government committing genocide in Balochistan. Pakistan Bar Council

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5c04%5c07%5cstory_7-4-2006_pg7_11

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Pakistan Bar Council says no to federal high court
** Accuses government of genocide in Balochistan and Waziristan

By Mohammad Kamran*

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has rejected the government’s proposal to set up a Federal High Court and has summoned a countrywide convention of lawyers along with issuing a strike call on May 6 to finalise an anti-government movement in the backdrop of the critical geo-political situation of the country with regard to the killing of innocent civilians in Balochistan and Waziristan.

These decisions were taken in a recent meeting of the PBC held in Karachi, where a unanimous resolution calling for the resumption of anti-government protests, the holding of a countrywide convention in Quetta, the rejection of the government’s proposal to establish a high court at the federal level and division of provincial high courts into criminal, civil and commercial categories, was passed.

Sources privy to the meeting told Daily Times that the body expressed serious reservations on the issue of the proposed Federal High Court, calling it a government conspiracy to take away the exclusive jurisdiction of the provincial high courts. Similarly the proposed divisional categorisation of high courts was also rejected by the PBC with the contention that the step would also weaken the jurisdictional power of the provincial high courts.

PBC Vice Chairman Ali Ahmed Kurd, who chaired the meeting, told Daily Times that the resolutions were unanimously adopted by all participants at the meeting, hailing from across the country.

“The May 6 convention will serve to dent the government’s ranks. We want to make our rulers realise that lawyers are not oblivious to their role and are determined to struggle for the establishment of a true democracy and ensure the supremacy of the parliament and the reservation of the nation’s sovereignty,” he said.

He accused the government of committing genocide in Balochistan and Waziristan. “The country is passing through a critical phase. Our national security and sovereignty is at stake, which is why we have decided to resume our historical role,” he said, adding that the convention would finalise and adopt a plan of action against the government. Sources said that all office bearers and members of the Supreme Court Bar Association, provincial bar councils, high court bar associations and all district bar associations would be invited to the proposed convention.

The vice chairman held that the federal government wanted to usurp the constitutional rights of the provinces in the name of judicial reforms. He said that earlier, a government proposal to establish federal commercial courts was shelved because of the lawyers’ opposition to the plan. “After dropping the federal commercial courts plan, the government has come up with the idea of a Federal High Court, which will also be vehemently opposed by lawyers,” he said.

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Re: government committing genocide in Balochistan. Pakistan Bar Council

Pakistani Bar Council comprises of lawyers who respresent rich criminals in the country...no wonder they are going to take side of a thief and a murderer like Nawab Bugti.If it was genocide the whole of Balochistan would have risen up against it..it is not...the majority of the people in Balochistan do not like or care about thugs and criminals like Nawab Bugti who have brought nothing but misery to them.Government is absoultey right in taking action against the evil feudals and their hired criminals as they are trying to stop economic development in Balochistan.

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Re: government committing genocide in Balochistan. Pakistan Bar Council

Typical BS by those who just don't want to accept the reality of the situation

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Re: government committing genocide in Balochistan. Pakistan Bar Council

Its bull**** ting to be defending one of the biggest thieves and criminals of the country who do not even enjoy the support of the majority of their people.

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Re: government committing genocide in Balochistan. Pakistan Bar Council

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\04\08\story_8-4-2006_pg3_4

Interesting article about the current situation.

Author is a retired Brig. It is refreshing to see an Army man who realizes the solution is not bombing all Balochis

What is happening in Balochistan?*** — Shaukat Qadir***

While the quantity of gas produced in Balochistan is only 30 percent of the country’s total production, its superior quality means that it accounts for nearly 70 percent of the gas-energy. Had they been paid royalty in accordance with the retail price and the calorific value it would be possible to provide gas throughout the province

Dr Hassan Askari Rizvi’s article ‘The challenge of Balochistan’, (Daily Times, April 2, 2006), is as comprehensive an academic expose as can be. Those who choose to read my effort should therefore consider it a supplementary piece.

About two months ago I heard a senior Baloch politician saying that “we have Musharraf to thank for throwing our educated liberals to the Sardars, whom they always opposed, and ensuring that the illiterate join the Mullahs”. In view of the appalling implications of the statement I thought it the usual exaggeration our politicians are guilty of. However, it caused me considerable anxiety.

I have waited to talk to a considerably wide cross-section of our Baloch citizens before broaching the subject here. I have heard the same observation repeated again and again in different words.

