By Malik Siraj Akbar
Do the two parities involved in the unabated infighting between the government of Pakistan and Baloch tribesmen realise how badly the entire situation is being exploited by our eastern neighbour? Is there an iota of realisation in the minds of the big guns dwelling in Islamabad and Dera Bugti or Kholu that New Delhi has begun to play the same nefarious game which it did during the 1971 by backing the Mukti Bahini, the armed Bengali group which fought Pakistani troops, in defunct East Pakistan? To me, it appears there is a little understanding of the conspiracies being hatched against Pakistan by its neighbour. If we were a people capable of rightly analysing hard times, we would obviously refrain from providing an opportunity to our bellicose neighbour to interfere in our internal matters.
Its appalling violation of human rights against its own religious minorities and the deprived people of North East, India has surprisingly begun to empathise with the people of Balochistan. Though unbelievable, yet we are asked to believe it.
"India expresses its concern over the military action being carried out in Balochistan by the Government of Pakistan. We hope Pakistan would exercise restraint and take recourse to peaceful discussions to address the grievances of the people there," remarked Navtej Sarna, the spokesperson of Indian Ministry of External Affairs in a recent news briefing. On its part, Islamabad expressed its forceful displeasure over Indian remark by terming it a direct interference in her ’internal matters’. General Musharraf, while talking to an Indian news channel, CNN-IBN, said he had been annoyed with the statement issued from New Delhi. He even said that India was providing financial assistance to the rebels in the restive province of Balochistan.
He contended the Pakistan government had evidence to substantiate an Indian involvement in the whole matter. However, veteran Baloch leader Akbar Khan Bugti, in an exclusive interview with respected Indian newspaper, The Hindu, vehemently dispelled the impression that India was providing the Baloch any assistance.
"General Musharraf is using his favorite weapon - lies," maintained the Bugti. "His objective is to defame the legitimate demands of the people of Balochistan."
The crux of the whole matter is the military establishment’s unwillingness to resolve the whole matter by political means. Nothing can be more unfortunate than the fact that once again we are using our own army against our innocent civilians. General Musharraf, in the same interview, even argued that no military operation is taking place in Balochistan. That was very unrealistic. By such statements, one reads between the lines that Islamabad is even unwilling to concede that the situation in Balochistan is worsening alarmingly and requires immediate political measures to prevent it from getting out of control.
Unfortunately, the relations between the Baloch and successive governments have always been constrained. Karachi and Islamabad-based rulers, either elected or military, continued to suspect the Baloch loyalties. Unlike the Bengalis, the Balochs strained to exhibit as much restraint as possible, despite the rulers’ oppressive measures against them.
The Baloch have only been demanding their just rights which they have been denied since the creation of Pakistan. By going through the annals of history, we reach the conclusion that it was the rulers who, time and again, came up with lame excuses to justify their military operations against the Baloch. Had the first elected government of former chief minister Attaullah Mengal not been dismissed by Premier Bhutto in February 1973, the Baloch would never move to the mountains for a deadly battle.
Even up till today, the PPP quarters are unable to explain what prompted Bhutto to dismiss Mengal’s government? Similarly, it is but natural to be utterly confounded over the allegation that General Musharraf labels over some of the nationalists in Balochistan. For instance, Akbar Bugti, who resents Musharraf’s aggressive designs, is not an anti-national, as Musharraf branded him. He has been a man who, by completely respecting Pakistan’s political culture, always struggled on the political front. As the leader of a democratic outfit, Jamori Watan Party, Mr Bugti formerly served as Balochistan’s chief minister and the governor as well. Moreover, he even served as an MNA. Similarly, other Baloch leaders, particularly Attaullah Mengal and Khair Baksh Mari, also possess a clear history of political struggle for the Baloch rights.
The problem ostensibly lies within Islamabad. Dictated by GHQ, the puppet assembly seems to be totally incapable of handling the problems of Balochistan. The federal government has utterly failed to negotiate. On the contrary, the government presumes a handful of unpopular establishment-backed Baloch leaders are the genuine representatives of the province. Therefore, he continuously learns from these sycophants, who surround him 24 hours a day, that all is well in Balochistan. No military operation. No problems. No complaints. No need to worry over anything. Balochistan is happier than ever. This is all that is fed to the president every morning at his breakfast table.
Political dialogue is of paramount importance to end the Balochistan crisis. As long as Pakistani forces continue to quell the people’s just demand for their rights, situation in Balochistan certain to aggravate. There is a desperate need for a pull-out of troops from the province. Since the Baloch are patriotic citizens of Pakistan, one can confidently argue they will never seek Indian support. Their current struggle is very much in the jurisdiction of the 1973 Constitution which promises maximum provincial autonomy. The peaceful democratic struggle has transformed into a full-fledged armed struggle due to the government’s complete failure to hammer out a political settlement of the crisis.
It is impossible to stop India from exploiting the whole situation in the midst of military operation and political atmosphere being hijacked by a military ruler. Both sides need to act more responsibly. A forceful message must be sent to New Delhi that we are capable of settling our internal matters. For that, it is extremely essential for both the sides to avoid providing India a chance to our internal matters. At least, the 1971 experience of Indian involvement in Pakistan’s matter had adverse fallout. Are we willing to allow history to repeat itself?
Email: stunningmalik@gmail.com
http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/jan-2006/16/columns3.php |
