Zarvan
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2011
- Messages
- 54,470
- Reaction score
- 87
- Country
- Location
Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi
Pakistan came into being as a homeland for the Muslims of the Indian Subcontinent after a long and bitter struggle and great sacrifices. The creation of Pakistan also involved a lot of ethnic, geographic, economic and political issues. Pakistan was able to remain united and the people achieved a great deal of growth and development for some time.
However, some internal and external forces were not satisfied or convinced about the creation of the new entity. They started exploiting and exaggerating some of the problems involved in the creation of the new nation and the mistakes committed by some people who held key positions. Moreover, there was a lack of religious faith and national sentiment on which Pakistan was founded on the part of some individuals and groups. Apart from this, some people cherished regional sentiments. All of these problems and factors contributed to Pakistan’s loss of its eastern half after a nine-month civil war that ended with India’s military intervention in favor of Bengalis. This resulted in the secession of East Pakistan and the creation of the new state of Bangladesh.
It is unfortunate that Pakistan is facing a fresh threat from those who are attempting to destabilize the country by crossing all the red lines. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) is threatening Pakistan’s national unity not only through its involvement in subversive acts from within but also by establishing rapport with external forces. It has sought the assistance of the United States by contacting some US Congressmen in order to gain moral and material support to continue its subversive and separatist acts.
The BLA and its tribal leader the Khan of Kalat were said to have earlier planned to take the Balochistan issue to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). It was also said that they expected that a neighboring country would pay the legal fees, amounting to more than $2 million, to contest the case. When they failed to achieve this, they approached some US Congressmen, requesting their support to take up their cause. This yielded results when three Congressmen tabled a bill before the US Congress stating:
“Balochistan is currently divided between Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan with no sovereign rights of its own.” They also told Congress that Balochis in Pakistan are subjected to violence, extrajudicial killing and displacement, and that they are demanding the right to self-determination.
Earlier, a Congressional committee convened hearings on what it called extrajudicial killings and human rights violations in Balochistan, and the issue was taken up by a number of deputies who proposed a new road map for the Middle East that was designed to divide some of the countries in the region, including Pakistan, on the basis of ethnic and religious factors. But the US government quickly distanced itself from such schemes.
However, in reality non-governmental organizations and research centers funded by the US State Department have worked to support and encourage dissidents in Balochistan. Similarly, the US government has also been pressing Pakistan to allow the opening of a US Consulate in Quetta. There was general belief that the aim of this demand was to facilitate the activities of organizations which are striving to create unrest in Pakistan.
US Congressmen who are known to be members of the Tea Party are working for an independent Balochistan. There have been reports that these Congressmen are outraged at Pakistan and by extending support to Balochi insurgents want to teach it a lesson for sheltering Osama Bin Laden.
There have also been allegations that India is extending financial assistance to the insurgents and that this money goes into the pockets of tribal chiefs who are working for the separation of Balochistan from Pakistan. There is a general notion that if the Republicans come to power in the next US elections, there will be a surge in violence in Balochistan. It has also been pointed out that in such a scenario, the insurgents will receive funding from Tea Party members under the pretext of defending human rights.
In this context, I suggest that the media should highlight some important topics.
1. There should be a political initiative to address the situation in Balochistan, such as holding elections and the formation of an elected government in the province, which would reduce the prospects for those who encourage insurgency.
2. It is essential to stop the intervention of external forces whether it is from US Congressmen or anyone else as this contravenes international laws and traditions.
3. The local media should expose the machinations of Tea Party members as well as the hypocrisy shown under the pretext of human rights in order to interfere in the internal affairs of Pakistan.
4. Those who demand separation are a small group and they enjoy no support from the people. They look to outside forces to get material and moral support from both individuals and agencies that are not interested in what is good for Pakistan. What these forces are trying to do in Balochistan is not possible for them to do in their own country. If any of them dared to do so, they would end up behind bars.
5. The people of Balochistan are patriotic and they want peace, justice and democracy to prevail. It is not possible to incite them to violence which is the objective of the banned separatist BLA.
6. The government of Pakistan will not allow any group of adventurers who live abroad to undermine the nation’s safety and security, as well as to forfeit any part of the country. It will work to achieve the growth and development of all parts of Pakistan, including Balochistan. The people of Balochistan like the rest of the people of Pakistan are keen to safeguard the unity and territorial integrity of the nation.
In my next article, I will shed more light on the double standards of some who intend to undermine the security, stability and unity of Pakistan.
— Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi is a former Saudi diplomat who specializes in Southeast Asian affairs. He can be reached at algham@hotmail.com
Balochistan and the unity of Pakistan | Opinion | Saudi Gazette
@Aeronaut @Oscar @WebMaster @RazPaK @Icarus @jaibi @tarrar @mafiya @HRK @PWFI @Yzd Khalifa @Arabian Legend @al-Hasani @Slav Defence @JUBA @DESERT FIGHTER @Secur @IceCold @Areesh @Alpha1 @Rashid Mahmood
