Washington's policy towards Balochistan may change, says U.S. based think tank

[LETHALFORCE]

http://www.business-standard.com/ar...says-u-s-based-think-tank-115032100401_1.html

Washington's policy towards Balochistan may change, says U.S. based think tank



U.S. based think tank, RAND Cooperation has said thatWashington may interfere in Balochistan affairs and pushIslamabad to stop atrocities on political activists and youth in its largest province.

Senior Political Scientist Peter Chalk of RAND Cooperation was speaking during a side event at the 28th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The event titled "Buried Human Rights, Global Geopolitics and Regional Repercussions: Balochistan in the Shadows" was organized by Brussels based Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization.

"At least until now the US is being dependent onPakistan support in the global war on terror particularly ruling our foreign elements from the tribal belt and therefore has not pushed a strong international response to what Pakistan is doing in Balochistan; that may change as Pakistan strategic importance to the United States falls on following the withdrawal from Afghanistan," said Chalk.

"The situation (in Balochistan) is very serious in terms of social and economic development, sectarianism and also the completing power place of outside actors within Balochistan, it is very complex situation and the fact is that it is being sidelined at international forum. I think, it's worrying because it has ramifications for Pakistani stability, ramification for regional stability, because Pakistan is not only in Pakistan, but Afghanistan and Iran," he added.

"Issues of state abuses, human rights violations, these are international concerns that need to be addressed," said Chalk.

While a crucial factor when trying to understand the geopolitical complexities of South Asia, Balochistan, which covers part of Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan, receives very little international attention and is often overlooked in political analyses of the region.

Rich in resources, Balochistan occupies an increasingly vital geo-strategic position, and has become the target for massive infrastructural projects, with Iran and Pakistan developing competing port, rail, and highway networks, in an attempt to further Central Asian trade through their own national territories.

The heavy costs and technical challenges this entails has been encountered by investment from other states, including China, which in turn has led to mounting rivalry in the region.

"The implications of what Pakistan and China are planning together is going to be the ripples effect all the way to Europe and North America because they have some evil designs for the future. The world will reach and it should reach to ill plans of Pakistan and China programme," said Mehran Baluch, Baloch political activist.

At the same time, the human rights situation in Balochistan is drastically deteriorating, with the region's respective governments failing at their most basic duty - to protect the safety of their citizens and enforce rule of law.

Moreover, due to a recent constitutional amendment, military courts, instead of civilian ones, are now allowed to handle terrorism cases, raising fears that this will serve as a pretext to try Baloch civilians without respecting their fundamental freedoms.

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[Neo]

"The implications of what Pakistan and China are planning together is going to be the ripples effect all the way to Europe and North America because they have some evil designs for the future. The world will reach and it should reach to ill plans of Pakistan and China programme," said Mehran Baluch, Baloch political activist.

Care to explain what these so-called evil designs are?

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Care to explain what these so-called evil designs are?

Any design that would squeeze USA out of the region?

 

[Neo]

Any design that would squeeze USA out of the region?

Obviously the Think Tank is US-centeic but isn't is the height of naked arrogance to define our progress as 'evil' and demonise us?

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Obviously the Think Tank is US-centeic but isn't is the height of naked arrogance to define our progress as 'evil' and demonise us?

Anything that goes against US interests is evil. If Pakistan and china have economic plans that threaten US it would be an evil design? Maybe the Iran nuclear deal was a reaction to growing Pakistani - Chinese ties?

 

[Neo]

The world will reach and it should reach to ill plans of Pakistan and China programme," said Mehran Baluch, Baloch political activist.

Any activist who is opposed to the development of his/her region should be marked as a traitor and a western puppet. Gwardar and CPEC will have an revolutionary positive effect on Balochistan this particular autonomous province is to gain the most.

 

[Neo]

Moreover, due to a recent constitutional amendment, military courts, instead of civilian ones, are now allowed to handle terrorism cases, raising fears that this will serve as a pretext to try Baloch civilians without respecting their fundamental freedoms.

What a bunch of hypocrites. Patriot Act rings a bell?

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Maybe you should be happy Pakistan is upsetting USA? What is the most usa can do stop aid?they fought a war which they did not win and now they have to leave a region where they may not be able to comeback for a long time. They made a mess like they do everywhere they go and it will probably bigger before leaving ?

 

[hit&run]

Care to explain what these so-called evil designs are?

Evil design is going to next level after sharing nuclear weapon technology; the resurgent of a overwrought client state Pakistan who is ready to sell itself and hand over its ports and provinces to a cryptic hegemon who is spreading its tentacles from many sides, encroaching and crushing its small neighbors.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

HR

You are thinking about this from a indian pov but this is a US think tank RAND
they are only concerned about usa's self interests. All these things you said don't matter as long as Pakistan does what USA wants.

