House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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Re: House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

You clearly don't even know the history of Balochistan kid. Balochistan has been around a lot longer than Pakistan.

One someone tortures a peaceful protestor in your family, we will see how loud and brave you are then.

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Re: House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

Kid? I know more then you think however, I'm totally and utterly against disintegration of my homeland. Now, the whole Baloch crisis is being over hyped by western media. It seems you support the separatists....I understand a lot more then you imagine, kid.

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Re: House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

Baloch separatist movement was violent from the beginning, starting from 1950. And BTW Baloch are not native in the area of Balochistan in Pakistan, they settled here from adjoining Irani Balochistan.

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Re: House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

pay the price? they are the victims of our so called army and ISI brutality! ... we cant even imagine what their families have gone through! not a day goes by when a baloch is not kidnapped, tortured and killed mercilessly, ofcourse, they will be provoked to take up arms and law into hands. Yes, it does not justify what they are doing, but lets not forget they dont even get treated like a Pakistani, no basic rights and no respect! ...

45

Re: House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

and why the 'elected govt' chose to extend tenure for 3 years of both army chief and isi chief??

46

Re: House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

however, demanding independence is just not right! both parties need to sit down and resolve this issue in a peaceful manner.

47

Re: House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

You talk like a kid, and have shown no maturity in your posts. The sentiment you expressed are 'haha, torture them'.

Balochistan and the Baloch people have been around a lot longer than Pakistan.

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Re: House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

Exactly.

49

Re: House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

You obviously have not been to Balochistan, and have no understanding of the treatment of the Baloch people, and the history of Balochistan.

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Re: House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

I think you pretty much nailed it, If Pak does not toe US line, e.g. like India U turn on IP gas pipeline, Find Amreeka face saver in A-stan, side with US/West instead of China. It will not be out of the ordinary for US/West to foam at mouth w.r.t. Pak.. This is nothing out of the ordinary. If Amreeka is really pissed than Pak is definately doing something right.

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Re: House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

How many such congressional hearings have been held on Kashmir?

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Re: House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

The operation was started in Bhutto’s time and Zia ul Haq ended it when he came to power, which should have been opposite this time around.

Bhutto launches military operation**The ethno-separatist rebellion of Balochistan,of the 1970s, the most threatening civil disorder to Pakistan since Bangladesh’s secession, now began. Surveying the political instability, Bhutto’s central government sacked two provincial governments within six months, arrested the two chief ministers, two governors and forty-four MNAs and MPAs, obtained an order from the Supreme Court banning the NAP and charged everyone with high treason to be tried by a specially constituted Hyderabad Tribunal of handpicked judges. Following the allegeddiscovery of Iraqi arms in Islamabad in February 1973, Bhutto dissolved the Balochistan Provincial Assembly and infuriated Balochistan’s political oligarchs.

**
In time, the nationalist insurgency, which had been steadily gathering steam, now exploded into action, with widespread civil disobedience and armed uprisings. Bhutto now sent in the army to maintain order and crush the insurgency. This essentially pitted the ethno-separatists against the capital Islamabad. As casualties rose, the insurgency became a full-fledged armed struggle against the Pakistan Army. The sporadic fighting between the insurgency and the army started in 1973 with the largest confrontation taking place in September 1974 when around 15,000 ethno-separatists fought the Pakistani Army and the Air Force. Sensing the seriousness of the conflict, Pakistan Navy dispatched its logistic units under the command of Vice-Admiral Patrick Simpson—Commander of the Southern Naval Command—provided its logistic and intelligence support to Army and Air Force from the Sea. The Navy had applied an effective naval blockade in Balochistan’s water and stopped the illegal arm trade and aid to Baloch rebel groups. In a separate naval operations led by navy, the navy had seized and destroyed vessels that were trying to aid the Baloch rebel groups. The Iranian military, fearing a spread of the greater ethnic resistance in Iran, also aided the Pakistani military.[SUP][4]](1970s operation in Balochistan - Wikipedia)[/SUP] Among Iran’s contribution were 30 Huey cobra attack helicopters and $200 million in aid. The Pakistan government declared its belief in covert Indian intervention just like the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation.However India claimed that it was fearful of further balkanization of the subcontinent after Bangladesh and stated it had not interfered. After three days of fighting the separatists were running out of ammunition and so withdrew by 1976.

**The army had suffered more than 3,000 casualties in the fight while the rebels lost 5,000 people as of 1977.[SUP][2]](1970s operation in Balochistan - Wikipedia)

[/SUP]**
edit]Rahimuddin’s stabilization
Although major fighting had broken down, ideological schisms caused splinter groups to form and steadily gain momentum. Despite the overthrow of the Bhutto government, calls for secession and widespread civil disobedience remained. **The military government then appointed General Rahimuddin Khan as Martial Law Administrator of Balochistan as well as Governor. Rahimuddin’s immediate steps were to implement a general amnesty for belligerents willing to give up arms. He oversaw military withdrawal thereafter. Rahimuddin then pointedly isolated the more prominent feudal figures of Balochistan from interfering in provincial affairs.[SUP][5]](1970s operation in Balochistan - Wikipedia)[/SUP] Defusing their influence, coupled with authoritarian government, caused theBaloch separatist movement to grind to a virtual standstill.[SUP][6]](1970s operation in Balochistan - Wikipedia)[/SUP] Prominent tribal sardars Ataullah Mengal and Khair Bakhsh Marri left the province for foreign countries, whereas Akbar Bugti aborted his separatist activities.[SUP][7]](1970s operation in Balochistan - Wikipedia)[/SUP] No effective protests,civil disobedience or anti-government movements took place throughout Rahimuddin’s rule.

