By: Mir Khan Baloch
In occupied Balochistan, the endless oppression of the radical and Islamic fundamentalist state is at its peak, the Baloch people seeking freedom have taken to the streets, including a large number of children and women. And persistently exposing state brutalities, subjugation of common Baloch citizens in the hands of foreign invading forces of Islamabad which Hyrbyair Marri the Baloch nationalist leader and pioneer of ongoing Balochistan movement had called as Shaytanabad. In his latest tweet Mr. Marri said that “From Pakistan’s capital, orders are given by the army to murder and enforce disappear #Baloch. As well as stirring up trouble in #AFG & #India. This is advocated by #Pakistani politicians and justified by their Judiciary. It shouldn’t be called #Islamabad, but rather Shaytanabad.”
The story of state invasion in occupied Balochistan is seven decades old. When the British were leaving the subcontinent, they recognized Balochistan as an independent state on 11/8/1947. Having the blessing of the British in planting bulls, Pakistan is actually a buffer state discovered by the British imperial forces which was established to serve the foreign masters. If we turn the pages of history, it is evident that no one shed blood for Pakistan independence. It was the British partitioned India and separated a part of Punjab and named it Pakistan.
The creation of Pakistan became a liability for global peace. The whole world is now in a state of worry that Jinnah fooled Britain by pretending to be friend. Since its existence, Pakistan has spread terrorism all over the world. Unfortunately, the Baloch nation became the first target of this terrorism when on March 27, 1948, Muhammad Ali Jinnah of Pakistan said to the King Khan of Balochistan, Ahmed Yar Khan, that since Balochistan is a Muslim country, it should join Pakistan. Khan Kalat Mir Ahmad Yar Khan asked Jinnah why would he merge his homeland with Pakistan in the name of Islam. Both the houses of Balochistan at that time unanimously rejected the proposal of Jinnah to join Pakistan. The flatly refusal of Pakistan’s proposal by Balochistan assembly was not honored by the establishment of Islamabad.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah got annoyed to know this because he knew that Balochistan was the richest country in the world with minerals (oil, gold, silver, marble, coal, copper, uranium, gas and other precious metals) hidden in its bosom). and a world-class port and 1200 km long coastline will make Balochistan the most prosperous country in the region. Jinnah started hatching various conspiracies to forcibly annex Balochistan to Pakistan. Khan Kalat Mir Ahmad Yar Khan was subjected to an endless series of intimidation on a daily basis.
On March 27, 1948, the armed soldiers of Janan made Khan Kalat Mir Ahmad Yar Khan sign the annexation paper of Balochistan to Pakistan and locked Khan Kalat in a private prison but his younger brother Governor of Makuran state, Prince Abdul Karim Baloch stood against the invasion of Kalat to Pakistan on the same day. He called it Pakistan’s serious crime against millions of Baloch and an aggression on Baloch soil. He led millions of people of Balochistan by raising the flag of rebellion. The war of independence was fought regularly in Balochistan against the forced occupation of Balochistan by Pakistan. Prince Abdul Karim Baloch started contacting all the leading people of Balochistan to prolong his guerilla war. Unfortunately, it could not materialize, as no help came from Afghanistan and beyond. Prince Abdul Karim was not able to bring his freedom to a logical conclusion. Due to unavailability of foreign support they could not continue this war for long and Pakistan succeeded in crushing it.
Balochistan’s second war of independence
Prince Abdul Karim could not continue the war of independence of Balochistan for a long time because the outside world did not provide enough armed, logistics, diplomatic, political and financial support. As Pakistan exists as a salaried and mercenary soldier for the region, its military has misled the international community and eliminated possible support for Balochistan. But the ongoing independence movement in Balochistan rose again in 1958 under the leadership of Nawab Khairbakhsh Marri, Nawab Nowroz Khan, in the areas of Jhalwan and Kohistan Murri, the guerrilla commander Sher Muhammad Murri decided to fight back in the mountains along with his fighters. Armed skirmishes began between the Baloch Freedom Fighters and the occupying forces of Pakistan.