Seven years of my uniformed service were spent in Balochistan — mostly in Quetta. I have travelled fairly extensively through most of the province and for two years during the 1970s was part of the counter-insurgency operations in and around Khuzdar. I was present when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto announced the end of the Sardari system while Doda Khan, the hunch-backed Sardar of the area and the most tyrannical of them all, was sitting besides him. I heard Mr Bhutto make the announcement and saw him place his hand on the mike, turn towards Doda Khan and say, “except you Doda Khan”! I was aware that the insurgency was politically orchestrated and that while a Baloch nationalist undercurrent has always existed, it has never threatened the federation — until perhaps now.

While the government is essentially correct in stating that the trouble is being caused by three Sardars of the Bugti, Marri, and Mengal tribes, its statement is an over simplification. For the first time the Sardars have raised populist issues, winning the support of the educated youth, their traditional opponents. What is more, the sense of isolation and victimisation is increasing both horizontally and vertically i.e. both the number of people experiencing it and its intensity are increasing.

This is why there could be a genuine threat to the federation, which the government is either consciously playing down or failing to appreciate. Whatever the case, the fact that their sentiments are being misrepresented (or under-represented) is causing greater alienation among the Baloch.

The sense of injustice comes primarily from the fact that over the years Balochistan has not received its rightful share of funds. It is also the most under-developed of our provinces. I have seen areas where people share water with animals — from a slime-covered pond. Indeed, because my thirst was so compelling, I have drunk that water because I could not wait for it to be boiled.

Unlike the other three provinces, where agriculture forms a major part of the economy, the bulk of the resources in Balochistan are sub-surface, though it does have some orchards. According to the constitution, all sub-surface resources belong to the centre. The Baloch contend that the constitution is not a sacred text, particularly since successive governments have amended it.

Natural gas from Sui was first taken to Sindh and Punjab. Many years later was it supplied to Quetta. It is still not available in most of Balochistan. Considering the gas is being produced in Balochistan, even if the centre owns it and pays a 12 percent royalty to the province in accordance with the constitution, the people of the province should, at least have the first right to its use. Admittedly laying pipelines to Quetta and beyond was technically challenging but the Baloch no longer accept the excuse or the observation that in view of the sparse population laying a network for interior Balochistan is uneconomical.

The Baloch complain that the 12 percent royalty they receive is calculated at the well-head price and not the consumer price. They also contend that while the quantity of gas produced in Balochistan is only 30 percent of the country’s total production, its superior quality means that it accounts for nearly 70 percent of the gas-energy. Had they been paid royalty in accordance with the retail price and the calorific value it would be possible to provide gas throughout the province.

The Baloch also cite incidents that might appear insignificant to others but which they believe reveal the arrogance of national leaders. President Pervez Musharaf, for example, sported a pistol on his hip when he visited Balochistan. I have often related the truism that “perceptions are more important than realities”.

There is little doubt that the present government is diverting unprecedented sums of money towards the development of Balochistan, but as Dr Rizvi explained in his article, even that is considered exploitative. The Baloch feel that the bulk of development spending is on projects that benefit the centre and not the province.

It is time to redress the Baloch grievances of economic ill usage. Any attempt at this point to convince them through argument that their perceptions are incorrect will be futile. Like Dr Rizvi, I believe that the only solution now lies in participatory development. The Baloch people have to be part of development planning and projects so that they can benefit directly from the funds being poured in and be party to the development that they wish to see. I submit that we cannot risk delaying this in the face of a rising Baloch nationalism and the threat it represents for the federation.

The author is a retired brigadier. He is also former vice president and founder of the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI)

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Re: government committing genocide in Balochistan. Pakistan Bar Council

"The Baloch feel that the bulk of development spending is on projects that benefit the centre and not the province."

The crux of the issue is right there. If Balochistan was given the fiscal ability and responsibility to conduct its own development projects, this would be a non-issue. The locals do not trust the center and even if their intentions are pure as the pro-government people say, the perception in Balochsitan is obviously different.

Farewell Your Old Mod:(
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Re: government committing genocide in Balochistan. Pakistan Bar Council


You are never given the fiscal ability to fix up your own room or your own home. You generate it using your brains and figure out the best way of "development" within the amount of money available.

If you have money you would bring tiles from Italy. On the other hand if you are short of funds, you would buy "choona sfaidi" and brighten up your home.

If Balochistan didn't get their NFC share, they should talk about it instead of putting land-mines in their own-living rooms and bed-rooms.

Putting land-mines is off course the typical tribal way to conduct the "development projects" in their own home. Look at Mogadishu and you will see the [FONT=&quot]resemblance between Gen. Farah Aideed and Gens. Muri and Bugti.