Baluch condemn Pak harassment of U.S. embassy workers

by Ahmar Mustikhan | January 7, 2010 at 10:50 pm

492 views | 16 Recommendations | 9 comments

WASHINGTON DC, Jan 8, 2010: A pro-independence Baluch organization has condemned the government of Pakistan for obstructing U.S. development projects in their occupied homeland and said Pakistan has absolutely no right to violate international norms in Baluchistan.

"We take serious notice of Pakistani authorities obstructing the legitimate work of the U.S. embassy in Baluchistan. The latest incidents should be an eyeopener for Washington that Pakistan is neither a friend nor an ally," two presiding council members of the American Friends of Baluchistan, Rashid Baloch and Malik Baloch, said in a statement early Friday.

The Baluch condemnation followed Pakistan's detention of U.S. embassy officials in the Baluch port town of Gwadur.

"Gwadur is the jewel of Baluchistan. The Baluch dream that one day their port city will compete with Hongkong and Singapore, but the Pakistan Navy has illegally occupied hundreds of acres lands at the priceless port," the A.F.B. activists said.

The Baloch have 3 major grievances with the development and expansion of Gwadar:

1) Jobs at the port – Unemployment rates remain high in the Gwadar area because locals are not being employed by port operators.

2) Land ownership – Because Gwadar is under federal control, the provincial government is not consulted in port construction projects. One Gwadar Port Authority official noted that “Gwadar’s lands have been seized by state agencies, the coast guards, the navy, the paramilitaries… this is a land grab”[i]

3) Fisheries – The port was constructed on a prime fishing area, the main livelihood for over 80 percent of the town’s population. None of the local fishermen were consulted during the development and construction of Gwadar.

In a Press release Thursday, the U.S. embassy in Islamabad said:

"The U.S. Mission to Pakistan is concerned about the continued provocative actions and false allegations against U.S. personnel working to implement the new partnership between the leaders of Pakistan and the United States. The U.S.Embassy today called for immediate action by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has responsibility to facilitate proper arrangements under which a foreign mission may operate with full security.

"In the most recent incident, on January 6, 2010, a U.S. Consulate General vehicle with two Pakistani employees of the Consulate and their Sindh police constable escort were detained on Wednesday when traveling in Gwadar. The staff was preparing for the upcoming visit of U.S. development assistance staff to one of Pakistan's most impoverished regions. The U.S. Embassy emphasizes that all U.S. vehicles in Pakistan are appropriately registered with the Pakistani authorities and carry at all times full documentation attesting to their legal status. The two Consulate employees and their police escort were carrying all the required documents and had met in Turbat with the Police Commissioner as part of their work.

"Speaking in Karachi today, U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W. Patterson pointed out that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is obliged to provide proper arrangements in order to address the security concerns of foreign diplomats in Pakistan. The Ambassador offered assurances that American diplomats and their staff will comply with all Government of Pakistan procedures, but that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet implemented the agreed upon procedures.

"The U.S. Mission renews its call on Government of Pakistan officials to implement immediately the mutually agreed upon procedures for the issuance of license plates to U.S. Mission vehicles and to cease these contrived incidents involving U.S. Mission vehicles and personnel."

The American Friends of Baluchistan activists said Pakistan was holding the entire world hostage as the recent targetting of seven U.S. officials in Khost showed. "The killings in Khost were a clear indicator Pakistan military objectives are at odds with the idea of peace and stability in Afghanistan," the A.F.B. activists said.

They said the mastermind of the December 30 incident was a former military commando from Kotli in the so-called Azad Kashmir, named Ilyas Kashmiri, who later switched to the infamous Inter Services Intelligence.

"U.S. taxpayers have spent nearly a quarter trillion dollars to bring peace in Afghanistan, but the December 30 attack clearly shows Islamabad military generals keenly desire return of Taliban rule in Afghanistan," the two activists said.

"Overwhelming majority of Baluch people want an end to the military occupation of Baluchistan by Pakistan. Now is the time for the U.S. to ask Islamabad to respect the aspirations of the Baluch people and withdraw its troops from Baluchistan," the two A.F.B. activists said.

They urged Richard C. Holbrooke, U.S. Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, to immediately open talks with Baluch independence leaders and to launch Voice of America Baluchi language service to effectively communicate with the Baluch masses.

The A.F.B. supports Baluch nationalist demand of withdrawal of all Pakistani and Iranian troops from Occupied Baluchistan and considers Mir Hyrbyair Marri, Nawab Brahumdagh Bugti and Dr. Allah Nazar as Baluch national heroes.

Texas-sized Baluchistan was annexed by Pakistan against the wishes of the Baluch people in March 1948 -- seven months after the British left India divided.