**
Governor Rahimuddin’s tenure also ushered in sustained development.[SUP][6]](1970s operation in Balochistan - Wikipedia)[/SUP] Following the Soviet invasion of neighboring Afghanistan in 1979, Rahimuddin used the resultant foreign attention on Balochistan by introducing an externally financed development programme for the area.[SUP][8]](1970s operation in Balochistan - Wikipedia)[/SUP] Forty million dollars (USD) were committed to the programme by the end of 1987, by which time Rahimuddin had resigned.[SUP][9]](1970s operation in Balochistan - Wikipedia)[/SUP] He expedited the regulation of Pakistan Petroleum Limited, the exploration company charged with the Sui gas field. He consolidated the then-contentious integration of Gwadar into Balochistan, which had earlier been notified as a district in 1977. Addressing the province’s literacy rate, the lowest in the country for both males and females,[SUP][10]](1970s operation in Balochistan - Wikipedia)[/SUP] he administered the freeing up of resources towards education, created girls’ incentive programs, and had several girls’ schools built in the Dera Bugti District. As part of his infrastructure schemes, he also forced his way in extending electricity to vast areas with subsoil water.[SUP][11]](1970s operation in Balochistan - Wikipedia)

[/SUP]
Tensions have resurfaced recently in the province with the Pakistan Army being involved in attacks against a terrorist organisation known as the Balochistan Liberation Army. Attempted uprisings have taken place as recently as 2006.

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Re: House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

The price Pakistan as a whole is paying (and I hope you consider baloch's as Pakistanis too)!

The policy that Pakistan military has adopted has further increased the demand of independence, and sidelined the pro Pakistan elements in Baloch majority areas.

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Re: House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

Why did the Bengalis go for independence and why the balochis want one too, this is something for us to ponder about too!

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Re: House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

A hearing on BalochistanBy Editorial
Published: February 11, 2012

There is reason to be both optimistic and cynical about hearings by the US Congress’s Foreign Affairs committee on the situation in Balochistan. The hope is derived from the fact that the state’s violations of human rights in the province, including alleged killings, abductions and torture, have generally been ignored by the international community and so, any publicity given to the issue can be seen as a net positive since it opens the prospect of a much-needed change in policy. At the same time, however, the sudden concern by some members of the US Congress about Balochistan could be part of larger strategic concerns that may have little to do with human rightsand international law.

The Americans have always been suspicious of Chinese investment in the region, including their involvement in the port of Gwadar and in the country’s energy sector. The proposed gas pipeline from Iran is also supposed to run through Balochistan. This, apart from the embarrassment caused to the federal government by the hearing having taken place, may explain the Foreign Office’s denunciation. Even the US State Department, acutely aware of how sensitive this issue is, distanced itself saying that the hearing did not reflect the policy of the US government and that the issue of Balochistan should be solved through internal negotiations.

Having said that, the mere fact that the US Congress saw fit to conduct these hearings shows just how dire the situation in the province really is. Human rights activists and experts apprised the committee of the violations taking place in Balochistan. A representative of Amnesty International even called for the Leahy Amendment to be applied to all military units operating in Balochistan. The said amendment is commonly applied to security assistance programmes to prevent foreign aid from being used to further human rights abuses.

**While one can understand why the Pakistan government is upset about the hearing, a better response may be to change in existing policy on Balochistan in a manner that the wishes of the local population are factored in. This is the best way of ensuring that the situation improves and that separatist feeling is quelled. That, clearly, is an end that should not even require prodding by a committee of American lawmakers.

**
Published in The Express Tribune, February 11[SUP]th[/SUP], 2012.

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Re: House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

Baluchistan is not Bangladesh. Bangladesh only got independence because our forces were separated a 1000 miles apart. There is no room for independence.

Also, no where in my post did I state I support the torture or killing or innocent civilians. The best way to settle this is for the Balochis to accept it is part of Pakistan and will always remain part of the motherland. Then our current leaders should all die. Hopefully some intelligent folk come into power and give the Balochis their right when it comes to resources etc...

Truth is I'm sick and tired of hearing all this breaking away nonsense. Like I said if they want to so much then just like the Bengalis they're going to have to fight for it. Militarly they will be heavily defeated. Hopefully, the Pasthuns will outnumber them in a few years in totality. Ethnic cleansing. No, keeping the country whole and not 66% of what it should be, yes.

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Re: House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

The feelings of Baloch towards Pakistan will not improve until Pakistan Army will keep throwing dead bodies of Baloch after abducting them. Pakistan army's actions there have further instilled the feeling that they are being subjugated (colonized) and served to sideline even the pro Pakistan elements there. You cannot force someone to become patriotic citizens. Pakistan will have to take some actions to remove the Baloch concerns, the ball rests in its entirety with Pakistani government and military and how they can engage with the militants to end the current impasse. And what steps are taken to avoid this taking place in all the provinces in the future?

[QUOTE]
Hopefully, the Pasthuns will outnumber them in a few years in totality. Ethnic cleansing. No, keeping the country whole and not 66% of what it should be, yes.
[/QUOTE]

THis is the reason of their mistrust of Pakistani policies. By the way first it was Bengal, now Balochistan if the government doesn't adopt sane policies tomorrow it could be some other province. So dont count on turning ehnicities into minorities in their own provinces. If the recommendations put forward in Hamood ur Rehman commission were implemented we wouldnt have been in this position in the first place.

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Re: House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

The end of the fourth insurgency in Balochistan:

http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/02/when-the-doves-cry.html

59

Re: House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

the problem in Kashmir is about Pakistani state terrirism and therefore those hearings may found if you search under ISI and terrorism

60

Re: House Hearings on Balochistan: US Mulls Balkanization of Pakistan

^ Yes, ISI sponsored those resolutions in UN as well (nehru was also an agent) and christine fair, hrw, amnesty are on the payroll of ISI as well.