Oppression in Balochistan and its struggle for freedom

[ajtr]

Punjabi elites are looting balochistan of its precious natural recourses gold and copper.

Balochistan firm on running Reko Diq plan​

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani has warned against bypassing his government while issuing the mining licence for the Reko Diq gold and copper project in Chaghi.

Reacting to media reports about secret meetings on the project held by President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and other important leaders with chiefs of 20 multinational companies, he said the gold and copper reserves belonged to the people of Balochistan and the provincial government could not be bypassed in issuing the mining licence.

Talking to this correspondent, Nawab Raisani said the Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) had only been given an exploration licence and not a mining permit.

He said the exploration licence would expire next year and his government had decided that afterwards it would run the project itself.

"We have prepared the PC-1 of the project and it has been approved by the Planning Commission."

He dispelled a perception that the TCC had been given a 30-year mining licence.The chief minister said the Rs1 billion PC-1 was likely to be approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council at its next meeting and after that the Balochistan government would start work on the project.

He said his government had the capability and equipment to run the project and its first priority would be to manage it on its own. "If there is a technical problem we may get help from the market."

The chief minister said that according to one estimate the gold and copper reserves in the Reko Diq mountains were worth $1 trillion.

Nawab Raisani said senior scientist Dr Samar Mubarakmand had been appointed chairman of the board of directors of the project.

GWADAR PORT: The chief minister said he was trying to cancel an agreement signed with the Singapore Port Authority for operating the Gwadar port, adding that all agreements which undermined the rights and interests of the people of Balochistan would be scrapped.

 

[ajtr]

Balochistan's relentless quest for freedom​

—Lal Khan

In the 1950s, 60s and 70s, the national struggle in Balochistan had a strong socialist content. The overtones of revolutionary socialism in this nationalist movement had attracted not just the Baloch youth but also inspired young students from the Punjab and other areas who travelled from far and wide to join this résistance

Passing through the streets of Quetta, one is struck by the escalating chaos, crumbling infrastructure, declining writ of the state and a malaise that hangs in the air. Even after a gap of a few months, the decline is glaringly evident. The fear of state terrorism and target killings on national and ethnic lines is very palpable. And the misery, poverty and deprivation are much worse in the rest of Balochistan.

After more than 60 years of its annexation, the Pakistani state and its local surrogates have further exacerbated the destitution and agony of the oppressed peoples of this rugged hinterland. Life has become harsher and more harrowing.

Because of its historical belatedness, economic inability, lack of technological development and fragile financial base, the Pakistani ruling class has failed to develop and integrate Balochistan into its newfound state. They have miserably failed to create and complete the formation of a viable modern nation state. The 'nation' as it stands today is far from being a united entity and is more of a half-baked or raw product as compared to the nation states of the West created by the industrial revolutions after the Renaissance.

This has led to extremes of class and nationalist exploitation on the part of the fragile state defending the interests of an obsolete and redundant ruling elite. This ruling elite has had to rely on the remnants of feudalism on the one hand and the crumbs of its imperialist masters on the other. These factors determine its reactionary character and its despotic role in the brutalisation of the toiling classes and the oppressed nationalities.

The conflict between the state and the oppressed nationalities has been most severe and bloody in Balochistan. The resistance of the Baloch throughout the country's history has been astonishing and valiant. In the 1950s, 60s and 70s, the national struggle in Balochistan had a strong socialist content. There was an armed resistance against which the army had sometimes to resort to aid from the Iranian monarchy and the Pentagon.

The overtones of revolutionary socialism in this nationalist movement had attracted not just the Baloch youth but also inspired young students from the Punjab and other areas who travelled from far and wide to join this résistance. Most of them have now capitulated to neo-liberal capitalism and so-called pragmatism, while there remain those few who still cherish their revolutionary ideals.

One of the most prominent and legendary commanders of the armed resistance, Sher Mohammad Marri, popularly known as General Sheroff, had clearly elaborated the aims of the struggle at a clandestine meeting at Kohlu in 1978: "Our struggle is for a socialist Balochistan, but that is only a prelude to a socialist Pakistan and beyond."

However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union the situation changed. Not only did the movement recede but also the ideological content of the nationalist movement tilted towards the right. But it never died down completely, nor were the problems of Balochistan ever resolved. Subsequent regimes in Islamabad, whether military or civilian, continued to exploit the mineral wealth and strategic location of Balochistan. The imperialist aggression in Afghanistan also had a deep impact; the warring factions spread the conflict into Balochistan.

