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Is it a Nazi fascist state in the guise of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan? Does Islam sanctify the practice of forced disappearances and then extrajudicial killings and dumping of dead bodies along the roads? Apparently, the collective conscience of Pakistanis is dead
History is the best instrument of indoctrination. Can anyone count the number of years required to heal the wounds of the atrocities inflicted on the Baloch by the states security apparatus? The Balochistan of today is tormented with all types of inhuman affliction ranging from forced abductions to forsaken dead bodies (bearing the marks of torture of all kinds). Is Balochistan considered an enemy territory? Even an enemy is not dealt with like that. The ruse of national security has ravaged Pakistan; the artifice itself is a gigantic menace to the federal concord.
It was Muhammad Ali Jinnah who remained worried about the backwardness and aloofness of Balochistan. Before 1930, he started pleading for the introduction of reforms (such as formation of a legislative council) in Balochistan to give it a semblance of a province. Did he do all that effort to make the Baloch susceptible to the homicide being committed today? Secondly, who tasked the security apparatus with creating a (consequent) rancorous Baloch generation? In fact, it was a failure of the federation in undertaking development work in Balochistan after 1947 or even after July 1970 when Balochistan attained the formal status of a province. The development of Gwadar Port does not represent the development of Balochistan.
Why should the Baloch not raise a voice for their rights? The state apparatus should not have tried to muffle their voice; it is not meant for that. Now, each abduction or dead body prejudices the chances of appeasing the Baloch. The Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan package introduced by the incumbent elected government has been denigrated. With each passing day, hopes for resolution are vanishing. Is anybody listening?
Why should anybody (who matters) listen? The prime objective of the sitting government is to complete its term by circumventing issues that may prompt a direct conflict with the states security apparatus. Parliament is giving the impression of following a strategy of abandoning the Baloch to the mercy of the states security apparatus. Parliament should declare if it has excluded the Baloch from the list of bona fide Pakistanis. If it has not, why is it observing criminal silence on their plight and grievances?
The Supreme Court is already encumbered with deciding on one scandal or another. Ironically, the so-called national security suffered an existential threat from a memo but not from the continual disappearances of the Baloch and appearance of their dead bodies subsequently. On the scandal, both the army chief and DG ISI were heard at the Supreme Court but why the wails and screams of the Baloch are not heard there? The Baloch are pointing the finger at the states security apparatus. Why is this matter not probed? Why can the Supreme Court not ask them what role their institutions are playing in Balochistan? Certainly, the cost of this indifference is being paid by the Baloch.
The murder of Dr Baqir Shah, a police surgeon, has added fuel to the fire of grievances. In May 2011, Dr Baqir Shah was assigned the task of finding out what killed the five foreigners: a blast or bullets? If he had said blast, probably he would have been allowed to survive unscathed. By telling the truth that the bullets of the police and the Frontier Corps (FC) killed the unarmed men and women at Kharotabad, he signed his own death warrant. Dr Baqir Shah is dead now. Against those five dead bodies, his body was pierced with bullets. Dr Baqirs crime was to call a spade a spade. Is anybody ready to take pride in the name of a state where truth is the victim? Pakistanis should not let his message of courage and speaking truth (against all odds) die. He should be honoured posthumously with the highest civil award.
In which part of the world is the states security apparatus alleged to have been involved in the forced abductions and killings of its citizens? Is it a Nazi fascist state in the guise of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan? Does Islam sanctify the practice of forced disappearances and then extrajudicial killings and dumping of dead bodies along the roads? Is it a barbarian age Pakistan is passing through? Apparently, the collective conscience of Pakistanis is dead.
Why can the federation not speak to the Baloch youth who have taken refuge in the mountains? Reportedly, most of them are educated. If the DG ISI can secretly visit a foreign country to meet a foreign national to gather information on an unsigned memo, why can the DG ISI not meet Baloch dissidents (or nationalists) and negotiate with them in the best interests of the state? The DG ISI, like the army chief, is a government servant who is not supposed to be ego-driven. Secondly, the states security apparatus must be aware of the fact that the tax collected from the revenue that accrues from selling the resources of Balochistan is converted into their salaries; the same tax also feeds the expenditure incurred on the upkeep of their weapons. The security apparatus must feel grateful to the Baloch and serve them as humble government servants.
Even the ego of the state cannot be considered supreme. Instead, the ego of a common Pakistani is supreme. It was the democratic will of the people expressed in electoral terms in the 1945-46 elections that led to the emergence of Pakistan. Pakistan is not a conquered territory. It is a shared property of the people, common Pakistanis. Hence, it is the citizen first and the state later.
Balochistan is under virtual siege. Balochistan needs to be demilitarised. In Balochistan, civilians should be empowered to run the provincial affairs. Balochistan should be given all opportunities to translate its part of provincial autonomy (which is enshrined in the 18th Amendment) into action. Lastly, the state should make arrangements to speak to the Baloch dissidents.