Pakistan’s betrayal of Baloch in the name of Quran:
The army, exhausted by the intense fighting between the Pakistani army and the Baloch independence guerrilla fighters, offered talks with Nawab Nauwroz Khan and Pakistan Military President Ayub Khan.
Nawab Nauwroz Khan from Khuzdar district of Occupied Balochistan, who is also fondly called Babu Nauwroz by the Baloch people, was born in 1875 at the house of Pansand Khan Zarkzai Zehri). The local agents of General Ayoub Khan requested Nawab Nauwroz Khan Baloch to come down from the mountains for talks. The army made the Holy of Quran as guarantor that Nawab Nauwroz Khan will not be arrested. But when Mr. Baloch decended from mountains for negotiations, he was arrested and the army did not respected the Quran. Fellow guerrilla fighters of Nawab Nauwroz Khan were hanged whereas he himself was given life imprisonment due to his age. Nawab Nauwroz Khan spent a long period of his life behind the bars. he was confined in the prisons of Pakistan from 1914 to 1932.
Baloch guerrilla leader Nawab Nauwroz Khan died in Hyderabad Jail on December 25, 1965. It should be remembered that he was offered amnesty by the Pakistani army but this brave Baloch stalwart rejected Pakistan’s offer of amnesty. He was laid to rest along with six other companions in Kalat district of Balochistan.
It is worth noticing that among the Baloch capmanions who were hanged in Hyderabad Central Jail on July 15, 1960 after being arrested by Pakistani deception along with Nawab Nauwroz Khan Baloch were known as Batey Khan Baloch, Bahawal Khan Baloch, Masti Khan Baloch, Ghulam Rasool Baloch, Sabzal Khan Baloch, Jamal Khan Baloch and Wali Muhammad Baloch.
Third Phase of Independence of Balochistan:
Pakistan was successful in suppressing the demand for independence of the Baloch nation but the Pakistani establishment was miserably failed to imprison the idea of independence and national aspiration of Baloch nation. The zealous people of Balochistan once again started raising from the ashes. In 1965, the Pakistani establishment usurped the autonomy of the provinces by abolishing the One Unit, and the valcano of independence once again erupted in across Balochistan and the demand for independence intensified. This time also the battlefield became Kohistan Murri (where on 16 February 2024, huge reserves of natural gas were discovered. According to geological survey, 6.4 million cubic feet gas can be produced on daily bases from this area), Jhalwan, and Koh Sulaiman, (where abandoned quantity of uranium is being extracted by Pakistan) and Barkhan. The Baloch bravely fought the Pakistani army’s occupation. Many bloody battles between the Pakistani army and the Baloch freedom fighters became a part of history in which thousands of Baloch were martyred and many Pakistani soldiers were also killed. All the leading Baloch and Pashtun leaders, including Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, Attaullah Mengal, Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo Baloch, Wali Khan, Nawab Akbar Bugti Shaheed, Sherbaz Mazari and other prominent Baloch figures were arrested and imprisoned on treason charges.
Fourth Balochistan war of independence
In 1973, the President of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, dismissed the Baloch and Pashtun coalition government which resulted yet another uprising against Pakistani state. The people in occupied Balochistan took arms and resumed their demand for the liberation of Baloch land. The fighting on ground got intensified between the Pakistan army and Baloch freedom fighters on the mountainsious areas of Kohlu, Kahan, Sibi, and Bolan areas. Nawab Khairbakhsh Marri and thousands of his Marri clan migrated to the brotherly country of Afghanistan. Well trained Baloch guerilla warfare gave a tought time for Pakistan army. Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri established the BPLF (Baluchistan People’s Liberation Front). This time the war spread to the other Baloch tribes of Mengal, Zehri, Buzdar and Khetran who overwhelmingly supported the independence of Balochistan.
Seeing the severity of Balochistan’s independence war, Iran also started to feel the heat because Tehran believed that if Pakistan failed to crush the independence of Balochistan, then after the independence of Balochistan from Pakistan, the independence of Iran-occupied Balochistan would also be demanded. So Reza Shah Pahlavi of Iran held an emergency meeting with the then President of Pakistan, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, and provided billion of dollar cash aid to Pakistan and fighter jets to bomb the villages of Balochistan. Iran’s war helicopters started aerial bombardment in all areas of Chamalang, Kujaal, Bambur, Kohlu, Kahan in Balochistan, killing around 15,000 Baloch freedom fighters and civilians, and thousands of Pakistani soldiers were also killed in this war.