The mad rush for the huge mineral resources and the route to the warm waters of the Arabian Sea at the mouth of the strategic Gulf began yet again. It has involved the multinational corporations, the Chinese state that had begun to export capital and other imperialist forces. A covert proxy war, with the continuously changing and trading of loyalties, between the Chinese and US interests, has ensued. Those sections of the nationalist movement that had degenerated along bourgeois lines have been penetrated by these conflicting interests of finance capital.

The Pakistan Army is also a major player in this great game. As the insurgency refuses to relent, the repression and killings by the army are going on unabated. Almost the whole provincial assembly of Balochistan is in its cabinet. This government has proved to be impotent in stopping the brutalities of the army and the agencies against the Baloch people. Most of the causalities are among the poor sections of society.

In some cases, the state tries to exploit the ethnic, tribal, clan and national rivalries to maintain its stranglehold. The ruling elites try to use Pashtun and Baloch national chauvinism to fabricate a bloody conflict whenever their despotism is threatened. The Pashtuns are a substantial part of the population in Balochistan. The vast majority of them are as impoverished as the Baloch toilers. They have lived in harmony for centuries and up till now, in spite of the tensions that have been whipped up, they have defied these evil designs. But the situation continues to get worse with the intensifying socio-economic crisis. This has now become a war of attrition without end in sight. All the 'packages' for Balochistan brought up by the regimes in Islamabad have become meaningless. They are seen as mere ploys and loathed by the impoverished masses.

A new generation of youth has now risen through all this carnage that is looking for a radical solution. There are currents emerging amongst the resistance that are trying to return to the revolutionary traditions of the past with a greater understanding of Marxist internationalism. These youth are prominent in the traditional Baloch and also to some extent in the Pashtun organisations. The literature and press statements of important sections of the resistance are a clear proof of this. The strike in the Merk marker factory and struggles of the workers in railways, postal service, telecommunications, etc, have added a class dimension to the movement.

The national oppression of the Baloch masses must be brought to an end. Their right of self-determination has to be recognised and accepted. However, genuine national liberation can only be achieved together with socio-economic emancipation. To attain this, the existing exploitative system has to be overthrown and the dictatorship of the financial oligarchy has to be abolished. The task is the convergence of the rivers of the national struggle into the ocean of the class struggle. Lenin, in his The National Programme of the RSDLP (Collected Works, Vol. 19, page 544) meticulously explained this: "The recognition of the right [to self-determination] does not exclude either propaganda and agitation against separation or the exposure of bourgeois nationalism."

The writer is the editor of Asian Marxist Review and International Secretary of Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign. He can be reached at [email protected]

 

[ajtr]

Lasbela land may be sold to an Arab family​

Thousands of acres of precious land in Lasbela district along the Coastal Highway may be quietly sold out to a noted family of a foreign country, said Muhammad Aslam Bhootani, Speaker of the Balochistan Assembly, in an exclusive talk with this correspondent. However, an official of the Balochistan government told The News that proceeds of sale of the land would be used for the development of the province.

"If tomorrow someone comes up with an attractive price for entire Balochistan, does this mean we should go after the money," was the reaction of Bhootani when told about the provincial government's stance that the money earned by the sale of the land would be used for eradication of poverty and deprivation from the province.

He also appealed to the government of the UAE not to allow such a development to take place, as they had been great well-wishers of the people of Pakistan.

"The chief minister is faced with a Catch 20 situation after strong voices against the sale of land were raised but the pressure from the President's House and Prime Minister's Secretariat for the deal was also intense," the source maintained.

However, the source privy to the developments explained that the Arab family wanted to turn the proposed land into a hunting tract after being granted the ownership rights.

 

[ajtr]

An analysis of baluchistan​

On 4th August 1947, a tripartite agreement was signed between Pakistan, the British and Balochistan called The Standstill Agreement in which the sovereign status of Balochistan was accepted. The Khan declared Balochistan independent on 12th August 1947, two days before the independence of Pakistan. The Khan affirmed his intention to build Balochistan as a prosperous sovereign country in which Baloch could retain their identity and live in accordance with their traditions and establish relations through treaties of friendship with neighboring states of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan as well as with India and outside world.

The Assembly held sessions in September and December 1947 and most favoured alliance and not accession with Pakistan. On December 14th 1947 Ghaus Baksh Bizenjo made a landmark speech and it is still considered as a valid argument for independence of Balochistan.

