Mr
Thomas G Tancredo, Congressman
1130 Longworth HOB
7th Feb 2006
Washington, DC 20515-0606
202.225.7882
Ref: Military Operations in Balochistan
Dear Congressman
Tancredo,
The silence of
world on the plight of destitute innocent Baloch people is
extremely disturbing.
Let us applaud
you for your firm humanitarian, visionary and of leadership
calibre stand on plight of Baloch victims of ongoing criminal
Pakistani military operations in Balochistan by writing to the
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and urging her to convince
President Bush to raise Washington’s concerns over the situation
in Balochistan with Perviz Musharaf during his visit to Pakistan
in March this year.
Rightly as it was
outlined by you, the Baloch people are demanding for their equal
democratic rights in Pakistan. Baloch political parties (Four
Parties Alliance) worked strenuously to find a political solution
for the reason that as you yourself concluded that the Pakistan
Government’s move of curbing civilian resistance by force has
never worked in the past, and are not likely to work now.
The situation in
Balochistan is worsening by day as Gen Musharaf and his military
entourage are for a military resolve only. The Army of Pakistan is
deploying troops excessively armed heavily with jet-fighters,
deadly weaponries and poisonous bombs in Balochistan. There is
evidence that the Army of Pakistan used phosphorus bombs in its
ongoing operations in Balochistan.
The Army of
Pakistan deployed 40,000 troops and paramilitaries in Kohlo area
and 35,000 in Dera Bugti area in Balochistan - the ratio of
deployment of military and other so called security forces is 1 to
every 36 civilians in Balochistan (Senator Sanaullah Baloch stated
recently in the Senate of Pakistan).
Pakistan has announced construction of permanent military
cantonment in Dera Bugti and port city of Gwadar on .02.02.2006
despite the passing of a resolution by the Balochistan Assembly
against establishment of garrisons in Balochistan.
As it is stated
by you “this diversion of important military resources could be
better used to hunt down the Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups”.
One is bound to agree, but the key to hunt down Al-Qaeda is
sincerity of Pakistan. It is revealed by news.telegraph on 29th
Jan 2006 that “Pakistan 'delay let bin Laden escape US raid”.
It also stated that “Prevarication by the Pakistani
government cost America the chance to kill Osama bin Laden in an
air strike near the Afghan border two years ago, the Sunday
Telegraph has been told.
A CIA lead that the al-Qaeda leader was hiding in a
remote province was squandered because the Pakistani government
delayed giving permission for the attack on its soil, according to
a senior Western diplomat. By the time US officials got the
go-ahead, bin Laden had left the suspected hideout in Zhob, in the
Baluchistan province of south-west Pakistan.”
Pakistani Army and establishment at its highest
level especially in Inter Service Intelligence are evidently
riddled with staunch defender of Al-Qaeda and religious zealots.
The Carnegie Endowment in its report states that “The budget of
the Ministry of Religious Affair for the province- Balochistan is
said to be approximately 1.2 billion Rupees, compared with 200
million Rupees allotted to the ministry of Education.” (Source:
Page 11, Pakistan: The Resurgence of Baluch Nationalism, Carnegie
Endowment, Report Number 65, Jan 2005)
Following the policies adopted by Zia Ul-Haq in the
1980s, Pakistan’s government continues through its Ministry of
Religious Affairs to encourage the setting up of madrassas in the
province in order to penetrate deeper into ethnic Baluch areas
stubbornly opposed to the mullahs (ibid).
Baloch Nation, Baloch Resistance and Baloch
Nationalism have been secular and remain to be secular despite
malevolence policies of Pakistan to spread religious
fundamentalism in order to annihilate Baloch nation by driving a
wedge between faith and Baloch national identity. Pakistan for its
actions and un-democratic system is a source of instability in the
region rather than being an ally of the international community in
its fight against terrorism. For instance proliferation of nuclear
weapon by A. Q. Khan was carried out by knowledge and apparent
approval of Pakistan Army to rogue fundamentalist state of Iran
and other Islamic zealots in order to forge powerful non-tolerant
fanatic version of Islamic Bloc despite the forced denial of Gen
Musharaf. Pakistan as a state and its top policies makers, namely
Army draw their legitimacy from fanatic version of Islam. Hence
for Pakistan any departure from what is embodied in non-tolerant
Islamic fundamentalism remains an illusion for foreseeable future
and is simply an attempt to buy time.
Balochistan is
the poorest unit of Pakistan federation despite of being the main
source of Gas, Minerals to Pakistan (Source: Carnegie Endowment,
No 65 of January 2006).
Pakistan has
failed Balochistan since its creation due to its repressive
approach to legitimate and democratic rights of Balochistan to
present day. Balochistan suffered four Pakistani military
onslaughts in 1948, 1958, 1963 and 1973-77 which resulted in loss
of thousand Baloch lives and destruction of properties. Now the
ongoing military operation accounts for the fifth one as the
Pakistan lacks any just and viable strategic and cohesive policy
towards Balochistan but policy of suppression and resorting to
military force. Now Balochistan is a war-like region as observed
and reported by Carnegie Endowment.