At that time Soviet Union was present in Afghanistan. But in the first few years, thousands of Baloch refugees families lived helpless in camps in Kandahar, Spain Boldak, Farah, Kalat, and Helmand. No international organization helped the Baloch, meanwhile epidemic diseases spread among the Baloch refugees, including smallpox, diarrhea, malaria, typhoid, tuberculosis and other diseases which resulted killing of thousands war victims Baloch children, women. Due to the lack of clinics and health facilities, thousands of deaths occurred, but this did not reach the ears of the world. Baloch people made unprecedented sacrifices and became the beacon of the Baloch movement. There are dozens of large Baloch graves in Helmand, Nimroz.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Pakistani army and ISI sent a message to Nawab Khairbakhsh Marri in Kabul by their proxy Mujahideen of that time that he and his tribesmen are not allowed to travelled to a third country like France, Germany and other European country. Nawab Marri had no option but to return back to Balochistan. He was brought back by C130 aero plan which landed Quetta airport. The legendary leader of Balochistan was overwhelmingly welcomed in Balochistan. His caravan was accompanied by thousands vehicles and million people surrounded the airport. He was escorted by a mass rally which took hours to reach at his residency in Quetta. His stay in exile was over but his ideology of independent Balochistan was not. He never rest for a while, after reaching to Quetta, he immediately started his underground work by assembling small number of people and prepared them to stage the liberation movement once again.
The fifth (present) Balochistan independence movement is ongoing.
The military junta of Islamabad and Rawalpindi fought tooth and nail to dissuaded the Baloch masses from taking part in independence movement. The ISI carried out the legacy of former army chief General Zia ul Haq by establishing Madrasas in various districts of Balochistan. They tried to weaken the democratic and secular fabric of Baloch society by recruiting the youth. They were tried to brainwashed against India and Afghanistan.
Baloch leadership under patronage of Hyrbyair Marri the 5th son of Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri foiled the attempt of Pakistan army and rescued the Baloch youth from becoming radical Jihadists. This time the liberation movement of Balochistan was resumed under the leadership of Hyrbyair Marri who made enormous visits to all parts of Balochistan. Nawab Khairbakhsh Marri started chairing the study circles for the conscious upbringing of Baloch youth, in which there were lively debates on the bright aspects of Balochistan’s independence movement, mental training of the youth and to encourage them to play a practical role in the Baloch movement. This study circle led to the revolution in Balochistan, whose member was Mir Abdul Ghaffar Longo Baloch, the father of Baloch daughter, Mahrang Baloch, who was imprisoned three times in different false cases and finally detained for lack of evidence. He was martyred and thrown suburbs of Lasbela area near Khuzdar district.
Hyrbyair Marri: The guardian of Balochistan
Every movement in the world has a global face, which led the aspirations of its people, without any pressure and bargaining. When a leader resides in the hearts of the people he is called the true representative of the people. Hyrbyair Marri is considered by Baloch people as Sheikh Mujeeb and Subhash Chandra Bose of Balochistan because he is the only Baloch national leader who gave right direction to Baloch movement at global arena. He encouraged, conveyed the message of independence of Balochistan to every house. He stood tall against the so called CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) and called it a military corridor and aggression on Baloch soil.
At the behest of Pakistan’s Ex-army Chief General Musharraf, the Gordon Brown’s government in London arrested him along with his colleague Faiz M Baloch in bogus cases. He stood in front of the London court and fought the case for the independence of Balochistan by defending the Baloch right to self-defense. He won the case based on solid arguments before the jury in London and was honorably acquitted. His detention was widely opposed by all Baloch parties in Balochistan. The BSO (Baloch Students Organization) launched a physical signature campaign in which millions of people across took part. They urged the UK government immediately halt the anti-Baloch policies and release Baloch leader Hyrbyair Marri and his friend Faiz M Baluch.