 

[Neo]

Maybe you should be happy Pakistan is upsetting USA? What is the most usa can do stop aid?they fought a war which they did not win and now they have to leave a region where they may not be able to comeback for a long time. They made a mess like they do everywhere they go and it will probably bigger before leaving ?

You got that right, I am pleased the way we are frustrating them and there's nothing they can do to change the Sino-Pak attempts to develop Balochistan. What is the worst that can happen? Declare us a rogue state? Who will suffer more from it, Pakistan or USA? The only reason we're still allied with them is money but we've also calculated the fact that the funds will dry up as soon as they leave Afghanistan. US has a history of abandoning us as soon as her objectives are achieved. We won't make the same mistake as in 1987 hence we're improving our ties with achina and Russia. We may loose $1.5 billion dollar per annum in USaid which has a zillion strings attached but like you said, the US will lose its biggest and most important ally in the region and therefore the whole region for good.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Has USA being an ally of Pakistan really benefitted Pakistan? Putting aside the indian rivalry and weapons gifted they have not done anything to bring stability or stimulate any kind of economic activity with pakistan. The main goal was to prevent the IPI pipeline and now it seems they are not interested?

 

[Neo]

Evil design is going to next level after sharing nuclear weapon technology; the resurgent of a overwrought client state Pakistan who is ready to sell itself and hand over its ports and provinces to a cryptic hegemon who is spreading its tentacles from many sides, encroaching and crushing its small neighbors.

Wrong! There's no sharing in nuclear technology, we already have what we need. If having foreign bases is equal to selling out then Japan, UK and Germany were long sold before we became allies with China

 

[Neo]

LFORCE, post: 1070659, member: 10"]Has USA being an ally of Pakistan really benefitted Pakistan? Putting aside the indian rivalry and weapons gifted they have not done anything to bring stability or stimulate any kind of economic activity with pakistan. The main goal was to prevent the IPI pipeline and now it seems they are not interested?

No, it has certainly not. The alliance was a cancerous one from the very beginning; USA supported the four military coups in Pakistan, killed Z.A. Bhutto (after killing King Faisal al Said in 1975), destroyed our economy by numerous embargoes and forced us to fight their WoT at gunpoint.
But for the first time in history we are able to walk out and we demonstrated it when we blocked their NATO passage through our territory for 8 month in the aftermath of
Salala massacre. We can no longer be blackmailed by USaid/WB/ADB....we have better alternatives right now and the military is damn serious about completing the CPEC and focussing on SCO.

 

[Neo]

Iran's sanctions are to be lifted soon yet Washington remains opposed to IP Pipeline. How ridiculous is that? Doesn't it show the 'evil plan' of USA to prevent regional development?

 

[bose]

No, it has certainly not. The alliance was a cancerous one from the very beginning; USA supported the four military coups in Pakistan, killed Z.A. Bhutto (after killing King Faisal al Said in 1975), destroyed our economy by numerous embargoes and forced us to fight their WoT at gunpoint.
But for the first time in history we are able to walk out and we demonstrated it when we blocked their NATO passage through our territory for 8 month in the aftermath of
Salala massacre. We can no longer be blackmailed by USaid/WB/ADB....we have better alternatives right now and the military is damn serious about completing the CPEC and focussing on SCO.

There is a bad news for you... the Chinese economy is not looking good for future .... it is not something that one has not expected but it came too soon... I have serious doubt to what extend China will be able to support Pakistan's economic development ... Pakistan will not be able to provide a good ROI for the Chinese investment at short term... that will make more difficult for Chinese investors will difficult economic prospects at home...

It will be good for Pakistan if they can pull back the falling relationship with UNCLE SAM ...

Pakistan has also angered the Arabs who have been funding Pakistan ...

 

[Neo]

China's ecinomic slowdown is indeed not completely unexpected but it's usually exaggerated. Don't forget that she holds almost three trillion in forex and can easily inject hundreds of billions into her economy like Japan's been doing.
Yesterday's news papers reported that China has converted the Gwadar airports loan into grant in order to expedite the project and complete it by December 2016.
Today's newspaper is reporting 'The Gorges' consortium's entry into Pakistan by signing three new deals with WAPDA.

Did Japan stop investing in lucrative market when their economy stated to shrink? Au contraire, they expanded it and explored new markets like India. An energy hungry Pakistan will give healthy divident and ROI in a very short term, it will employ a lot of Chinese labour and hold them off streets. The manufacturing industry will benefit from the ongoing projects in Pakistan.

