Forget Pakistan, free Solecki

UPDATES: Breakthrough is likely in efforts to get UNHCR chief in Baluchistan, John Solecki, freed as officials of the United Nations met with legendary Baluch leader Nawab Khair Baksh Marri, Faiz Baluch, a confidante of Marri's heir apparent Hyrbyair Marri confirmed from London.
 
Both Faiz Baluch and Hyrbyair Marri, a former government minister in  Baluchistan, were arrested in London in exchange for Pakistan's arrest of Rashid Rauf, an al Qaeda terrorist, with dual British and Pakistani nationalities.
 
Baluch and Marri were kept in the maximum security Belmarsh prison.
 
Though the new government in Pakistan dropped charges against them, the duo still faced a terror trial in the Woolwich Crown Court for helping to get the Baluch resistance organized against the brutal army oppression launched in Baluchistan since 2005. The judge feared they pose a threat to British public safety, though neither had any crime record.
 
All charges against Faiz Baluch were dropped on February 11, but Marri got only three charges dropped and is still under bail on two counts.
 
Hyrbyair Marri has got permission from the court to issue a Press appeal calling upon Solecki's kidnappers to free him unharmed. Previously, he was under a gag order of the court.

Pakistan and its tuberculosis-ridden and alcoholic leader, Muhammad Ali Jinnah --an MI6 agent-- can both burn in hell and long live Baluchistan, but please free John Solecki immediately, the Baluch diaspora is urging the kidnappers of the senior-most UN official in Quetta.

“He stresses that no cause can be served by prolonging the abduction of Mr Solecki.” These words are from someone the entire world other than perhaps the Taliban in Afghanistan respects: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

Anyone who understands English would know what Ban means. It means he is sympathetic towards the Baluch cause but terror tactics won't work. Now is the time for the abductors of Solecki to free him without a moment's delay. It would be a great tragedy for the Baluch people if the world would look upon them as terrorists as this case has done.

Ban urged the safe and immediate release of Solecki, who has been with the UN since 1991, and who was kidnapped on February 2. His driver, Syed Hashim, was killed in the terror attack.

The Secretary-General issued a statement on a Saturday as it was an extremely urgent matter. He emphasized the importance of Solecki's humanitarian work.

Earlier this week, the UN said it was seeking information on a group called the Balochistan Liberation United Front, which on February 7 claimed in local media reports that it is holding Solecki.

The world body said Solecki has a medical condition requiring regular treatment.

This is not the time to dabble in small talk. The entire world's eyes are focused on Baluchistan. I urge Solecki's kidnappers not to harm the blood of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti and Nawabzada Bala'ach Marri, who the dominant Punjabis called terrorists and who were our national heroes in their lifetime and martyrs in their death.

For those who don't know, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, 79, was the governor and chief minister of Baluchistan. He epitomized the folkloric Baluch warrior Chakar Khan Rind. Just like Chakar Rind rose to defend the honor of Hani, Nawab Bugti and his men rose up to defend the honor of Dr. Shazia Khalid, who was raped by Captain Hammad of Pakistan's jihadist army on a wintry January night in 2005. Bugti died with his "spurs on", in his own words

Nawabzada Bala'ach Marri, 45, was the legendary Baluch hero who pledged allegiance to Baluchistan-- and not Pakistan -- when he took oath as a member of the state assembly of Baluchistan. He is also called the Baluch Che Guevra.

Both were killed as they engaged the ruthless army of Pakistan, the fourth largest in the world and one armed with nuclear weapons, against the exploitation of Baluch resources. Bugti and Marri will live in Baluch hearts for all times to come.

It's tragic and sad as the group that abducted Solecki is secular, but have adopted Taliban methods of terrorism. After Solecki's kidnapping, because of the Talibanization life seems to move on in Quetta as if nothing happened. "People have become totally desensitized. They are like the nurses in an emergency ward, who carry out their routine work as usual," says Zain Magsi, a stepson of the governor of Baluchistan.

I was surprised to see a statement of Nawabzada Jamil Bugti, the best among the late Nawab Bugti's sons, saying the exact same thing. Like millions of Baluch all over the world, Jamil Bugti still thinks there is ISI invovlement in Solecki's kidnapping.

I have Bala'ach Marri's picture hanging on my small room here in the US. Any stupid action on the part of his abductors would harm the Baluch cause immensely and frankly I will be forced to take down the picture of a man who gave his life for the motherland.

There has to be a clear differentiation between a potential ally and a foe. Under the new Obama administration, the policies regarding southwest Asia are being thoroughly reviewed and a formidable Baluch ally is Vice President Joe Biden -- a proponent of balkanization of unnatural states created by the British.

Solecki's abduction is not a question of a lone American as some friends mistakenly think so. This is a question of the Baluch versus the entire world body, the United Nations.

The Baluch group that is holding Solecki has correctly said Pakistan is violating international law. But since they are holding Solecki and also threatening to kill him, all I can say is mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all. In the eyes of the world, they are the ones who are violating international law and engaging in terrorism and though we all might have come out of the "same hole", or tung as the Baluch call it, many centuries ago, I do not see any difference between them and the Taliban at this point of time. It's a shame.

The bitterest enemies of the Baluch, the Punjabi generals, must be toasting one another. I am sure they are drawing sadistic pleasure out of the whole affair. What more can they want than see the Baluch torture an American, when the CIA drones are rubbing their rear without lube every day in the bordering areas with Afghanistan. The Punjabi generals are so shameless they keep on smiling, perhaps because the victims are Pashtuns -- an ethnic group who like the Sindhis, cry with the Baluch and feast with the Punjabis. Some things in world politics are unspoken, but the US is clearly targeting the "B team" of the Pakistan army, if you may. That surely is a nightmare for the GHQ in Rawalpindi.

Maybe some of our wise Sindhi friends are also joking and saying: look at the charya (crazy) Baluch.

POSTSCRIPT: Ban spoke with President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan Saturday. I feel sorry for Zardari also, the Karachi playboy of yore who used to be beaten up at by the tougher Baluch guys from the Bugti and Zehri tribes. I am sure Zardari fondly misses those days, prior to the thugs of Muttahida Qaumi Movement taking control of Karachi with the help of the ISI under General Ziaul (na) Haq.

The desire for instant wealth, power and fame can land a person into deep trouble in Pakistan, or for that matter aywhere else in the world.

I understand Zardari is racially a Baluch and I also know his first love before he might even have dreamed about Benazir Bhutto in this world in the early 1970s was a horse-riding enthusiast, pretty and tom boyish, Ruheena Malik. Ruheena Malik has today become a well known calligraphist and has no relation to the sleazeball named Rehman Malik, who made his millions in the infamous Iraqi oil for scam and who is Zardari's home minister. Zardari and Malik seem to be competing who is the best in the Third Class series.

Zardari has been personally calling the Baluch heavyweights and offering them large sums of monies, or as the Baluch call lub, in exchange for cooperation with his government. But the Baluch are asking him a straight and simple question: how long will the Punjabi generals allow you to stay in office?

The Baluch care two hoots about Pakistan, which they prefer to call Cluster Fu........, though. The Baluch will never accept the forced annexation of their homeland of March 27, 1948 and also the continued atrocities by the occupation forces. The world body must address the Baluchistan issue.