Opinion:
Why The World Community Should Recognize an Independent Balochistan
by Khan Jan Baloch, Feb 14, 2008

         A tsunami-like U.S. foreign policy has often supported dictators who, in turn, massacre their civilian populations. At present, the U.S. administration continues to support a Pakistani military who is attacking Baloch civilians, Afghans and others. Coming generations will suffer the painful consequences of such a short-sighted policy. It is very likely that future generations shall not be able to solve the resulting mega challanges left by their predecessors.

         In the past, with the support of the U.S. establishment, the Shah of Iran inflicted harm on the Baloch and other ethnic minorities by denying them their desire for freedom and political rights. The entire world is paying the price for those decisions now: patriotic and democratic forces were replaced by a fundamentalist regime that many regard as a threat to peace in the world. Similarily, it is on record that Israel helped create Hamas in an effort to cope with the Al-Fatah organisation of the Palestinians, and again, political manipulation has created a headache for democratic forces around the world who now suffer the blowback.

         The U.S. fought a bloody proxy war with the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in an effort to stop them from reaching the warm waters of Indian Ocean. Now, however, in an interesting twist, U.S. policy, by ignoring secular and democratic forces in Balochistan, has in effect paved the way for China to capture the warm-waters of the Persian Gulf.

         One doesn't have to look too far back for evidence of other short-cut/-sighted U.S. policies either: The U.S. also helped Pakistan acquire "nuclear technology" in exchange for their co-operation against the Soviets in Afghanistan in 1979. Today, Pakistan has helped spread this dreadful technology to Iran and elsewhere.

         Despite knowing very well about the sanctuaries of the Talibs/al-Qaeda in Pakistan, the thousands of Islamic madrasas and dozens of jihadi groups created by the ISI, as well as the infiltration of the Taliban (read: Pakistani-trained commandos) in Afghanistan to bleed NATO/ISAF/Afghan Army, the present U.S. establishment continues to arm, finance and appease the Pakistani military at the expense of NATO forces in Afghanistan. This strategy (some might characterize it as lacking a strategy), is doomed. The impact of this short-sighted policy is reflected in the divisions among NATO forces and has transformed the attitude of the United Kingdom to one of surrender to the 'military gods' of Pakistan.

        The United Kingdom and the U.S. appeased Pakistan even further when they acquiesced in Pakistani military attacks on Balochistan in exchange for promises to fight the Taliban, this after already being blackmailed by the peace-truce with the Taliban in Waziristan. Spoiled Pakistani military demands were met by providing arms and ammunition to Pakistan who, in turn, massacred Baloch and secular Pashtuns. In the UK authorities even arrested Baloch political activists, Mir Heyer Biyar Marri and Mr. Faiz Baloch.

        "We are not Taliban, but secular nationalist forces--the friends of democratic forces around the world. Why does America kill us indirectly?" deplored a Baloch civilian who wonders, "Is the western world helping the Pakistani military force us into being converted into Talibans and al-Qaeda, or what?"

"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him at last" - Sir Winston Chuchill.

         Arming the Pakistani miitary so it can massacre the Baloch population equates to one hitting his own head with a hammer. Instead of appeasing the Pakistani military in order to transport necessary items of support to Afghanistan via Pakistan, why not set up a substantial support programme to free Balochistan and use her land and air routes to Afghanistan? Balochistan was occupied by Pakistan in 1948, just as Saddam Hussein occupied Kuwait. Why not expell Pakistani and Chinese forces from Gwader Port? And why would such an action be justified? Gwader was an Omani possession until the Pakistani military claimed and forced the "Sultanate of Oman" to hand-over Gwader to Pakistan in 1957.

        Pakistan is an artificial state created at the time of the British exit from India. Pakistan invaded and occupied Qarakurem (Gilgit, Baltistan, Chitral), a part of Kashmir, annexed N.W.F.P, and then occupied Balochistan and Gwader in 1948 and 1957 respectively. Prospects for peace, justice, democracy and stability in Pakistan are grim. There is little hope that its multiple diseases of greed, proliferation of WMDs, narcotics and weapons smuggling can be cured. The man of vision must seek an alternative cure. The option to dissolve Pakistan must not be removed from the table.

        A referendum should be held in Quakarum, Pakistani Kashmir, N.W.F.P, Sindh, Karachi and Balochistan in which citizens are able to decide their future on the basis of the "right of self-determination". In this referendum, the door for ethnic minorities to build their own states, if they desire, will be opened.

        Dictatorial rule in Pakistan, including Pakistani missions to destablise Afghanistan for the last 60 years, depends on Pakistani success in retaining its sway over Balochistan. Gold-seeking Pakistani army generals become wealthier by looting the mineral wealth of Balochistan and thus adding to the list of mega industries owned and managed by the "Pakistani Military Business Corporation". The Pakistani military uses an iron hand to quell the Baloch nation and rules the whole of Pakistan as a dictatorship that even destablises her neighbours in order to make them weak and silent. The common Pakistani doesn't benefit from the vast sums that are looted from Balochistan. Instead he is kept in chains, both figuratively and in many cases literally, so that the military has its hands free to run the economy for its own benefit.

         A freed Balochistan would inaugurate democracy and civil rights for all of Pakistan. An independent Balochistan would help guarantee peace, prosperity and stability for Afghanistan, South Asia, the Middle East and many other parts of the world. It would also serve a final blow to the Taliban and al-Qaeda operating in this part of the world.

         The Independence of Balochistan shall represent a victory for those who desire democracy in their own nations. Afghanistan and Central Asian countries shall get access to the seven-seas. The freedom of Balochistan shall herald the security of the Middle-East and Israel. Even the hydrocarbon pipelines from Central Asia and Turkemenistan to the Persian Gulf will easily be laid-down through "Sistan va Balochistan" after the creation of a "Great Free Balochistan."

         The alternative--an enslaved Balochistan--will perpetuate the domination of other nations of the world by evil powers--the evil powers of fundamentalist dictatorial regimes in the Islamic world and cruel and greedy regimes like China and Russia. Their continuing domination will result in indiscriminate massacre and blood-shed in nations around the world, resulting in deprivation for all.