The writer is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at qaisarrashid@yahoo.com
@daily times.
FACE IT BOYS !!
History is the best instrument of indoctrination. Can anyone count the number of years required to heal the wounds of the atrocities inflicted on the Baloch by the states security apparatus? The Balochistan of today is tormented with all types of inhuman affliction ranging from forced abductions to forsaken dead bodies (bearing the marks of torture of all kinds). Is Balochistan considered an enemy territory? Even an enemy is not dealt with like that. The ruse of national security has ravaged Pakistan; the artifice itself is a gigantic menace to the federal concord.
It was Muhammad Ali Jinnah who remained worried about the backwardness and aloofness of Balochistan. Before 1930, he started pleading for the introduction of reforms (such as formation of a legislative council) in Balochistan to give it a semblance of a province. Did he do all that effort to make the Baloch susceptible to the homicide being committed today? Secondly, who tasked the security apparatus with creating a (consequent) rancorous Baloch generation? In fact, it was a failure of the federation in undertaking development work in Balochistan after 1947 or even after July 1970 when Balochistan attained the formal status of a province. The development of Gwadar Port does not represent the development of Balochistan.
Why should the Baloch not raise a voice for their rights? The state apparatus should not have tried to muffle their voice; it is not meant for that. Now, each abduction or dead body prejudices the chances of appeasing the Baloch. The Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan package introduced by the incumbent elected government has been denigrated. With each passing day, hopes for resolution are vanishing. Is anybody listening?
Why should anybody (who matters) listen? The prime objective of the sitting government is to complete its term by circumventing issues that may prompt a direct conflict with the states security apparatus. Parliament is giving the impression of following a strategy of abandoning the Baloch to the mercy of the states security apparatus. Parliament should declare if it has excluded the Baloch from the list of bona fide Pakistanis. If it has not, why is it observing criminal silence on their plight and grievances?
The Supreme Court is already encumbered with deciding on one scandal or another. Ironically, the so-called national security suffered an existential threat from a memo but not from the continual disappearances of the Baloch and appearance of their dead bodies subsequently. On the scandal, both the army chief and DG ISI were heard at the Supreme Court but why the wails and screams of the Baloch are not heard there? The Baloch are pointing the finger at the states security apparatus. Why is this matter not probed? Why can the Supreme Court not ask them what role their institutions are playing in Balochistan? Certainly, the cost of this indifference is being paid by the Baloch.
The murder of Dr Baqir Shah, a police surgeon, has added fuel to the fire of grievances. In May 2011, Dr Baqir Shah was assigned the task of finding out what killed the five foreigners: a blast or bullets? If he had said blast, probably he would have been allowed to survive unscathed. By telling the truth that the bullets of the police and the Frontier Corps (FC) killed the unarmed men and women at Kharotabad, he signed his own death warrant. Dr Baqir Shah is dead now. Against those five dead bodies, his body was pierced with bullets. Dr Baqirs crime was to call a spade a spade. Is anybody ready to take pride in the name of a state where truth is the victim? Pakistanis should not let his message of courage and speaking truth (against all odds) die. He should be honoured posthumously with the highest civil award.
In which part of the world is the states security apparatus alleged to have been involved in the forced abductions and killings of its citizens? Is it a Nazi fascist state in the guise of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan? Does Islam sanctify the practice of forced disappearances and then extrajudicial killings and dumping of dead bodies along the roads? Is it a barbarian age Pakistan is passing through? Apparently, the collective conscience of Pakistanis is dead.
Why can the federation not speak to the Baloch youth who have taken refuge in the mountains? Reportedly, most of them are educated. If the DG ISI can secretly visit a foreign country to meet a foreign national to gather information on an unsigned memo, why can the DG ISI not meet Baloch dissidents (or nationalists) and negotiate with them in the best interests of the state? The DG ISI, like the army chief, is a government servant who is not supposed to be ego-driven. Secondly, the states security apparatus must be aware of the fact that the tax collected from the revenue that accrues from selling the resources of Balochistan is converted into their salaries; the same tax also feeds the expenditure incurred on the upkeep of their weapons. The security apparatus must feel grateful to the Baloch and serve them as humble government servants.
Even the ego of the state cannot be considered supreme. Instead, the ego of a common Pakistani is supreme. It was the democratic will of the people expressed in electoral terms in the 1945-46 elections that led to the emergence of Pakistan. Pakistan is not a conquered territory. It is a shared property of the people, common Pakistanis. Hence, it is the citizen first and the state later.
Balochistan is under virtual siege. Balochistan needs to be demilitarised. In Balochistan, civilians should be empowered to run the provincial affairs. Balochistan should be given all opportunities to translate its part of provincial autonomy (which is enshrined in the 18th Amendment) into action. Lastly, the state should make arrangements to speak to the Baloch dissidents.
The writer is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at qaisarrashid@yahoo.com
@daily times.
FACE IT BOYS !!
