Honorable Members of Parliament, Respected Swedish citizens and my beloved Baloch brothers and sisters:
On behalf of Balochistan National Party and people of Balochistan, let me sincerely thank you for your attention to underreported human rights emergency and understanding of Balochistan's strategic and political importance concerning peace and stability in the region.
In fact, due to Pakistan and Iran's iron-curtain policy vis-a vis Balochistan, the sheer scale of political repression, enforced disappearances, extra-judicial killings and exploitation of marginalized Baloch people by the both repressive regimes has gained very little regional and international attention.
Although it's hard to bury facts in currently globalized world and particularly in presence of marvelous communication tools but many repressive regimes including Pakistan, are using death squads, fear, intimidation and systematic blockages to slowdown the flow of information and facts.
And that's what exactly happening in France-sized Balochistan region. In last three years seventeen Journalists abducted and killed because of their determination to unearth truth about slow-motion genocide of Baloch people.
Dear Members of Swedish Parliament,
To eradicate the Baloch national aspirations once and for all, the Pakistani army is waging a war with no regards for Baloch lives and human dignity. The war against the Baloch is being waged without witnesses. They are refusing access to foreign observers, journalists and humanitarian organizations.
No doubt this very timely initiative and debate over underreported conflict in Balochistan would be very useful to elevate the status of forgotten conflict in Balochistan and alarming human rights emergency.
Despite all efforts by the oppressive state, human rights defenders efforts and persistent human rights campaign resulted in several credible reports that include International Crisis Group reports on conflict in Balochistan, Amnesty International, and Asian Commission for Human Rights, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and Human Rights Watch reports on enforced disappearance and crimes against humanity.
In fact, this august gathering will further give impetus to the peaceful Baloch struggle for national-right of self-determination including recognition to the hundreds of democracy and human rights activists those extra-judicially killed by the despotic Pakistani state.
Ladies and gentlemen:
The peace-loving Baloch are living a life at the gunpoint in the shadows of inhuman atrocities by the most atrocious state establishment in the contemporary world. Their physical survival is at stack with the systematic and organized acts of genocide being carried out by radical Pakistani Security Agencies.
No doubt, greater understanding about conflict in Balochistan is very critical for countries such as Sweden which believe on high standards of human rights principle.
The ongoing conflict has serious strategic and security implications for the Western world where moderate Baloch political and human rights defenders daylight abduction and extra judicial killings are order of the day by the US and European equipped rogue security forces.
Moreover, it's well documented fact that during 2002 to 2011, around eight thousand people have been killed, a quarter of a million displaced, around eight thousand political activists enforced-disappeared and eight hundred senior democracy activists have been extra-judicially killed by the ethnically imbalanced Law Enforcement Agencies, creating a Rwanda like scene in the region.
Honorable Member Parliaments:
Balochistan: Balochistan is not a tiny or land locked region like Kashmir and nor a poorly resourced country.
Balochistan, a France-sized territory, straddling Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan, sits on world's three largest copper-gold deposits, huge wealth of oil and gas - located on immensely strategic intersection of South Asia, Central Asia and Middle East.
Balochistan also shares 1200 km long strategically significant coastline - from where world's 40% oil passes.
Unlike their extremely religious neighbors, Baloch are more casual and you can say very moderate in their observance of religion.
Despite political differences, all Baloch political groups believe on democratic and secular political ideas and firm believer of human rights principle.
However, during last six decades there have been systematic efforts both by Islamabad and Tehran to destroy moderate social fabric of Baloch society and promote extreme religious tendencies to counteract against historically moderate Baloch national movement.
Both, in Pakistan and Iran there is an undeclared restriction on Balochi language, literature, media and journalist activities.
Dear colleagues,
The Pakistani reaction to the peaceful Baloch struggle has and had been to employ ruthless muscle power in order to force the Baloch into submission.
Since the inception of Pakistan, state has come into open conflict with the Baloch on four occasions - 1948, 1958, 1962, and, most bloodily, from 1973 to 1977, when a democratically elected government of Baloch people was overthrown and both Iranian and Pakistan military and air power was used to kill thousands of unarmed Baloch civilians.
During 1948 to till date, in four major and uninterrupted assault against moderate Baloch people, Pakistani state has killed 20,000 civilians, one million displaced, immeasurable plunder of Baloch natural wealth including denial of all basic human, political and economic rights.
The protracted conflicts between Pakistan and the Baloch have caused tremendous sufferings for the Baloch in men and material besides its negative psychological impacts on the society.
The ongoing military aggression started in 2001 is the continuation of that policy; nevertheless, it surpasses all previous military operations in its intensity and ruthlessness.
