Balochistan: Pakistan's other war---Fighting against Punjabi fascism

[Levanaye Zalmaye]

Pakistan's policy has always been fairly straightforward. It goes something like this:

**** the people, just keep the land.

This was practised in Bangladesh. It has been put into practise in Balochistan since 1947. And it is also active in Fata. The mindset of the Pakistani in this regard is that the jahil 'Balochi' and 'Pathan' don't know what's good for them. They are tribal, uneducated and uncivilised. But we Pakistanis know what's good for them.

There are also essences of "if they're Muslim, they should be with us cuz all Muslims are brothers mashallah" in it. The Baloch say that if they're Muslim, they're Muslims for their sakes and not so that they are forced into marriage with Punjab.

[Bengal_Tiger]

Pakistan's policy has always been fairly straightforward. It goes something like this:

**** the people, just keep the land.

This was practised in Bangladesh. It has been put into practise in Balochistan since 1947. And it is also active in Fata. The mindset of the Pakistani in this regard is that the jahil 'Balochi' and 'Pathan' don't know what's good for them. They are tribal, uneducated and uncivilised. But we Pakistanis know what's good for them.

There are also essences of "if they're Muslim, they should be with us cuz all Muslims are brothers mashallah" in it. The Baloch say that if they're Muslim, they're Muslims for their sakes and not so that they are forced into marriage with Punjab.

Apparently Khair baksh Marri wisely replied to that nonsense. If being Muslim means you have to be part of Pakistan then Iran and Afghanistan should be part of Pakistan too.

Insha'Allah Pakistan is going to be destroyed (break up) and I make du'a regularly that it does.

I pray 5 times prayer and read Quran and am very religious thanks to Allah subahanahu wa ta'ala.

When Balochistan becomes independent, I will pray 2 rakahs to celebrate and thank Allah ta'ala.



Khair Bakhsh Marri.

[Since1947]

Mygod. So much cr*p.

[Friends of Baloch]

Dr Allah Nazar On Balochistan - An Exclusive Interview with Naked Punch

by Interviewer:Sajid Hussain Interviewee: Dr Allah Nazar
First Posted: 09-12-13 01:32 PM | Updated: 09-12-13

Dr Allah Nazar is Balochistan’s most popular middle-class nationalist leader. Belonging from a modest family in Balochistan’s town of Mashkay, he started his political career from Baloch Students Organization (BSO). He founded his own faction of BSO in February 2002 that openly advocated an armed struggle for liberating Balochistan. In 2003, he went underground to organize his own militant group. His Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) made headlines when it claimed responsibility for killing three Chinese engineers in Gwadar on May 2, 2004.

He was picked up by intelligence agencies on March 25, 2005 from an apartment in Karachi where he had secretly come to meet his old BSO comrades. He remained missing for a year. Meanwhile, the BSO initiated mass protests throughout Balochistan and Karachi for his release. On August 12, 2006, Pakistan’s intelligence agencies shifted him to the jail ward of the Bolan Medical Complex in Balochistan’s capital city of Quetta. During his incommunicado detention, he had been subjected to severe mental and physical torture. The photo of a frail Dr Nazar lying on an ambulance stature in the Bolan Medical Complex went viral among the Baloch youth and he soon became an iconic leader. After his release on bail, he went into hiding again and he now leads the BLF.

Question: When you decided to turn to militancy, why in spite of joining Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) you and your comrades formed Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF)? Many believe that you wanted a middle-class organization as BLA was being led by a tribal chief?

Answer: Not really. For now, our struggle is for national independence and it’s not class-based. At this time, we need unity among all the classes to get our independence. We are all –be it a sardar or a common man – slaves. Once the Baloch get their independence, they will be free to choose a social and political system for themselves through a democratic process.

I agree that tribal system has lost its significance in today’s world. The current tribal system is not the one our ancestors practiced. The Baloch cultural tribal system was distorted by Robert Sandeman during the British rule. He introduced a new system by allocating absolute powers to sardars in order to control the Baloch masses.

After the withdrawal of the British, Pakistan nourished the so-called Sandeman System. Authorities used sardars to counter the Baloch uprising against Balochistan’s forcible accession with Pakistan. Still, most Baloch tribal chiefs, except for Khair Bux Marri, are the stooges of the ruling establishment. So people have lost faith in this system and tribalism is dying a natural death. In many areas of Balochistan, it has vanished for good.