On 26th March 1948 Pakistan army was ordered to move into Baloch coastal region of Pasni, Jiwani, and Turbat. This was the first act of aggression prior to the march on Capital Kalat by Pakistani military detachment on 1st April 1948. The Khan capitulated on March 27th after the Army moved in to coastal region and it was announced in Karachi that Khan of Kalat has agreed to merge his State with Pakistan. Under the constitution of Kalat, the Khan was not authorized to take such a basic decision. The Balochistan assembly had already rejected any suggestion of forfeiting the independence of Balochistan on any pretext. The sovereign Baloch State after British withdrawal from India lasted only 227 days.

The 1973-77 conflict resulted in enormous sufferings of Baloch population in the province; forcing thousands of Marris and other Baloch to seek shelter in Afghanistan. It was during this period that the steel of Baloch mettle was really tempered and for the first time they felt confident that they could take on the might of the State and survive to fight another day. This struggle blazed a path for the future generations and without it probably the flame of Baloch struggle may have been extinguished forever.

Further highlighting the neglect he says, "Balochistan remains almost voiceless, having no say in the decision- making process at the centre. Over 50 per cent its population subsists below the poverty line.

Moreover in the table "THE TEN HIGHEST DEPRIVED DISTRICTS OF PAKISTAN" nine were from Balochistan and it emerges as the most deprived province with over 91 percent of population residing in high deprived districts during 2005. It shows that in 1998 the percentage of population living in a high degree of deprivation was 25 per cent in Punjab, 23 per cent in urban Sindh, 49 per cent in rural Sindh, 51 per cent in the NWFP, and 88 per cent in Balochistan. In 2005 the figures were, Punjab 28, Sindh 35, NWFP 35 and Balochistan 91 showing that Balochistan is in a consistent nose-dive.

A horrific picture emerges if one surveys the maternal mortality rate which is 650 per 100,000 births in Balochistan while it is 281in Karachi. This is double the national average. Infant mortality in Balochistan is 158 deaths per 1,000 live births even Democratic Republic of Congo's average of 126 is lower while Pakistan's national average of 70 is less than half.

Similarly, Balochistan accounted for 7 out of the 9 districts with the lowest full immunization rate, including the four districts with the worst record.

Only 20 per cent of its people have an access to safe drinking water compared to 86 per cent in the rest of Pakistan. Village electrification is only 25 per cent compared to 75 per cent in the rest of the country.

US interest

US has, unsuccessfully so far, been trying to open a Consulate in Quetta but it will get its way because Pakistan like a lady of easy virtue would like to show at least some resistance before it caves in. US fully understand the need to engage the Baloch nationalists and have made secret overtures though nothing substantial has emerged or can be expected to emerge in the near future. US have made no secret of its desire to play a part in Balochistan because it wouldn't like to be left behind in this new great game. It fully realizes that nature abhors vacuum and if it doesn't someone else will certainly take advantage and then it would be left in limbo. US is not a fool and it will not sit idle.

Russian interest

Which is one of the prime interests of US and EU to block IPI gas pipeline many analysts even raise finger at US that they support an insurgency in Iranian occupied Balochistan to create instability to prevent any gas pipelines to carry gas to south, and hence force Iran to sell her gas to EU countries that will weaken Russian who at present have almost monopoly on European gas markets, hence creating serious political and economical rift between two powerful neighbours Russia and Iran and at the same time bring the gas prices seriously down which benefits only EU and give severe economical blow to Russian and Iranian economies whose budget's lion share comes from energy sources.

Chinese interest

They need Balochistan not only for her minerals wealth but want to use her coastal areas and ports for their geo-political and military needs, there for they want direct access to the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf and a friendly and easily purchase able government in Islamabad was to China's advantage. China has helped build Gwadar port in Baluchistan for her imports most importantly its shortest transit routes to western China and can, in no time, send its forces from Zinjiang in Central Asia to Gwadar. And use Gwadar port as her military base to control Major economical hub and energy routes from both mid east and central Asia and to encircle and counter India militarily.