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Wendy Johnson (not verified)

at 09:40 on January 8th, 2010

Ahmar, thanks for alerting us to this. It is my hope that the US will soon recognize who their friends are in the region: the Baloch. One also hopes that the US will also call on Pakistan's security agencies to "cease these contrived incidents" in relation to the disappearance of its own citizens. Imagine if the money spent on Pakistan's military these past years had gone instead to public and university education, as well as health care and infrastructure. The Pakistani Taliban wouldn't exist today. Wendy Johnson, New York

YankeeJim

at 10:45 on January 8th, 2010

Nailed it Wendy.

Gwajram Baloch (not verified)

at 10:44 on January 8th, 2010

I as a Baloch, totally agree with the point of view of American Friends of Balochistan.

stejeb

at 11:10 on January 8th, 2010

I hope peace finds this region very soon. My only concern about any foreign involvement, including America, is the motives, Balochistan has a huge amount of resources that would be a big temptation to those seeking profit from the region, if the Baloch people do manage to gain independence, will they then see not just investors from abroad, but the required workforce too?, and will any of the profits benefit them, or wil that all go back out to line pockets abroad?

One thing looks certain, the region is almost 50% of Pakistan, there won't be a swift arrangement for independence.

Miran Gichki (not verified)

at 11:26 on January 8th, 2010

Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} It is sad that Pakistan is stymieing developmental efforts by the US developmental and aid agencies inside Baluchistan. In the past there have been failed attempts to emasculate Secular Baluch Nationalist sentiment by Pakistan through a process of Talibanization ie supporting the growth of maddressahs in Baluchistan, specifically in Baluch Nationalist Parties’ strongholds. This attempt has miserably failed and the Baluch have proved that they are well insulated by bigoted religious propaganda professed by the State Apparatus. However, the Talibanization efforts should not be taken too lightly. Events in Afghanistan and recently neighboring Iran may as well have a fallout in Baluchistan. To keep this from happening, there should be a serious effort by the United States to get actively involved in aid distribution and initiating projects in developmental sectors like education, health, agriculture, etc. which have thus far been neglected by Pakistan since the last 63 years. More importantly, to hamper the Taliban influence in Baluchistan, it is important that the US builds a relationship of trust with Baluch Nationalist Parties and work with the Baluch people to make their jobs easier in Afghanistan by creating a hostile environment for Taliban in Baluch populace. Currently the Baluch and the US should work alongside for a common cause and that is to defeat and hamper Taliban and other religious fundamentalist groups pouring within the borders of Baluchistan. The US has already witnessed the merging of Pashtun Nationalism with the Taliban. Now it cannot afford to see the same happening within Baluchistan. The only thing that is running out of hand, is time.

Fatema AL Balooshi (not verified)

at 12:07 on January 8th, 2010

YankeeJim

at 12:24 on January 8th, 2010

Wisdom:

" More importantly, to hamper the Taliban influence in Baluchistan, it is important that the US builds a relationship of trust with Baluch Nationalist Parties and work with the Baluch people to make their jobs easier in Afghanistan by creating a hostile environment for Taliban in Baluch populace."

nadir baloch (not verified)

at 14:39 on January 8th, 2010

Pakistani Secret forces whom running the govt, wants to hide their dirty activities against their paki population(all non Punjabi nations), the people they want to keep them slaves, genocide them and exploit their land, sea and natural resources(baloch and Afghanistan population)and they want to create a terror exporting country which may help ... See Morethem to achieve their goal of a khilafat stretching from Chechnya to Spain... for this they do each and every thing.... they have good weapon of brain washing of stupid fanatics in the name of religion... there for they some time killing U.N workers, some time they try to harass the US diplomats.. we baloch condemn it... ultimately US will find the final solution in shape of azad Balochistan same as Kurdistan in Iraq...

Emaan khan (not verified)

at 08:35 on January 14th, 2010

Well i read the above artical...well written. How ever i have few point of my own... Pakistan is still a developing country but everyday the situation is only getting deteriorate by the minute.If we dont blind ourself from reality we could easily figure out what the cause of it. Our peopel not only need educations in school and collages but should get educated about the living condition and the acceptible behavior.Its easy to blame other culture and religion for the ditruction but in truth all are doing the same nothing but bad that is. Bugti death is a wake up call for all of the Baloch clan.Well for the civilised Baloch community around the world you can see many Youtube videos where Bugti is treating like 'GODNESS' no offence just speaking of the grim reality.The people around him kissing his foot and the whole village has no sence of education and extreme lack of awareness . Please highlight the lake of education in our culture and effects of it in our society and differnt culture thats breeds within the country. Balochistan where people can easily be mislead.Lack of education is leading to its own distruction.Knowladge is power which Bughti kept his people deprived of .