Question: What’s your idea of an independent Balochistan?

Answer: I want it to be a democratic, secular and welfare state where every citizen – irrespective of their class, gender, religion or caste -- has access to free education and healthcare. Every citizen should enjoy equal rights without any discrimination.

Also, an independent Balochistan would not enter into the nuclear arms’ race and it would promote peaceful co-existence among neighbouring countries.

The state would promote arts, science and literature under the policy of free-speech. I strongly believe in free-speech and it’s one thing that can guarantee the prosperity and success of a nation.

Question: The divisions among the once-united Baloch separatist leaders are no longer a secret. Don’t you think it will help Pakistan to counter the Baloch insurgency?

Answer: Honestly, I don’t see any major differences on the ground. We have joint guerilla camps and we are cooperating with each other. In fact, one BLF fighter and one from BLA were killed by Pakistani forces recently when they were on a joint mission.

Question: But Hairbiyar Marri’s supporters are openly criticizing you on social media and similarly your supporters are speaking against Mr Marri.

Answer: I’m aware that some people have been saying things on the social media that they shouldn’t. I’ve asked my supporters not to use such a language against any Baloch leader who’s part of the Baloch independence movement. But, as I said, we are one on the ground despite these differences on social media. Efforts are being made to sort out these minor differences.

Also, I believe that Pakistan’s atrocities against the Baloch people will keep us united. Pakistani forces are out to kill every Baloch, irrespective of their affiliation with organizations. So the Baloch groups will eventually realize that this enemy can only be defeated with unity in our ranks.

Question: The BLF is the dominant group in the strategically important Makran region which is home to the Gwadar port and borders Iran. But it’s also a fact that the BLF is the most cash-starved group and many think that it won’t survive in the long run?

Answer: The BLF has sustained for the past 12 years on the donations of the Baloch nation. We’ve a huge Baloch Diaspora who has been funding our struggle. And I’ve faith in them. We rely on their moral and financial support.

Apart from BLF, other groups are also operating in Makran. Similarly, BLF is expanding to other regions of Balochistan. So I don’t think that the struggle will die anytime soon because of financial restraints. We always have an alternative strategy and we’ll survive.

Question: The Nato forces plan to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014 and talks are in the process with Taliban to give them a share in Afghan government. Don’t you think it will seriously affect the Baloch armed struggle as a Taliban government will be more sympathetic to Pakistan than the Baloch?

Answer: The withdrawal of Nato forces will affect the entire region, and Balochistan is no exception. But it’s a wrong impression that the Baloch armed struggle started after the arrival of Nato forces in Afghanistan and that it will end after their withdrawal.

However, I don’t think the United States should make the same mistake in Afghanistan that the USSR did. Leaving Afghanistan at Taliban’s mercy who are controlled by Pakistan will plunge the entire region to an era of unprecedented instability and chaos. We’ll see worse than we have seen before. My study of the recent developments tell me that the US is not withdrawing completely from Afghanistan and it will be keeping nine military bases.

At the same time, I think Afghanistan is not the root-cause of extremism in the region. Instead, Pakistan is the breeding ground for extremists. The trouble in Afghanistan is because of Pakistani establishment’s policy of blackmailing the world through extremist Jihadis. Be it Afghanistan, Africa or Middle East, Pakistan is exporting extremists there. So Pakistan needs to be tackled first.

If the world powers want stability and peace in the region, they should help us create a secular and moderate state of Balochistan which would serve as a buffer zone between Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. I think it’s the only formula for sustainable peace in the region.

[Tiger Khan]

i dont have any issues with daal, it was created by allah and it does taste good.. we should not be ungreatful.. also i belive punjabies make the best daal and Lahoris make the best chicken karahi.

[Friends of Baloch]

[Kushan Prince]

Pashtuns and balochis share one common enemy, and that is Pakistan.

[gadoonwal]

pashtun and baluch can never be pakistanis.
pakistan was presented by britishes to punjabis for serving them well.
it is only matter of time when from amu to abaseen pashtuns will burry pakistan deep in the sea.