Indian interest

Obviously India has many interests as a major regional and hence forth future growing world power cannot ignore Balochistan as she is the door to the central Asia countries and apart from being major energy source is the gate way for central Asian and Iranian energy and trade corridor, India cannot ignore the Chinese factor and for sure would like to see an independent Balochistan who is either neutral or friendly to India, apart from this India will like to use Baloch factor as a balance in her turbulence relations with Pakistan in many fronts most notable factor is J&K, the Indian would like to see Baloch factor an arguments in their future negotiated settlement on Kashmir and they will try to give Pakistan tough time ahead on this, as already many times Indian media and politicians indirectly told Pakistan we will give you J&K you give up Sindh and Balochistan though nobody can take it for seriously but every joke has half truth in it. :?: :?:

Saudi and GCC

Saudis and other GCC keep an open eye on Balochistan first they treat Balochistan as region which is traditionally under their sphere of influence since historical times second they fear Iran's domination of entire Balochistan if ever shaky Pakistan breaks apart, they will jump and support Baloch in order to prevent Balochistan falling under Tehran who is their uncompromising rival in the region for many reasons.

Afghan and central Asian countries:

afghans and central Asian states are land locked countries their direct and easy access to Indian ocean and ports is only through Balochistan, they would prefer to see small Balochistan an independent with whom it will be easy for them to deal then blackmailing Islamabad which herself depends on china and US for piece of bread, economically it's in the interests of all regional countries support an independent Balochistan to use her ports and trade routes to reach for world markets.

Pak/Iran interests

These two countries who directly and brutally occupy Balochistan will never be willing to let Balochistan go in their free will since their survival depends on Balochistan

Dr Jumma Khan Marri is president of the Baloch Unity Organisation who, while living in exile in Moscow, highlights his people's struggle for self-determination through the blog http://www.balochunity.org.

 

[ajtr]

18 hurt in Pakistan mosque shootout over prayers​

QUETTA, Pakistan – A shootout inside a mosque in southwestern Pakistan wounded 18 people Wednesday in a dispute over who should lead prayers for one of Islam's most important holidays, police said.
Followers of the two rival religious leaders pulled out weapons and started shooting Wednesday morning after arguing over which one should start the prayers at a small mosque in remote Khuzdar district of Baluchistan province, police official Javed Ahmed said. The district is about 550 miles (900 kilometers) southwest of Islamabad.
Many of the region's ethnic Pashtuns typically carry rifles in daily life.
Millions of other Pakistanis peacefully celebrated Eid al-Adha on Wednesday, joining Muslims the world over for the three-day festival, known as the Feast of the Sacrifice, that involves slaughter of sheep and cattle in remembrance of Abraham's near-sacrifice of his son.
Pakistan kicked off the holiday a day later than many other countries because of local authorities' interpretation of when the new moon was sighted.
Celebrations were muted in some areas of Pakistan because of devastating floods that affected 20 million people, of whom 7 million remain homeless.
Most mosques also added additional security Wednesday to guard against attacks by the Taliban and other Islamist extremists. Earlier this month, at least 70 people died when a suicide bomber hit a mosque frequented by anti-Taliban elders and a grenade exploded at another place of worship in the country's northwest.

 

[dineshchaturvedi]

Stupid incidence violence over who is going to lead the prayers. It's politics in religion.

 

[ajtr]

Baloch and Brahui tribal structure explained in detail in 75 page pdf file.

The Baluch and the Brahui and their Rebellions​

The tribes inhabiting Baluchistan came under the identical pressures influencing the tribes of Afghanistan during their violent histories. Living
at the crossroads of Central Asia had one great disadvantage, and this involved the repeated and serial invasions by migrating tribes pressed from their
original homelands and armies bent upon conquest. Generally, these invasions came from the west – along the same route of the tribal migrations. In
southern Afghanistan, individual tribes began to organize themselves into larger aggregations in hopes of defending themselves against the repeated
threats emerging from the west of their tribal areas. Only the armies of Alexander the Great entered the region using the "northern route," and even
he chose the more obvious southern route as his men struggled to depart from Central Asia. The terrain of the south, less the large desert areas, was
an ideal invasion route and army after army used it.
The Baluch tribes also migrated into the region from the west. Their traditions say they originated from the vicinity of Aleppo, Syria, while
scholars studying comparative linguistics suggest their origin in an area of the Caspian Sea, possibly a waypoint with extended residence before being
pressed further east by the arrival of more aggressive migrants. Regardless, the Baluch tribes were present in Baluchistan in 1000 A.D. and were
mentioned in Firdausi's book, Shahnamah (the Book of Kings), and like all invading armies they were described as being aggressive, "like battling
rams all determined on war."1
As the last of the migrating tribes to arrive, the Baluch had to displace or assimilate the tribes that were already present and occupying the land.
Opposed by the powerful Brahui2 tribes, the Baluch were able to overcome them until an extended civil war broke out between the Rind and Lashari
Baluch tribes which weakened them substantially.