The atrocities of Pakistani forces constitute violation of international human rights and cherished humanitarian laws and many of these actions could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Ladies and gentlemen:
Pakistani forces including Frontier Corps (F.C.) with Taliban-like tendencies, has been responsible for disproportionate and indiscriminate rocket, artillery and helicopter gunship attacks on civilian areas. There has been widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and houses throughout Balochistan.
Many of the actions by the State come into the orbit of the legal definition of articles II and III of UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide.
Dear Colleagues,
I would like to give you a brief description of various aspects of Baloch Pakistan relationship.
1. Forced accession; In a historical perspective, the Baloch Pakistan conflict began with the forcible incorporation of the Baloch State into the newly created religious state of Pakistan in 1948.
2. De-politicization; The Baloch access to the political process has been deliberately suspended, to the detriment for conciliation and co-existence with the State. During the last six decades, only three provincial governments with a semblance of the Baloch representation were allowed to function for nearly 3 years in total. During the remaining period, the province was ruled by the central government in Islamabad through proxies.
3. Exploitation of Baloch wealth; The process of expropriating the natural resources of Balochistan is going on from the very beginning. One of the major reasons behind endless oppression and ongoing genocide in Balochistan is Baloch people's strong opposition to Pakistan's naked-exploitation of Baloch wealth.
Dear Colleagues:
Intensified conflict, killings and human rights violations in Balochistan are directly linked with China's desires for deepening control over Balochistan natural wealth.
Despite appalling human rights situation and state killings of Baloch activists, Pakistani government extended copper-gold mining contract including many other mineral related energy related projects to the Chinese firm, which pays huge sum of money to security forces, those involved in abduction and killings of activists.
Nevertheless, resource-rich but impoverished like Somalia, Balochistan is the epicenter of Pakistan's deadliest nuclear program.
In 1998 Pakistan conducted its nuclear test in scenic mountains region of Raskoh.
4. Marginalization; Cultural exploitation of the Baloch is another characteristic of the Baloch and Pakistan conflict. Having a distinct Central Asian socio-cultural background different from the Indian originated Islamic cultural ethos, it is very painful for the Baloch to witness the domination of their socio-cultural tradition being dominated by a so-called and artificial Islamic culture of Pakistan.
5. Deliberate underdevelopment:
In addition the years of military operations, discriminatory policies and poor governance has resulted in extreme underdevelopment of the region. Resource-rich Baloch region is marked by a high rate of poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment.
Due to hunger and malnutrition Balochistan has the highest infant and maternal mortality ratio in South Asia.
The only development Balochistan has witnessed during last one decade is 200 % increase in military and paramilitary cantonments to further suppress the democratic and moderate voice of peace-loving Baloch people.
Dear Colleagues:
Recommendation: Due to obvious reasons without neutral international supervision, there is no chance of a peaceful resolution of the Baloch Pakistan conflict and there is no hope of lessening the miseries and sufferings of the Baloch people.
In recent decades, longstanding conflicts of similar nature in Europe, Africa and Asia have been resolved forcefully and peacefully with active help and facilitation of civilized world.
Application and implementation of the UN articles on the right of self determination for oppressed nations was successful in bringing peace in East Timur, Kosovo and South Sudan.
The right of self determination for the Baloch means regaining their lost sovereignty and their survival as a distinct nation in the wider community of nations.
Before initiating a meaningful process of conflict resolution it is imperative that international community must put pressure on Pakistan:
1. To suspend all covert and overt military operations against the Baloch people.
2. All missing persons should be produced before a court of law
3. All proxy death squads operating under the supervision of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and Frontier Core should be disbanded
4. Baloch political parties should be allowed to function and resume their political activities
5. Military Persons responsible for inhuman torture, killing and dumping of dead bodies of the Baloch political leaders and activists should be brought to justice
6. Measures should be taken for the rehabilitation of thousands of displaced Baloch from different areas of Balochistan
After taking the above mentioned confidence building measures, a meaningful negotiation between the recognized and genuine representatives of the Baloch and Pakistani military establishment could take place under international supervision to decide the future relationship of Balochistan with Pakistan.
The Baloch will welcome any mediation efforts from United States, United Kingdom, European Union and United Nations.
Dear colleagues,
International community's direct engagement, facilitation and presence in Balochistan will serve three main purposes a) monitoring gross human rights violation and deceleration of unreported genocide of moderate Baloch activists, b) observation and monitoring of state-backed Taliban activities, c) denuclearization of France-sized Baloch region.
The Baloch are still hopeful that the international community will realize the gravity of the situation and come forward and fulfill its historic responsibility in saving a whole nation being systematically wiped out from the face of earth.
Thank you very much:
Akhtar Mengal
Balochistan National Party (BNP)
akhtarmengal@hotmail.com
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