After his release, the Baloch national leader interacted with media and issued statements encouraging the Baloch youth to take part in freedom struggle in greater number. He reiterated his principled stance of not going to back down even an inch from Balochistan’s independence movement. China and Pakistan together tried unsuccessfully to mislead the British government during the entire court process to convict him over false charges. The Chinese embassy had misinformed the London authorities that the flag of Azad Balochistan raised during the protests of the FBM should not be allowed to hoist. But the visionary Baloch leader Haribyar Marri and his ideological friends started raising the Balochistan flag in even greater numbers. And today, every Baloch in the whole of Balochistan and abroad carries this national tricolor with national pride. The flag red on top, green color beneath triangle in blue bearing a white star has become the unified flag of Free Balochistan.
General Musharraf tried his best to portray the negative image of Balochistan the media and the international community by calling the Baloch movement a problem of a few chieftains, but the Baloch national movement but increasing popularity of the movement defused all state propaganda machinery.
Hyrbyair Marri has become the symbol of prinsciple, bravery and resistance which has been inspiring millions Baloch youth to be part of freedom movement. He engaged all Baloch parties and helped them to be part of the movement.
After the martyrdom of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti on 26 August 2006, Mr. Hyrbyair Marri acknowledged the journalistic responsibilities of Peter Tatchell and Carlos Zurutuza in London who covered the situation of Balochistan. Both of the nominees were Awarded with Nawab Akbar Bugti Award.
Baloch leader Hyrbyair Marri has been exposing Pakistan’s terrorism in the name of Islam and jihad in Kashmir. In his numerous interviews, he pointed out the terrorism of the Pakistani army in Kashmir and expressed his willingness to work with the Indian authorities to bring peace, development and prosperity. He is an international caliber leader and has a vision of 50 years that is to make our planet free of terror. The is the most experienced politician and visionary leader who’s roadmap leading our region to approach Balochistan for connectivity, mobility and preservation of democracy, human rights, and peace in the region.
In order to continue the freedom movement of Balochistan, the president of Free Balochistan Movement, Hyrbyair Marri, is moving forward with national consensus, and broad vision. He has given unbeatable policies to Baloch people as Balochistan Liberation Charter which is a comprehensive roadmap for the independence of Balochistan. The time has come to agree on a common agenda among the Baloch political parties because it is imperative to unite and show national strength to get rid of the national collective slavery.
The recent Baloch uprising is gaining momentum after the custodial deaths of seven Baloch prisoners in city. In the month on November 23 last year a Baloch youth Balach son of Maula Bakhsh was killed while in custody by the CTD, (Counter Terrorism Department), a local death squad of the army and intelligence agencies set up to kill Baloch political activists. Pakistan army had established dozens of local death squads like its army created Al Shams and Al Badar death squads to quell the freedom struggle of Bangladesh in 1971.
Pakistan army and the ISI had been involved in practice of enforced disappearances, mass murderes of the Baloch cream of the society, journalists, lawyers, students, professors, marchants, formers, engineers, doctors and political activists across Balochistan regin.
ISI proxies killed Baloch university female students
On 13th June 2013, Pakistan sponsored religious group targeted the bus carrying Baloch female students of the only female university of Balochistan Sardar Bhadur Khan Women University Quetta. In this unfortunate attack 15 Baloch students were killed and dozens other injured. Another suicide bomber attacked Bolan Medical Complex nearby when the injured of the SBK women university students were rushed to hospital for further treatment. Hospital blast killed 11 Baloch students, 4 nurses and deputy commissioner of Quetta police was also killed.
Massacre of Baloch lawyers
Pakistan army is repeating its Bangladesh genocide style in Balochisatn. On June 8, 2015, religious group Jamat-ul-Ahrar carried out a suicide bombing at the emergency gate of Bolan Complex Hospital which resulted killing 70 Baloch and Pashtun lawyers, including Advocate Baz Mohammad who was a critic to Pakistani establishment and vocal for Baloch and Pashtun rights.