 

[ajtr]

Eid 'gift' for the Baloch?​

Six bullet-riddled bodies of 'missing persons' were found
in different parts of Balochistan during the three days of Eid-ul-Azha. Lala Hameed Baloch, a journalist and president of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), and Samiullah Mengal, a student and Balochistan Students Organisation-Azad (BSO-Azad) activist, were among those whose bodies were found. This was the eid gift that was given to the families of the six Baloch men who were picked up by unidentified personnel and later killed brutally. A strike was observed in some parts of Balochistan to protest against these killings and today there will be another strike as it is the third death anniversary of BLA commander Balaach Marri. In recent months, we have seen a sudden increase in the targeted killings of Baloch nationalists. Despite the government's assurances that the Baloch would get their just rights, nothing has changed since General Musharraf's time; if anything, the campaign to get rid of nationalist cadres has made things worse.

If the military operation is not stopped and our intelligence agencies continue to harass and kill the Baloch with such impunity, it will only lead to further alienation of the people. This is a sure shot way to fill the ranks of the militant nationalists with more recruits since it is only the moderates who are within reach and therefore under threat. The militant nationalists have not only taken up arms but are also accused of being involved in killing settlers. Far from serving any strategic purpose, targeting ordinary settlers is producing a negative political fallout. The nationalists had never killed settlers in any of the previous four wars in Balochistan. The reason for this new trend could be that the Baloch leadership has shifted from the older and mature nationalists to young, hotheaded elements suffering from extreme anger and frustration. But they must realise that when you are fighting for your just rights, such actions erode the appeal of an otherwise worthy cause.

To make matters worse, at a time when Balochistan is soaked in blood, most of the country remains indifferent. This gives rise to the sentiment of separation and secessionism in Balochistan. It is time to raise our voice against the grave injustices being committed in the province in the name of 'national interest'. We must understand that the blood of the Baloch is on the hands of every Pakistani who sits quietly and watches the travesty being unfolded there. *

 

[hit&run]

unka baap bhi dega aazadi...lol

 

[warriorextreme]

baluchistan must be freed..

 

[ajtr]

Free Baluchistan​

Selig S. Harrison | February 1, 2011
As the Islamist nightmare envelops Pakistan, the Obama administration ponders what the United States should do. But the bitter reality is that the United States is already doing too much in Pakistan. It is the American shadow everywhere, the Pakistani feeling of being smothered by the U.S. embrace, that gives the Islamists their principal rallying cry.

Evidence is everywhere of what the Economist calls "a rising tide of anti-American passion." The leading spokesman of traditional Muslim theology, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), opposes the "war on terror" because "it is an American war" and blames a U.S. plot for the recent assassination of the moderate Punjab governor, Salman Taseer.

The endless procession of U.S. leaders paying goodwill visits to Islamabad, most recently Vice President Joe Biden, evokes sneers and ridicule in the Urdu-language press, accompanied by cartoons showing Pakistanis scratching fleas crawling over their bodies. The late special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, liked free-swinging encounters with Pakistani journalists that left a trail of bitterness expressed in the Urdu media, but this did not deter Holbrooke and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton from return visits.

To calm the situation down, the United States should start by phasing out drone attacks in the Pashtun border areas with their massive civilian casualties and should end the $1 billion plus in annual subsidies to the armed forces that make them look like American puppets. At the same time, less visible education and development aid provided by the Kerry-Lugar bill should be continued, together with the International Monetary Fund credits that keep the Pakistani state afloat, and access to U.S. markets for Pakistani textile exports should be increased.

Instead of publicly prodding the Punjabi-dominated armed forces to step up their offensive against Pashtun tribal militants in the Afghan border areas, the United States should recognize that Islamabad is afraid of stirring up Pashtun ethnic sentiment there that could break up the fragile multiethnic Pakistani federation.

The Pashtuns of the former**–Northwest Frontier Province (now called Kyber Pakhtunkhwa) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) have an ancient history of resisting Punjabi incursions, but the Army did not come into direct conflict with the Pashtuns following the creation of Pakistan until July 2002, when, at the behest of the United States, it sent a division into FATA to attack al-Qaeda and Taliban forces at key transit points on the Afghan border. Heavy casualties resulted, displacing some fifty thousand people. This was a historic break with the autonomy agreements negotiated by the British with FATA tribes and honored until then by Pakistan. As the "war on terror" has proceeded, the FATA Pashtuns have been politicized and radicalized as never before.

The underlying reason that Pakistan's U.S. links are so unpopular and make such a tempting target for the Islamists is that America is perceived as anti-Muslim.