Sadly as this
letter is being written to you, there is a report by BBC that
merciless Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps are extensively engaged
in bombing and killing Baloch people in Dera-Bugti and Kohlo areas
of Balochistan. The people of these areas have fled due to
indiscriminate shelling of rockets and air attacks by the Army of
Pakistan (Source: Human Rights Commission in Pakistan).
Baloch people
throughout Balochistan, Karachi, other cities in Sindh and in
Europe and USA are vigorously resisting and protesting against
Pakistan Army’s ongoing brutal and criminal military operations in
Balochistan. Now it has become routine for the Pakistani army and
security forces to kidnap and torture Baloch activists and
protesters. Around 4000 of innocent Baloch have been abducted by
Army and F.C (frontier corps) from different areas of Balochistan
and their fate or whereabouts are still unknown (the figure was
given by Pakistan’s own Interior minister Aftab Sherpao on 9th
Dec 2006).
The Pakistan
Frontier Corps and Army extra-judicially killed 12 innocent Baloch
while in custody in Dera-Bugti in Jan 06. The merciless Army of
Pakistan has been using excessive force indiscriminately in
Balochistan where innocent Baloch children, women and people were
killed and injured in their hundreds; their homes were reduced to
rubbles in order to demoralize Baloch Resistance( HRCP confirms in
its report these facts).
Balochistan
Rights Watch firmly believes that conflicts of political nature
are best resolved amicably through meaningful dialogue, guaranteed
by international and independent bodies or states.
In order to bring
an end to conflict and bloodshed in Balochistan and resolve Baloch
people rights and issues once and for all as you perfectly stated
a dialogue is needed between the Baloch people and the Pakistani
Government. Without such an effort, there will not be an end to
the bloodshed. The opposition leader of Balochistan Assembly
Advocate Kachkol Ali warned on 05 Feb 2006 that conflict will not
end as long as military operation continues and there will be no
peace without rights.
Therefore
Balochistan Rights Watch appeals for international intervention in
particular for the intervention of the United States of America to
help the Baloch people in their just and democratic quest and
resistance for equal rights in any possible form.
To help the
Baloch people it is needed to:
-
Intervene on time and demand from Pakistan for an immediate halt
to all its military operations in Balochistan
-
Demand release of all detainees of the conflict and Baloch
political activists
-
Demand withdrawal of military troops from Balochistan
-
Demand an end to construction of cantonments in Balochistan
-
Dispatch an independent international body to investigate the
conflict to present recommendations and to ensure accountability
for crimes committed in Balochistan
-
Allow
a period of calm and understanding
-
Initiate a comprehensive dialogue supervised by international
bodies to work-out Baloch concerns and rights based on the
recommendations.
Balochistan
Rights Watch appeals to you for your continued proactive role in
defence of deprived Baloch people and their rights, and to urge
the White House for direct intervention and for a clear and
proactive role in Balochistan before the distressed Baloch people
resort to a non-tolerant and fanatic version of Islam as the only
mean available and open to them to seek justice out of sheer
desperation. Any long-term and strategic approach and policy by
international community and USA in particular requires protection
of democratic rights of Baloch nation. Defending Baloch national
rights is a visionary approach to the stability of the region, to
the interests of Baloch people, world at large and above all to
humanity.
Balochistan
Rights Watch looks earnestly forward to your continued proactive
role to help Baloch people.
Yours truly,
Balochistan
Rights Watch
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Related links:
Washington Dc Protest Photos, Feb 6th, 2006
Photo:Demonstration
in Stockholm(Sweden) against Pakistani army crimes in Balochistan.
Senator Sana Baloch talked on Radio Sweden about Balochistan.
letter to US Congressman(Balochistan
Action Committee in UK)
Report: Protest Rally against Army Operation in
Balochistan
Photos:Rally held in Lyari Karachi
by Baloch Yakjehati Committee on 29Jan
Demonstration
in Sweden ,
Announcement ,تظا هرات
احتجاج
Rallies to be held in US and Canada (WSI/BSO-NA)
Video clip from Balochs demonstration in Oslo -Norway on 2006.01.24
تصاويري از تظاهرات امروز( 2006.02.06)
بلوچهاي مقيم استکهلم عليه جنايات اخير ارتش پاکستان در بلوچستان
فيلمي ازصحنه نبرد چريکهاي بلوچ با ارتش پاکستانBBC
Times of London reports on Pakistani war
crimes in Balochistan
Pakistan Army using chemical weapons in
Balochistan...
GENOCIDE IN BALOCHISTAN (Balochistan
voice Sweden)
Report of the Demonstration in London
Press release – Demonstration
in London 22Jan. 2006)
Photo:Demonstration in London against Pakistani army
crime in Balochistan
500 killed since December 18
Protest in Oslo (Norway) against recent Pakistani
Army crime in different areas of Balochistan
Protest letter to Norwegian
Prime Minister against Pakistani military bombing of Balochistan
Pictures of Pakistani Army operation in
Balochistan
(WARNING! The Pictures are very
graphic)
Dera Bugti Massacre Video Archive
فراخوان به
تظا هرات
عليه خشونت ارتش پاكستان در بلوچستان شرقي
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The page created by Radio Balochi
FM 2006.02.08