Pakistan army and ISI via its state backed death squads had been deliberately targeting Baloch professors and teachers. Professor Saba Dashtyari was killed near the University of Balochistan Quetta, when he was on a morning walk. His assassination was a signal to Baloch intellectuals that if any Baloch wants to raise and speak on the burning issue of occupied Balochistan he/she would be targeted killed.
Assassination of Nawab Akbar Bugti
Baloch political figures are the prime targets of the army of Pakistan. On 26 August 2006, veteran Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti was assassinated by the army during army General Musharraf in Taratani area of Kahan near district Kohlu, some 80km far from capital Quetta. On 3 April 2009 three Baloch prominent politicians Gulam Mohammad chairman of BNM (Baloch National Movement) along with two of his comrades were abducted from their lawyers chamber from Khuzdar. On 9 April 2009, three of them were brutally murdered and their bullet riddled dead bodies were found in Murghab area of the district Khuzdar, Sorab.
On 17 March 2005, Pakistan army and the air forces carried out a ground and air offensives in Sui district of Dera Bugti the native town of Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti. The army used heavy artillery and bombed the palace of Nawab Bugti. He was narrowly escaped but more than 70 Baloch women, children and elderly civilians were butchered by the occupational forces of Pakistan. There were 20+ Hindus who were also killed in this particular bombing of Sui town.
Mass graves in Balochistan
On August 2014, a mass grave containing 100+ dead bodies was discovered in Tootak area of Khuzdar where ISI’s has dozens of local death squads operating in the area under the supervision of Shafiq Mengal a notorious drug dealer involved in car lifting, ransom and murders of political opponents.
Pakistan ISI runs hundreds of death squads and torture cells. Former Senator Farhat Ullah Babar on November 17, 2017 exposed the torture cells centers via a statement to media which said that “He is enoyed over the presence of ‘Gitmo, Bagram-like torture cells’ in Pakistan”.
Pakistan army and the ISI are holding 40,000 Baloch prisoners in different detention centers across Balochistan and other provinces where Baloch prisoners are kept in torture cells.
New wave of mass protests against Baloch genocide
Pakistan army now intensified its anti-Baloch policy “kill & dump” policy by carrying out encounters of previously abducted Baloch youth and activists. In the month of November 2023, Seven Baloch youth were abducted by the CTD (Counter Terrorism Department) a local death squads operating under the patronage of Pakistani state. The FIR of abducted Balach S/O Mouladad was registered and the high counter ordered to produce the detainees. Turbat Police confessed of arresting Balach Mauladad but on the next day he was killed in cold blooded. His extra judicial killing sparked widespread protests in Khuzadar and Turbart. This protest took the shape of the ground at Shaheed Fida Chowk of Turbat city and protested against extra judicial killing of Baloch youth. Baloch civil society and Baloch belonging to all schools of thought started demanding the end of Baloch genocide, extra judicial killing and withdrawal of CTD forces from Baloch areas.
The ongoing protests under the leadership of the Baloch Solidarity Committee have engulfed the entire Balochistan. The Pakistani army, which is trampling on the constitution and laws of its own country, did not give any heed to the plea of Baloch peaceful protestors. The Baloch demonstration was converted into a long march and then it passed through the city of Turbat through Panjgur, Kalat, Sorab, Khuzdar, Mastung, Quetta, Loralai, Kohlu, Barkhan and the occupied Baloch areas of Punjab, Dera Ghazi Khan, Taunsa. Dera Ismail Khan has reached Islamabad via Thaunsa Sharif and Rajpur. The harassment of Long March participants began in Dera Ghazi Khan, where the public transport providing vehicles for the Long March was threatened by Pakistan’s secret services not to rent vehicles to them, but the local dignitaries of Pakistan Protested against this illegal move and took to the streets in large numbers to force Pakistan to give way to the Baloch Long March.
It is also interesting that the long march has received the full support of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement the PTM a Pashtun nationalist force advocating for the rights of the Pashtun people in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and Balochistan. Baloch are succeeded to bring the all Baloch population under single platform. The participation of Baloch from Dera Ghazi Khan overwhelmingly welcomed and slogans were heard that “Thausa, Rajan DG Khan, Balochistan, Balochistan” that meant the areas mentioned above belong Balochistan.