The Islamists focus not only on Muslim casualties in next door Afghanistan, but above all on U.S. support for Israel and on the American military presence throughout the Arabian Sea , the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf in areas near Pakistan.

Why does the United States keep pouring aid into Pakistan despite its active support for the Taliban in Afghanistan at the expense of U.S.-NATO forces and its inability or unwillingness to help the United States root out al-Qaeda from its mountain sanctuaries?

American officials point to its arsenal of seventy to ninety nuclear weapons, arguing that a tight U.S. embrace of the Pakistani military and intelligence elite is necessary to make sure that another nuclear-proliferation racket does not emerge like the one organized by nuclear czar A. Q. Khan.

This is an understandable concern because many of the same generals who colluded with Khan are still in high places. But the larger danger to the United States is that the nuclear arsenal will fall into the hands of the Islamist sympathizers inside the nuclear establishment, or that the Islamists will completely take over the armed forces, branding current military leaders as U.S. stooges.

While doing less elsewhere in Pakistan, the United States should do more to support anti-Islamist forces along the southern Arabian Sea coast. First, it should support anti-Islamist Sindhi leaders of the Sufi variant of Islam with their network of 124,000 shrines. Most important, it should aid the 6 million Baluch insurgents fighting for independence from Pakistan in the face of growing ISI repression. Pakistan has given China a base at Gwadar in the heart of Baluch territory. So an independent Baluchistan would serve U.S. strategic interests in addition to the immediate goal of countering Islamist forces.

MORE BY SELIG S. HARRISON

 

[RPK]

Two gas pipelines blown up in Balochistan
http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=3882&Cat=13&dt=2/9/2011

QUETTA: Militants blew up two major natural gas pipelines in Balochistan on Tuesday, forcing suspension of supplies to the strategic region bordering Afghanistan and Iran.

"We have suspended gas supply to many parts of the province as the pipelines are on fire," Inayatullah Ismail, a spokesman for Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) said that supplies of gas to the southern parts of the country continues.

Ismail was unsure how long it would take to extinguish the fire and resume gas supplies. The twin explosions followed a late Monday night attack on four transmission pylons in the Bolan area suspending power supplies to around half of the province's 30 districts.

A spokesman for the government-owned power company said that electricity to some parts of the provincial capital, Quetta had been restored but the rest of the districts had been "in complete darkness for the last 24 hours".

 

[RPK]

Gas pipeline blown up in Dera Murad Jamali

http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-...11/Gas-pipeline-blown-up-in-Dera-Murad-Jamali

Unidentified men blew up a gas pipeline with suspending ammonia gas supply to Uch power plant from Sui here the other day.
According to Levies sources, last night, near Dera Murad Jamali in the jurisdiction of Levies station Notaal, unidentified miscreants blew up a gas pipeline of 8 inches diameter suspending ammonia gas supply to Uch Power Plant.
After the explosion, Security Forces captured two mysterious persons by raiding and barricading the area. The explosion was of very high intensity. It destroyed 30 ft pipe. After the blast the pipeline caught fire which was extinguished after hectic efforts of seven hours.
Sui authorities added that the incident resulted in the gas suspension to Jafarabad district, Naseerabad, Bolan and Jhal Magsi including several districts of Balochistan.
Levies have surrounded the area and started investigation. The case has been filed against unidentified men. Teams have been called for the repair of the affected gas pipeline and the gas supply would be restored to the affected areas in a couple of days.
Enayatullah Ismail, spokesman for the Sui Southern Gas company, confirming the fresh attack said it would take another two days to restore supplies to 200,000 consumers in the province.
"We are waiting for security clearance (before repair work can begin)," he told.
The Baluch Republican Army has claimed responsibility for the attacks

 

[RPK]

Rockets fired on Quetta Express
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\02\11\story_11-2-2011_pg7_30

DERA MURAD JAMALI: Some unidentified men fired shots and rockets at Quetta Express near Notal area of Nasirabad district on Thursday, injuring its driver and a fireman, levies force sources said.

According to the levies officials, the attackers had attached some explosives with the railway track and detonated it with remote control. They opened fire and hit rockets on the passenger train, which was heading for Quetta from Rawalpindi. As a result of the attack, the train's driver and a fireman received injuries. The attack also caused partial damage to the locomotive, but all the passengers remained safe.

