Balochistan;
If Pakistan became one of the most strategically sensitive countries in the world during the cold war, most tragically part was Balochistan during the British and Russia great game in Afghanistan. In the 21st century Balochistan is in the eye of the storm, once more a greater game has begun, rules of the game are not clear yet, but the players are obvious, such as the Chinese and their growing need for energy.
Things used to be different in Balochistan, whose people had been among the most secular nation in the middle east that was before jihad in Afghanistan.
One of most remarkable memories Balochistan dated in 1993, when the entire staff of the ISI headquartered removed for trafficking in drugs and CIA arms, which were meant for Mujahiden.
Under the ISI instruction the mullahs and the religious parties of Balochistan flourished during the jihad years and more than seven thousand Madrasahs quickly sprang up.
Baloch are too few people in too vast a land, when Baloch protest and express them selves peacefully, they were not listened to. That is why when Baloch protest they pick up arms, go to the mountains, and fight. Balochistan has been fighting for centuries. When Baloch have not been fighting each other, they have fought the Arab, Turk, the Tatars the Persian the Hindus, and British.
Most recently they have fought the far superior army of Pakistan. Yet they have never been fully conquered or subdued by the armies of Genghis khan, lord Curzon or Pakistani.
Four time since Pakistan’s creation, the Baloch who never wanted to be part of Pakistan, have rebelled demanding greater autonomy or even an independent state which reunite the 15 million Baloch in Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan under one flag.
Balochistan twice was a tribal confederation and then four princely states. For conquerors that passed through, it name left custom that has survived or land mark.
In ninetieth century, the British needed to control it if Afghanistan was to remain a buffer between British India and the armies of the Tzar, for one of the major route to Afghanistan lay through balochistan. The British spent more than forty years trying to subdue its people, in the end British declared a truce.
British left India 60 years ago, communist has been defeated, jihadi once darling of Pakistani establishment, now on the run and chased by ISI and Pakistani intelligence services.
Balochistan once more is in the eye of the storm, this time around Balochistan is gate of energy, from central Asia and there is huge natural resources sleeping underground waiting to be pumped out to the energy market at a relatively cheap price.
Chinese thirst for energy and it growing demand, Chinese are not good supporters of democracy and they themselves have a bad record on human right abuse; Pakistani sentiment of insecurity puts them with a good alliance with China.
One chief mother of causes in Pakistan is to free Kashmir from India, Musharraf is happy to announce that the line of control could become a permanent boundary between India and Pakistan. The two countries have started negotiation on line of control principle to become a permanent border. Pakistan willingness to give up Kashmir, that Pakistan fought three wars over it, to secure its hold on Balochistan.
Baloch are resisting the invader in Iran and Pakistan, the Baloch have too little to loose if subdued and too much to gain if there united against the intruder, who already controls their land and their movement and resources and slowly kill a nation and reduce their existence only for tourist attraction purposes. (Baloch resistance in Iran is separate from Pakistan and has no connection with each other).
Who will gain and who will lose;
Apart from Balochistans own resources the pipeline from Iran to India generate$3 billion a year and similar among or more from central Asian land lock country, which they can do little to their energy with out international market, accesses to that international market is through balochistan. Secondly there is no investment required from balochistan, or who control balochistan, the international energy company will invest their own money.
The international energy company studies that who will in balochistan provide long-term security to their investment. With all this in stock why should Baloch compensate for over populated Punjab, and other Pakistani states.
For centuries people immigrated to Balochistan, from Persia to Arab, Pahtan, latest are Hazar’s community who escaped the persecution of Afghan king who announced that to his army Hazarh head is mine and property is your. Balochi are not against immigrants who would like to immigrate to Balochistan as long as immigrant integrate to Baloch society and Baloch themselves are in control of immigrant. (Balochistan is a multicultural society)
It is written on Balochistan rigid mountain that Baloch would not accept to be part other country, and other decides his destiny.
Neither is it fair from international community to deny the great nation its existence, secular Balochistan will help world stability, and democracy in Middle East.
Since Baloch by historic right own Balochistan, that historic right give right only to Baloch representative to sign treaty with who ever the choose to do so, this is the same right Swedish or English have on their territory, why should it be different for Baloch.
Why should others have claim on someone else’s property, in which part of the world is it acceptable, is that justice? To occupy another’s lands and claim it as part of your country, while it is clear that there is no historic connection between Balochistan and India, in Palestine it’s called occupation, why should it be different for Baloch, or is it acceptable for one Islamic country to occupy another country? But again it wasn’t true in case of Kuwait, when an Iraqi dictator invaded it. Age of empire building and colonization is over, Pakistan and Iran shouldn’t be allowed to colonize their small nation. Self-determination is right of every human being and it’s not a crime, no one punishes couples when they apply for divorce, because the right to divorce is their right and protected by law. What about self-determination? This is the age of globalization, in globalization small nations trade with big nations, on free trade agreement; Baloch would like to sell their resource and lease use of land to free market, to highest bidder for benefit of Baloch nation.
M.S baloch_s_m@yahoo.se