As for America, yes we are drifting apart hence their failing attempts to put extra pressure on us. RAND and other anti Pakistan elements may be shouting for sanctions but the reality is that just a few days ago CENTCOM had a meeting in GHQ where they praised our ongoing assault in FATA. Whatever the US media is writing is to appease other allies but specially the domestic elements.

 

[hit&run]

Wrong! There's no sharing in nuclear technology, we already have what we need. If having foreign bases is equal to selling out then Japan, UK and Germany were long sold before we became allies with China

You haven't read my choice of words but have gone on your usual monologue of simplistic arguments.

1. China gave Pakistan blue print of nuclear device. Even the duds that were detonated were Chinese. It tells a lot about this nexus now gone further to giving ports and acceding territory.

How your nation proliferated nuclear weapon is well documented but China still kept on providing you nuclear reactors and then added few more reactors in the name of grandfathering the old deal.

China who incidentally is part of P5 should have man itself and owned the responsibly of putting checks, balances or sanctions but it let the whole enterprise of nuclear proliferation by Pakistan go on under her watch. China let all the dirty work be done by America and its allies when herself was/is the main supplier of the nuclear know how to Pakistan.

This is what US think tanks here are calling evil designs as they can put every thing in perspective unlike Pakistanis who see things in convenient abstract.

2. Are you talking for China or Pakistan ?

Giving your land to foreign power for bases in my understanding is slavery. You shouldn't be taking pride as first American used your country and now Chinese for their strategic and military interests.

Post Russian withdraw from Afghanistan, Americans left you high and dry, and the cost of that disowning by USA and Pakistan resulted in bloody civil war of 2 decades in Afghanistan and armed insurgency in Kashmir. This is just one example how a poor proxy like Pakistan trying chew what she can't digest for few dimes, petty photo-ops with world leaders and shallow Geo political influences can brought miseries and calamities in the region.

Same we can see happening with China entering in Pakistan at this juncture of time. Typically nations should be independent and reluctant to foreign interference. With your economy already gone to the dogs (China) and you already indebted to them for long term and counting; everyone can see the discrepancy in this relationship.

3. On UK, Germany and Japan.

Stop feeling good about yourself by tagging Pakistan with these nations. All of them are transparent, open democratic societies having declared treaties and well defined mechanisms in place on how these alliance work and nature of these alliances.

On the other hand China a communist, un-democratic, control freak, permanent member of UN for name sake who has never put its faith in it. Zero bilateral abiding tries with its neighbors on water sharing,land boundaries and making illogical claims on South China Sea.

Proliferates nuclear weapons, hub of mainstreamed mall practices of Intellectual property violation, having conflict with most of its neighbors, an opaque cooked book economy to whom these same nations are pledging to be transparent right now, a rapidly rising military power whom everyone in the region asks to explain or justify, a closed society with low on intellect netizens spouting, patronizing and threatening everyone with thermo-nuclear farts.

I haven't yet started on Pakistan.

In short, If you want to compare yourself with these alliances and be equal among equal then behave like them and owe up the responsibly like a legitimate state than becoming a smart ass rouge state who keeps every thing ambiguous to then run away (stateless actors) when chicken will come back home to roost.

 

[hit&run]

HR

You are thinking about this from a indian pov but this is a US think tank RAND
they are only concerned about usa's self interests. All these things you said don't matter as long as Pakistan does what USA wants.

Of course I know.

My argument is strengthening their cause than opposing.

Also American will come to us if they decide any adventure in Baluchistan, its good to inform both side (Indian and USA) that we can converge on same thing regardless of different approach and reasons.

 

[bose]

@Neo

It is true that Japan is injecting dollars into the markets which have a bright outlook on economic terms... Pakistan does not have a big market to support quick return of investment ... Moreover with the likely lifting of sanctions on IRAN and India with its track record of support for IRAN in its time of crisis days will provide a serious competition to Pakistan economic zones... Now UAE is also warming up to India and recent development shows that they also want to co operate and develop alternative approaches to Central Asia and other republics ...

There will be two major concerns for Pakistan 1) Falling Chinese economic outlook, GOD know how much of Chinese economy is faked... China from now onwards will have to think several times before making investments ...
2) Giving a political and strategic dimensions to what is should have been a pure economic development initiative, thus inviting more competitors and challengers to the initiative before it was stated...

I want to see how many countries will use the economic corridor to send goods to central asia... There will be equivalent options available through IRAN and possibly UAE....