Law enforcement agencies and police personnel immediately reached the site and cordoned off the area. The train was stopped near the Notal Railway Station. app

 

[RPK]

Three more gas pipelines blown up

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\02\14\story_14-2-2011_pg1_4
Staff Report

QUETTA/HYDERABAD: Three more gas pipelines, two in Balochistan near Dera Murad Jamali and Dera Allah Yar and one in Sindh in Hyderabad, were blown up on Sunday.

According to sources, unidentified men had planted an explosive device near an 18-inch diameter gas pipeline on Chattar Road in Dera Murad Jamali area. The device went off with a huge bang disrupting gas supply to Uch Power Plant. Personnel of Balochistan Levies and other law enforcement agencies rushed to the spot and threw a cordon around the area. Sources in the Uch Power Plant said that the blast had caused a shortfall of more than 500MW.

Separately, unidentified people blew up a gas pipeline with explosive material in Dera Allah Yar area. Due to the blast, gas supply to Sohbatpur and adjoining townships was suspended.

Unidentified culprits blew up an 18-inch diameter gas pipeline supply leading to Hyderabad district near a water filtration plant on Jamshoro Road. Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC) Deputy Manager, Rasheed Leghari, said that although gas supply was not halted but its pressure had been reduced.

Unidentified men have been regularly targeting gas pipelines in Jaffarabad and Dera Bugti districts for the past few days. Gas supply to Balochistan could not be completely restored on Sunday.

 

[Singh]

Baluchistan: Pakistan's other war

Last Tuesday afternoon, I spoke to a Dawn reporter who hadn't been able to eat breakfast that day because there is no wood-fired stove in his house. He hadn't had a cup of tea or been able to take a shower, and had no heating in below-freezing temperatures. That night he was only able to e-mail in part of his newspaper story because of a severe power outage, eventually giving up and relaying it on the phone after midnight.

He wasn't reporting from a small village in a remote part of Pakistan. He lives in Quetta, a provincial capital and a rare oasis of some development in a largely barren, forgotten Baluchistan. And almost a week later, large sections of his gas-rich province still don't have enough of the fuel to cook properly or heat water and are facing several hours without electricity every day.

Those sections of Baluchistan, that is, that had access to either of these luxuries before a series of attacks on gas and electricity infrastructure brought the province to a standstill. From January 9 through February 13, nearly 25 gas pipelines have been blown up, largely in the eastern districts that are criss-crossed by a network transporting gas found in Baluchistan to other parts of the province and the country. About 7 other gas facilities, mostly wells, 9 electricity pylons and a power plant have also been attacked successfully. The Baluch Republican Army, an ethnic separatist group, has claimed responsibility for a number of these incidents.

The attacks have come in waves since January 9, and last week saw a particularly destructive series of explosions. Last Tuesday, two critical pipelines were blown up, suspending gas to nine districts (the remaining 21 never had it to begin with). The little gas that could be transported was limited to domestic consumers, given the freezing cold. But the incident also affected a power plant that had been mitigating a severe electricity shortage caused by an attack the previous Saturday on four electricity pylons by another separatist group, the Baluch Liberation Army. After Tuesday's cut in gas supply to the power plant, a section of the province that normally uses about 1,150MW was surviving on 60 to 70MW. There was now neither gas nor electricity to speak of.

The two crucial pipelines were finally fixed on Wednesday. They were blown up again three hours later. Three more were blown up on Thursday, another three this past Saturday, and two more Sunday. Gas coming into homes yesterday and today was so minimal that it was practically useless, and hours of power cuts are still occurring.

In a gas-rich province crisscrossed by pipelines, explosive attacks on infrastructure, a means of weakening the Pakistani state, have been a part of the Baluch separatist toolkit for many years. They are one of the standard modes of attack in a conflict that has its roots in a desire to separate that is as old as Pakistan itself. The latest insurgency, which began in 2003, saw a brutal crackdown led by then-president Pervez Musharraf, but bounced back in 2008. Unsurprisingly, the particularly intense series of attacks on energy infrastructure in the last five weeks follows an exceptionally violent year in the troubled life of the province.

