"It is well that war is so terrible, else we
should grow too fond of it." These words of General Lee (famous as America’s
son of revolutionary war) to his subordinate General Longstreet, popped up in
my thoughts when I came to know about the resolution on the freedom of
Baluchistan in the US House of Representatives by Republican Congressman Dana
Rohrabacher.
Baluchistan, the
burning province of Pakistan, is not only having the rebellion movement but
also facing a conspiracy on the name of insurgency. The so called ‘independence
movement’, which had been going on since 70’s, 80’s and 90’s with the help of a
few neighbours, got a boost when the former Chief Minister Nawab Akbar Bugti was
killed in a military operation in August 2006 during Musharraf’s regime.
Situation went beyond control due to hundreds of subsequent kidnappings of
Baloch men by ISI and other agencies with some still missing and some found
dead at different places.
The present PPP led-government
although sought remission from Balochis, but they could not stop the violence
and the extra judicial killings or kidnappings, neither they were ever able to
get anyone released from invisible prisons of the agencies. The fury is
reaching its height, after the murder of Balochistan Member of Parliament
Domki’s wife and daughter, who was also granddaughter of Nawab Akbar Bugti. Women
folk are highly respected in Baloch traditions. If one sends his woman or
daughter to his enemy for forgiveness, they not only forgive but they give her
as big respect as one can imagine. Therefore, in that nation the murder of a
woman is beyond any limit of tolerance and will never be forgiven by Baloch
tribes, who are openly saying that first agencies killed their men but now they
are killing their women and children.
On the other hand, the
life of Non Balochis is also worst in Baluchistan. There are frequent incidents
where Non-Balochis especially Punjabi speaking Teachers, doctors, labourers,
businessmen and others kidnapped and then executed by Baloch activists. The
case of a lady professor of Baluchistan University Nazima Talib, who was gunned
down in 2010 by these activists caused a furore in Punjab. Recently dozens of
Hazaras were kidnapped and then shot dead by Baloch activists on ethnic basis.
Police is completely
ineffective and can operate only in limited areas as per law. The other force
called Baloch Levies is at best semi-formal and highly politicised and
therefore having very limited efficiency. It is only the intelligence agencies,
army, or Frontier Constabulary, who could play a vital role for maintaining the
law and order. Nevertheless, it is also fact that it is also these agencies who
are actually blamed for the whole crisis. They have their own view that they
cannot leave the country and cities in the hands of rebels who blow oil pipelines,
railway lines, schools and universities. They also are not agreed to accept
that their highhanded attitude has caused serious violation of human rights and
has ripped all kind of justice. God knows better that are they really working
truly to maintain the peace or fulfilling the unseen agenda to break the
country again. One cannot hope for peace after causing bloodshed.
However, the resolution in American Congress itself
is a big conspiracy. Pakistanis blame the US for causing the whole crisis. As things were in control in Nawaz Sharif’s era
during the 90’s, while Musharraf at one side engaged himself in Afghan
conspiracy and at other hand refused to consider the Baloch point of view after
the rape of a lady doctor allegedly by a military captain, which actually created
this controversy with Bugti tribe and then ended up at his murder. One is
compelled to think that why US did not intervene at that time?
Why US cannot see the genocide in Kashmir, why
there is no resolution for the freedom of Palestine? Moreover, why America only
worries about human rights, when it comes for her own interest in that
particular region.
The matter becomes more
interesting as presented by a Republican member, while one should not forget
that the map of “Greater Baluchistan” was also designed in the era of Bush
government in 2006, when published in ‘The Armed Force Journal” in an article
of Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Peters, who was deputy chief of Staff for
intelligence US Defence Department. So are we really part of a great game, and
did America waited for six years to bring the situation at this stage to
present the resolution in the congress? I cannot stop myself thinking that was
Bugti’s murder (he was also killed in 2006) a conspiracy to sow the seeds of
insurgency. Pakistanis are compelled to think that why American media has given
importance to Harbayar Mari whose father Khair Bux Mari never accepted Pakistan.
It is another issue that according to Pakistani Ambassador Ms Sherry Rehman ,
he is legend of his lone ranger and even
his own Mari tribe always had conflicts to accept him as their tribal
head. Therefore, why one should give importance to that man, who remained in
exile for the most part of his life, and himself is having disputes with his
own tribe. Why Mr Dana Rohrabacher did not consider or did not care to consider
the view of democratically elected Baluchistan assembly members, who believes
in the sovereignty of Pakistan.
It is true that there
is a serious violation of human rights and there is no second opinion for the
continuing injustice on the Baloch people by a part of military group. Nevertheless,
why national assembly or all elected parties not have given any opportunities
to speak to Baloch people?
I would again repeat the words of General Lee
that ‘It is well that war is so terrible, else we should grow too fond of it’. So
isn’t it showing the classic American mentality and addiction to get themselves engaged in wars, at one side
they are thinking to leave Afghanistan in 2014, and at the other side they are
sowing seeds for another proxy war.
Why one should not
think that, republicans are desperate to enjoy the guilty pleasure for
enhancing the turbulence rather than solving the issues. The issue of timing is
also important in other scenario of Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan’s Presidents
are meeting too. The resolution is presented
in the congress when NATO supply is already discontinued from Pakistan after
the killings of Pakistani soldiers in a NATO attack. The PAK-US romance is in
turmoil since last year. The weak, so-called corrupt and fragile democratic
government is certainly not as obedient as Musharraf’s military regime used to be.
Their reluctance especially close ties with Iran and the strategic alliance
with China is a permanent headache for US. Especially when Pakistan announced
about the continuation of the Gas pipeline project with Iran despite of the
sanctions announced for Iran from the west. The timing of this resolution also
shows a warning to China that America would never want them to take control on Gwadar’s
warm waters.
At last, the fear of third world war… as
Europe is going through a serious economic recession, and Arab world is facing
a historical revolutionary movement after almost exactly hundred years since
the end of Ottoman Empire. Afghan
conflict is going to start from the same point where it paused after Allies
attack. Iran is furious after facing sanctions and Israel is planning to attack
Iran. Kashmir is like a silent volcano, which can erupt at any time, and
silence of China not be taken as her weakness.
So are we really
heading for the Third World War...?
