actions against Balochistan. The central government of Balochistan in Kalat was militarily weak; therefore Balochistan could not defend its territories against Pakistan’s military aggression.

No other nation has the right to create new states within an independent country that is why the conspiracy of Pakistan to declare some areas of Balochistan as separate states and then illegally annex them with Pakistan was unlawful under international laws. The fourth Geneva Convention’s section three article 47 about occupied territories reads, ‘Protected persons who are in occupied territory shall not be deprived, in any case, or in any manner whatsoever, of the benefits of the present Convention by any change introduced, as the result of the occupation of a territory, into the institutions or government of the said territory, nor by any agreement concluded between the authorities of the occupied territories and the Occupying Power, nor by any annexation by the latter of the whole or part of the occupied territory.’

Therefore, Pakistan’s declaration of Baloch areas which were under the sovereignty of Kalat such as Makuran, Lasbela and Kharan as separate states was unlawful and in violation of international conventions.

Today, it is argued by Pakistan that because Kharan and Makuran’s heads were pro-Pakistan that’s why they joined Pakistan. The current Mayor of London is a British born Pakistani and he favours Pakistan. Can Pakistan recognise London as a separate state because of a pro-Pakistani mayor and annex it as a territory of Pakistan?  If this is impossible under international laws then these laws that prevent the division of Britain and other nations, should have been for the Balochistan as well. But during World War II the world was engaged in resolving their own internal problem that’s why Balochistan could not get international support against Pakistani aggression at that time.

FBM said that Britain had merged the leased area of Balochistan to Pakistan under Indian Independence Act, an Act that divided India into two parts. Leased territories of Balochistan which were name as ‘British Balochistan’ by British Raaj were legally integral part of the Baloch state [Balochistan]. When the Indian Independence Act was presented to British parliament for debate in 1947 a Member of Parliament, Sir Godfrey Nicholson, warned the house about the bill and its implication on Balochistan. He said: “If Balochistan does not wish to join Pakistan, nothing in the world can save it from being forced to join Pakistan if the Bill passes in its present form; and that is a serious matter.”

Britain not only violated and dishonoured its defence treaties with Balochistan but it also helped and encouraged Pakistan and created situations that led to the forcible and illegal occupation of Balochistan.

Apart from Balochistan UK had leased areas from other nations in the world as well. In the 19^th Century, when British Empire defeated China, it occupied many of Chinese territories. Later, Britain declared those areas as British territory but just for Chinese Emperor’s face-saving Britain signed an agreement for lease for 99 years. Later on, when China got independence and gained power they took advantage of the international laws and legally forced the UK to return Hong Kong and other areas to China. Hence in 1997 UK returned all the Chinese territories to China.

A few weeks before from March 27, 1948, Pakistan started its aggressive policies in Balochistan, after illegally and forcibly occupying all the Baloch land including capital Kalat, Pakistan eventually made Khan of Kalat to sign merger treaty under duress. Thus, on March 27, 1948, Balochistan lost its independence.

To highlight this historical fact and to raise voice against the illegal occupation of Balochistan the Free Balochistan Movement has held several simultaneous protests in United Kingdom, Germany, America, Canada, Sweden and the Netherlands.

The FBM took out a rally in Germany’s Berlin city from the main Berlin Station to the Berlin Gate where participants organised a big demonstration. The Rally participants carried banners, placard and flags of Balochistan. They also chanted slogan against the illegal occupation of Balochistan by Pakistan and ongoing Pakistani state atrocities against Baloch people. FBM activists also distributed leaflets which provided information about Balochistan’s occupation on 27 March 1948.

The speakers at Berlin demo have urged the German government and rest of the world to support Baloch freedom struggle and stand with the Baloch nation in their struggle for peace, democracy and freedom. The Baloch Republican Party activists also participated in FBM protests in Germany and the Netherlands.

Free Balochistan Movement activists also organised a protest in from of International Court of Justice in the Hague city of the Netherlands. The Baloch activist staged a protest in costume to make awareness regarding the forcible occupation of Balochistan. One activist tied himself with a Chain while the other wearing Pakistan army uniform held a gun on his head to show Pakistan’s military aggression against Baloch civilians.

Free Balochistan Movement organised an awareness campaign in Sweden and informed the Swedish people about Balochistan’s occupation. Whereas in Washington DC FBM activists held a protest outside White House to record Baloch nation’s protest against Balochistan’s occupation.  Another protest was held in Vancouver city of Canada outside Pakistan Consulate by activists of Free Balochistan Movement.

In London, Free Balochistan Movement activists held an awareness session about Balochistan’s occupation day in Cumberland Hotel London. Baloch diaspora and human rights activists joined FBM seminar in London. Speakers including Khan of Kalat Suleman Daud Khan, Ismael Amiri of Balochistan Raji Zrombesh, Sardar Ali Lashari, Mansoor Baloch president of BRP (UK), Mehrab Sarju Baloch, Shabir Baloch and Dr Mostafa of Free Balochistan Movement, and British Human Rights activists Graham Williamson and Peter Tatchell spoke about Pakistan’s human rights violations in Balochistan and Balochistan’s illegal occupation by Pakistan.