[Friends of Baloch]

Inside the struggle for Balochistan

An exclusive interview with the leader of the Balochistan Liberation Front

Series: Profiles in courage from Balochistan

In this exclusive interview, Jahanzeb Hussain talks to Allah Nazar, currently the top commander of the Balochistan Liberation Front, which is engaged in an armed struggle for freedom from the Pakistani state. In correspondence with the editor, Nazar asserts that taking part in Pakistani parliamentary politics would be akin to legitimizing Pakistan’s rule over Balochistan. And yet, he says, he would rather choose the book over the gun, though each informs the other.

Can you shed some light on the genesis of Baloch nationalism and its evolution since the creation of Pakistan?

Baloch culture, customs, code of honor and common psychology are the ingredients that sustain Baloch nationalism, which is rooted in hundreds of years of history. As soon as Pakistan invaded Balochistan in 1948, it imposed its cultural hegemony on us in order to erase our identity. The Urdu language was imposed in schools. Our children were taught about the histories of Arab, Afghan and Mongol invaders in a way that is completely different from and contradictory to our own history. Instructors were brought from Punjab and other areas so that the new generation of Baloch students could be moulded into Pakistanis. In a way, a slow cultural genocide was initiated. To shift the demographic balance, population settlements were created in and around the provincial capital of Quetta.


It is the struggle against these elements that gave birth to contemporary Baloch nationalism. After going through many stages of evolution, Baloch nationalism has come to stand on strong ideological foundations. Today we have the vision, political institutions and the blueprint to establish a Baloch state that will be up-to-date with the requirements of modern times.

Balochistan is sandwiched between two powerful countries, Pakistan and Iran. Given its geographic location, is it possible for Balochistan to attain independence?

It is possible, of course. If Cyprus can maintain its existence despite Turkey and Greece, why can we not do the same? If two-state settlement can be a solution for Israel and Palestine, then why can there not be a way out for Balochistan as well? Apart from that, because of the dangers emanating from Iran and Pakistan, these two countries threaten not only the region but the entire world.

To continue existing as they do, Pakistan and Iran use religion as a weapon and have become a worry for everyone globally. Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and numerous countries in Africa are caught in deep crisis because of the policies of Iran and Pakistan. On the one hand, Pakistan is doing the bidding of world powers, yet on the other hand, it is supporting religious extremists in order to blackmail the same countries. Iran, for its own geopolitical purposes, has relations with countries that are not aligned with Western interests.

Keeping this situation in mind, it is clear that there is no place for Pakistan and Iran if we are to have a peaceful future. Independence for Balochistan is not just important for the prosperity of the region but of the entire world.

The present movement is more widespread than the previous ones. It is everywhere in Balochistan. Yet it has been unable to develop a strong political front inside or outside Balochistan. Why?

In the past, the Baloch struggle was more of a rebellion than an organized movement, even if it had glimpses of nationalism. There was no long-term political work from the past to rely on. Instead of political institutions, it was the tribes who raised their voices. But the Baloch struggle of today is completely a political movement, based on an ideology. Its leadership is in the hands of visionaries. Our struggle is not limited to a few tribes or tribal areas but is found in all of Balochistan. People from every background – tribals, doctors, lawyers, teachers, labourers – are part of the movement.

As far as the second part of your question is concerned, I admit that we still do not have strong unity among the various nationalist organizations. I think that this is a result of the tribal mentality and backwardness that is present in us somewhere still, preventing the creation of a strong political front. But despite these weakness, there is still an ideological kinship among all the organizations. With time, attitudes will continue to improve. Our organization has made sure to put forth a policy regarding this matter. We hope that, sooner or later, we will be able to establish strong political unity.

What were the reasons for the failure of the 1973-78 uprising?

As I said, those insurgencies were more of a rebellion. The truth is that they somewhat had a nationalistic aspect to them but they were under the leadership of tribal chiefs and not that of political organizations who would have had an advanced political agenda. Personal decision making by the tribal chiefs and by other important personalities was prevalent. For example, during the uprising of 1973, when the sons of Attaullah Mengal – Muniz Mengal and Mehrallah Mengal – retreated from the fight, all the political activities ended with them. When Mir Safar Khan Zarkarzai was martyred, everyone who fought alongside him decided to discontinue the fight.

