Blog: Ever wondered why Baloch want independence?

To begin with, Balochistan has been facing gross human rights violations since last 70 years starting from the very first of its annexation by Pakistani state on gunpoint. Ever since, the Baloch people have been deprived by the Pakistani establishment of all the basic human rights.   Before I go any further to the genocide of Baloch people, I would like to recall a few historical things about Balochistan and Baloch people. Baloch people are a secular nation with a history, culture, values and a language of their own, and compared to Punjab, the people of Balochistan are far more civilized. However faced with the situation, they are of a kind who never give up on or compromise their traditions. A historical fact is that Balochistan has existed long time before there was any state under the "Pakistan" name.  Their lifestyle is far different than that of a Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun or of any other ethnic people in Pakistan, because they belong to their own values and cultures.   Back to the point, even though Balochistan covers most of Pakistan in the terms of landmass and is one of the richest lands in the region in terms of natural resources, it has remained the least developed, most ignored and a slaughterhouse for its very own people. Pakistan's so-called democratic government, establishment, armed forces and intelligence agencies are all partner in plundering the Baloch resources and depriving them of their shares: In addition, the entire province of Punjab depends on Sui Gas, but the people of Sui themselves, walk miles to collect wood and cook a two times bread. When a Baloch ask of his/her rights to their resources, they are replied with bomb and bullets.   Not are the Baloch kept from using the goods of their lands, but there have been four major and bloodiest military operations conducted against the Baloch people by the state of Pakistan in 1948, 1958, 1962-63, 1973 and the fifth one that started in 2003 is still continuing, proving to be more brutal and inhumane than the four conducted before. The fifth military operation was launched by the then dictator army chief of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, against the prominent Baloch leader and one of the greatest personality internationally, Shaheed Nawab Akbar Bugti. He (Shaheed Nawab Akbar Bugti) dedicated his entire life striving for the Baloch rights. In his struggle, he even joined the Pakistani politics, but failed to persuade a state, which only understands force, to meet the demands of Balochistan people. He then decided to take to the mountains and began an armed conflict against the Pakistani establishment and armed forces. In March, 2005 Pakistan army attacked the home town of tallest Baloch personality, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti in Dera Bugti killing 73 of his tribesmen, majority of the victims whom were women and children belonging to the Hindu community, who used to live within the fort of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti. That incident became the turning point of Balochistan movement. He later embraced martyrdom in a major military operation in August 26, 2006. The operation was one of the bloodiest the Baloch nation had ever seen in last several decades. Following the martyrdom of their leader, a fire ignited among the people of Balochistan which slowly transformed into an independence movement, a struggle founded by the blood and sacrifices of Shaheed Nawab Akbar Bugti.   Human rights violations and state atrocities took an ugly face, where once heard the sounds of sparrows flying around, was now thundering with bombs. Finally, Balochistan became a no-go area for international and local media and human rights organization as it came under full control of the Pakistan army. The treatment of Balochistan people had became worse than that of slaves, people started to disappear, later return with bullet wounds covering their bodies dumped in a road side or an isolated place. The strongest argument to back this horrific genocide and crimes against humanity is a never proven/seen "RAW and Indian" involvement. The army's behavior went bad to worse, on the other hand, the Baloch started to take arms rather than wait for a slow motion death that was consuming most of them affiliated with Baloch politics. As Baloch political activists raised their voice for the rights of their people, they started disappearing and reappearing dead. It was a genocide kept in the darkness. Then slowly, came under the attention of Pakistan army to deprived, finally, the Baloch people of education which was the last of them raising once again against a state of nuclears. Every educational institution was turned into an army/FC camp, and the Baloch children came to the open skies reading their books.   Not only has Pakistan army committed the Baloch genocide, plundered their resources and deprived them of education, the Pakistan's so called "democratic government' has never tried to address the grievances of the people of Balochistan. Days passed and the genocide continued on and on. Baloch people are migrating to one province/country to another but are finding no peace there as well. I am sure people have heard or read about the attacks on Bugti Baloch refugees in Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan such as Sindh, where they sought refuge after the assassination of their leader, Shaheed Nawab Akbar Bugti. Even though the Baloch are faced with a worse kind of atrocities and human rights violations in the history of the world, the accountable human rights organizations and international community has done a very little to bring forth the Balochistan problem or solve it.   Before it's too late, the world needs to wake up like most recently India has, to the atrocities and cleansing of Baloch nation by Pakistan army. It is obvious, that a state that does not respect the human rights of its own citizen, cannot be trusted with any friendly relationship, sponsor of terrorism by Pakistan is an evidence to back that up. Only thing that can guarantee a safe, peaceful and a secular region is an independent Balochistan, the sooner the world realizes the better it would be for the Baloch people, people in the region and the whole world. After PM India Narendra Modi Ji statement, we the Baloch people are very hopeful that freedom of Balochistan is not much far now. The writer is a human rights activist and columnist. He can be reached at @MureedBugti