A report by the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies shows that Baluchistan had the highest number of militant, insurgent and sectarian attacks of any province in 2010, and killings were up 43 percent since 2009. It was a year that showcased the multiple forces that are tearing Baluchistan apart: Baluch separatist organisations demanding secession and attacking the state (including security forces, infrastructure, and the governor), sectarian attacks on Shias by Sunni extremist groups, ethnic attacks on Punjabis settled in the province, and crime, including kidnapping for ransom. Teachers and administrators in education have been targeted by nationalists for being part of the state infrastructure or by religious extremists for imparting secular education. In part all of this was prompted by the continued assassinations of nationalist leaders in 2010 and the frequent discovery this past year of the dead bodies of many of Baluchistan's 'missing people'; while mysterious disappearances have been taking place for years -- carried out by intelligence agencies, locals are convinced -- bodies have now begun to show up in alarming numbers. Journalists in Pakistan will tell you that they'd prefer to go to Peshawar or certain agencies in Pakistan's northwestern tribal areas, home to a nest of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan fighters, the Haqqani network, foreign militants, and other local insurgent groups, rather than enter the city of Quetta, infested with spies and the Taliban leadership and vulnerable to Baluch separatists (although there is no strong evidence of collaboration between the Taliban and the Baluch groups, which have different concerns and allegiances). The TTP have also claimed responsibility for attacks in Baluchistan on NATO tankers delivering supplies to coalition forces in Afghanistan.

That, then, is the context in which the gas pipeline attacks are taking place. An old tool, a perfected tactic, being redeployed at a time when the Baluch insurgency has gained ground in the province and extrajudicial actions by security forces have continued to take place. The pipeline attacks are also a confirmation that the current government's attempts to address Baluch concerns after the Musharraf era have not yet worked. A series of economic and political reforms have been announced by the ruling PPP administration, including increased resources from the central government, more ownership over natural resources under the new 18th amendment, and a series of other concessions (including jobs and more civilian control over law and order) under a package called 'The Beginning of the Rights of Baluchistan.' Ten thousand young Baluch are to be inducted into the Pakistani Army, a move that should increase ethnic integration, and a recent decision to turn a Musharraf-era cantonment in eastern Baluchistan into a college seems designed to allay concerns about an excessive military presence in the province.

But while these moves could help build bridges with nationalists who demand more development, a reduced military presence and a more equitable share of natural resources, the current series of gas pipeline attacks prove they will not, at least in the short term, improve relations with a violent separatist minority that has refused to negotiate with Pakistani governments. The legacy of a resisted annexation after partition in 1947 and continued unfair treatment is something that has come back to haunt the Pakistani state. Unfortunately, it is the people of the province who are bearing the brunt of the fallout.

Madiha Sattar is a senior assistant editor at the Karachi-based monthly The Herald.

http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/02/15/baluchistan_pakistans_other_war

 

[Rage]

 

[youngindian]

Baloch protest racist comments by Pakistani editor at U.S.I.P.

WASHINGTON, DC: April 16, 2011. (PCP) Yesterday it was Bangladesh, today is it Balochistan. Pakistani occupiers used to say before 1971 Bengalis are lazy and indolent, do not work in the rice fields or jute mills. Now they are using the same language for the Baloch in Balochistan mines.

http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/headlinenewsd.php?hnewsid=2750

 

[Godless-Kafir]

When ever Pakistan trumps the Kashmir Card why cant the cowards in Delhi retort with freedom to Baluchistan? When its no business of Pakistan to ask Jammu,Ladakh etc, why cant we be as arrogant in asking Baluch freedom. Delhi is run by cowards who can only steel from their own people.

 

[Tronic]

When ever Pakistan trumps the Kashmir Card why cant the cowards in Delhi retort with freedom to Baluchistan? When its no business of Pakistan to ask Jammu,Ladakh etc, why cant we be as arrogant in asking Baluch freedom. Delhi is run by cowards who can only steel from their own people.

Rather, you should thank god that Delhi is not being run by morons who would diplomatically shoot their own foot off by showing off a tit-for-tat conflict to the whole world. Today, it is common knowledge who is conducting a proxy war in Kashmir; to equate oneself on the same level as Pakistan by showing to everyone that India too is doing same in Balochistan, would be the stupidest move on India's part. It took a lot of effort for India to get out of the 'India-Pakistan' reference internationally, and such a move would drive the country to be equated with Pakistan again internationally. And China would have successfully achieved their goal against India, i.e., to tie it up with Pakistan and make it look like a regional player incapable of dealing with things concerning outside the region. I know people love to see some Indo-Pak action, but just for some people's entertainment, RAW and other agencies are not going to start advertising their actions in Balochistan. If any. Because, Indian involvement in Balochistan has yet to be proven, yet I have no doubts that India is involved, even if its in a very small capacity, it would be stupid not to be involved. There has to be trade offs when two countries meet, and MMS showed in Egypt a few years ago, that India doesn't mind telling Pakistan, that India 'may' be involved in Balochistan also.