On reaching Islamabad, the police prevented the long march participants from staging peaceful protests in front of Islamabad Press Club. Women, children and elderly people were forced to live on the road without having any blanket and proper food. At the night 2:00pm on 21 November 2023, the Islamabad police raided the Baloch peaceful protestors. In this blood-curdling cold weather, they were attacked with a cold water machine, the protesters were beaten with sticks and it can be seen in the videos that tear gas shells were also thrown at them. 85-year-old Baloch women were dragged by the hair, seven-year-old children were beaten with sticks and around 300 Baloch protesters were arrested and locked up in different torture cells and police stations in Islamabad.
The Long March is going to last for more than a month, but Pakistan is not showing any kind of seriousness, and if Islamabad does not release the Baloch captives this time, it will be the last long march of Balochistan towards Islamabad. Mahrang Baloch and Long March organizers have said in a press conference that if the state of Pakistan does not listen to them, then they will go to the court of the Baloch nation and whatever decision the Baloch people take, they will respond to them. It should be remembered that according to an estimate, the Pakistani army and ISI have illegally and forcibly abducted around 40,000 Baloch people and kept them in their torture cells. Around ninety thousand innocent people have been killed during detention. Baloch families have been going around the courts of Pakistan for decades but they have not received any kind of justice so far.
Balochistan is a land rich in mineral wealth; Pakistan has been plundering Baloch resources (gold, silver, copper, gas, oil, marble, coal, etc.) for the past sixty years. The Baloch nation has not yet been able to get rid of the gold coming out of Sendak and the gas coming out of Dera Bugti Sui, but the industries and factories of Punjab are being run hundreds of kilometers away from this gas but the inhabitants of Balochistan are deprived of their own natural gas. They burn woods to bake but not allowed to have the facilities and fundamental rights.
The people of Balochistan have decided that Pakistan’s fabricated democracy and corrupt system and living under the slavery of Pakistan is not substitute to their national independence. They can preserve their national identity by liberating their land from Pakistan’s occupation. Baloch are vigorously fighting for the liberation of Balochistan by keeping in mind the principles of international war.
Balochs have centuries-old friendly relations with India, our neighbor and friend, and now it’s time for the Indian government to adopt a solid and comprehensive policy for Balochistan. Balochistan provides mobility, connectivity to India and other nations so its need of the hour to include Balochistan issue into the foreign policy.
Baloch desires PM Modi practical action on Balochistan issue
In 2016, the Prime Minister of India Mr. Narenda Modi stood at the Red Fort and thanked the people of Balochistan and on the same day, the Defense Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh also mentioned the human rights violations in Balochistan and said that these atrocities of Pakistan must be answered. Apart from this, Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj (late) also stood on the floor of the United Nations General Assembly and criticized Pakistan for human rights violations in Balochistan, which was appreciated by the Baloch people. Now is the time for India and Balochistan to work together for peace, prosperity and development of the world and this can only be possible if India takes the initiative and restores ties with the Baloch leadership and cease the opportunities.
Conclusion:
World must not buy unilateral narrative of Pakistan on Balochistan by calling it internal matter of Islamabad. It was Pakistan who’s establishment forcefully invading the sovereign country of Balochistan who’s people did not want to be part of Pakistan.
70 years long freedom struggle of Balochistan proved their commitment and dedication and national spirt that they are not going to accept the forceful annexation of Rawalpindi over Baloch land.
When the world is giving weapons and economic support to Ukraine, then the world should also speak about the Pakistani occupation in Balochistan and give full, financial, diplomatic, political and military support to the struggle for independence of Balochistan.
The Baloch people are deeply grateful to the common people of India and worldwide who are standing with us on social media platforms and raising our voice. We are determined to move forward for our better future together. The people of Kashmir and Balochistan will together crush Pakistan’s terrorist ambitions and make possible a strong India and an independent Balochistan, a developed and peaceful Kashmir is only possible we join hands to uproot the terror infrastructure run by the army generals of Pakistan.
Author is engaged in political struggle for the independence of Balochistan. He can be reached via his X (formerly twitter) account @miryar_baloch.