A few years after the end of the uprising in 1978, we saw that the sons of these same tribal chiefs became part of the Pakistani parliament. Gul Khan Nasir, who was an important player in the uprising of the ’70s, compromised with Zia-Ul-Haq. It would not be wrong to say that the leadership of that time was opportunistic – it initiated a war when it was convenient and left the fight when it was opportune. But today, when leaders like Ghulam Mohammad, Lala Munner, Razak Gul and Rasool Bakhsh Mengal are killed, the movement is strengthened rather than weakened. Take the example of the Baloch Liberation Front: when Dr. Khalid, Dil Jaan, and Sadu Mari were martyred, confrontation with the state increased rather than decreased. The fundamental reason for this is that today’s movements are based on ideology and continue to move forward, taking into account political necessities.

How have the previous uprisings informed the Baloch struggle at present? In your opinion, are the lessons from the previous uprisings being adequately applied today?

We have learned a lot from the weaknesses and failures of our past movements. As I said, the biggest shortcoming of those movements was a lack of organization. Secondly, the tribal influence was too much. Opportunistic leadership was another factor. But today’s movement is different in that regard. It is organized scientifically and based on the revolutionary needs of the Baloch people. However, we admit that even today our movement is not entirely free of tribal influences. We still see glimpses of tribal behaviour in our movement but persistent political organizing and a strong ideological framework have curtailed these influences. The people and the present leadership, after having witnessed these shortcomings, have decided that no longer a prince or a tribal chief with a tribal mentality would be allowed to head the movement. The solidarities of the people are with the political parties and its leadership, not with tribal lords. At the same time, though, members of the tribes are part of the movement, but only if they agree with of the political programs, follow the platform of the parties and its ideology.

One of the main reasons why Bangladesh was able to achieve independence from Pakistan was its demographic advantage. The Baloch, on the other hand, are a minority. Can Balochistan achieve independence or greater autonomy without having a large population?

The size of the population is not a big factor in the success or failure of an independence struggle. East Timor, for example, won independence from one colonizer, after which it was occupied by another colonizer, Indonesia, which had common borders with East Timor. Despite a small population, East Timor fought against Indonesia and finally gained independence. In 2011, South Sudan gained independence from North Sudan, even though they were a landlocked country and their population was smaller compared to the North.

The point is that the struggle for freedom is based on national history, culture, customs, geographical specificities and common psychology, instead of the numerical balance of the population. Today there are 30.5 million Baloch spread around the globe who are unwilling to let go of their national identity. The occupiers cannot hold us down simply because they have a bigger population. Thousands of years of our history attest to the fact that we have fought to defend our lands and national identity against much more powerful forces. If we can fight against so many invaders and occupiers throughout our history, this time too we will be successful. The power imbalance between us and the occupier cannot succeed in discouraging us. We will carry on our struggle, either through political or direct means, until the last occupying soldier does not leaves our lands.

[Da Bannu Mazdigar]

Baloch by default are Pakistani.hell even the baloch of Iran and Oman considered themselves as being from the land of pure

[Karachi]

Baloch by default are Pakistani.hell even the baloch of Iran and Oman considered themselves as being from the land of pure

Your propaganda is getting really desperate my friend. Even a 5 year old kid will see through it. At least try a bit harder

[Da Bannu Mazdigar]

Your propaganda is getting really desperate my friend. Even a 5 year old kid will see through it. At least try a bit harder

Responses like yours are the reason behind my posts

[Loy Afghanistan]

Your propaganda is getting really desperate my friend. Even a 5 year old kid will see through it. At least try a bit harder

The more we will enjoy after this "PURE" Land is getting dissolved and freedom comes to Balochs, Pashtuns, etc from the British owned Islamabad.

Kuni bazzinggaari! "pure" land. posting PF 24/7. ISI give him so much money trying destroy PashtunForums with Porki sided propaganda 24/7. He even wants USA/NATO a foreign disgusting empire parasite stay in Afghanistan killing more Pashtuns, destroying our ways.

But for a dirty mix raced haramzada coward, it is his natural order. what do you expect? When US attack and kill porki 20-40 soldiers, they just lick US ass and get over. these "pure" NATO Taxi drivers will enjoy hell and their grandchildren Pashtun revenge.