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Violence In Balochistan:Protest Against Military Atrocities, by Dr. Chintamani Mahapatra,7 March 2 Print E-mail

ROUND THE WORLD

New Delhi, 7 March 2006

Violence In Balochistan

Protest Against Military Atrocities

By Dr. Chintamani Mahapatra

School of International Studies, JNU

Balochistan is once again in the midst of a full-fledged insurgency.  The arrest of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, leader of Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) and former Governor of Balochistan, on February 1, has further inflamed the sentiments in a province that was already tense.  Nawab Bugti along with 11 others have been charged with terrorism. The arrest elicited a strong response from the Baloch nationalists. More than fifty rockets were fired on the Frontier Corps (FC) fort in Dera Bugti on February 2, which was followed by mayhem the very next day when over 270 rockets rained on the town of Dera Bugti from different sites, targeting communication and Government installations. 

The current round of violence in Balochistan started with the movement of the security forces in Kohlu district on December 18, last.  As the Army commenced its operations in Balochistan, it broke a tenuous peace that had lasted for nine months since confrontation in Dera Bugti, which had claimed over 60 lives including those of 33 Hindus. 

The present operations against Marri tribesmen in Kohlu district, ostensibly started in response to December 14 rocket attacks on Kohlu town when President Pervez Musharraf was to lay the foundation stone of one of the three new cantonments, which are fiercely opposed by the Baloch nationalists.  This was followed by machine-gun fire on an Army helicopter carrying the Inspector-General, Frontier Corps (IGFC), Maj-Gen Shujaat Zamir Dar, and his deputy Brig Saleem Nawaz, the next day.  Both the officers sustained bullet wounds but the pilot succeeded in landing the helicopter safely. 

A careful analysis of events, however, would indicate that this operation had been planned much before any of these incidents had taken place.  In fact, it had been long in the coming but was delayed due to the earthquake.  Nawab Bugti had been saying for some time that the troops were being mobilised and artillery and helicopter gunships were being moved with the purpose of launching an operation in Balochistan.  The matter had also been raised by the opposition in Pakistani Parliament but was denied by the Government.

When the operations were launched, they were not in Dera Bugti district, the scene of pitched battles in January and March, but in the neighbouring Kohlu district, which is inhabited by the most belligerent of the Baloch tribes, the Marris.  Marris have been in the forefront in past two insurgencies.  Their traditional Sardar, Nawab Khair Bux Marri, a fierce nationalist and a self- proclaimed Marxist has had an uneasy relationship with the Government.  Nawabzada Balaach Marri, the Moscow-educated son of Nawabzada Marri, who played a major role in the insurgency in the seventies, is believed to be leading the insurgent outfit, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).  

Despite having started in Kohlu district, the conflict has engulfed most of Kohlu and Dera Bugti districts.  The insurgents have, however, responded by challenging the writ of the state virtually across the entire length and breadth of Balochistan by targeting railway lines, gas pipelines and electricity and communication towers.  Security forces supported by helicopter gunships and artillery have been targeting the Baloch strongholds.  The situation is reported to be worsening, with large-scale collateral damage. 

Baloch nationalists have claimed that indiscriminate firing by the security forces has led to large scale death and destruction. A number of women and children have been killed.  Opposition parties in Parliament have accused the Government of carrying out genocide of "innocent citizens" in Balochistan, using helicopters in bombing sorties and use of poisonous phosphorus gas against the "people".   They have also deplored the way in which the air force was being utilized in the operation.  Even Asma Jehangir, the Chairperson of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) was prevented from visiting Balochistan.  The HRCP has urged the Government to stop killing Balochis in Kohlu under its military operation and ceasefire immediately to resolve the issue politically. 

The current insurgency in Balochistan underlines the fragility of Pakistani more than 58 years after its creation.  At Partition, the tribal areas of Balochistan were amongst the most backward parts of the sub-continent. Almost six decades later, they are still there.  The tribesmen may have graduated to automatic Kalashnikov assault rifles from the antiquated Lee Enfield 303s, but there has hardly been any development. 

Since the Afghan war, guns and drugs have flooded Pakistan, including the tribal belt and the current conflict highlights the point; the Balochs have used missiles, anti-aircraft weapons and an array of modern and very lethal arms. In fact, the army has suffered serious casualties in its operations, and has been forced to use helicopter gunships to fight the Baloch.

Four times since Pakistan’s creation, the Baloch, who, like many Sindhis and Pathans, never wanted to be part of Pakistan, have rebelled, demanding greater autonomy, or an independent state, which would reunite the five million Baloch in Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan under one flag.  Balochistan comprises 43 per cent of Pakistan’s area but has only five per cent of its population.  It has immense natural resources and most of Pakistan’s energy resources. The predominant Baloch state of Kalat was a princely state of British Balochistan as against other princely states that were part of British India and its ruler had therefore sought a status similar to that of Nepal and claimed that his bid was supported by Jinnah, the legal advisor of the State. 

After independence both the houses of Parliament in Kalat had unanimously rejected the proposal to merge with Pakistan.   Yet, the areas of Balochistan that were under direct British rule were merged with Pakistan after ratification by the municipality of Quetta, a body overwhelmingly dominated by non-Baloch settlers.  Subsequently, Khan of Kalat was forced to sign the merger document and Kalat was annexed.  This triggered the first armed insurgency in 1948 led by Prince Karim, the brother of Khan.    

From then the Baloch have risen in revolt thrice and have faced the security forces in 1958, 1963 to 69 and 1973 to 1977.  Baloch history has a saga of betrayals by the powers in Islamabad.  Though the insurgencies in the past have been crushed with a heavy hand, they have left scars which are yet to heal.  Each insurgency has been more intense than the previous one and the organizational capabilities and the popular support for the insurgents have increased with each insurgency. 

At the height of insurgency in 1973, 55,000 insurgents faced 80,000 Pakistani troops supported by Pakistani Air Force and Iranian Air force.  More than 5,000 insurgents and over 3300 soldiers were killed in the violence that continued till 1977.  Pakistani Armed Forces used brute force to crush insurgency as they had to redeem their honour after their rout in Bangladesh.  

The record of Pakistani Army in dealing with internal disorders has been rather abysmal.  Besides Bangladesh, its operations Sindh and Balochistan have created scars that are yet to heal.  Recent operations in FATA have exhibited its inefficiency.  In fact the alienation of population has only grown with the passage of time.  It has created a perpetual problem in the tranquil heights of Northern Areas.  The security forces in Pakistan at this point of time are really overstretched and if violence in Balochistan intensifies, Pakistani army will definitely be sucked into a war that will fester and bleed Pakistan. ---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

 

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