This refers to the interview with Qadeer Baloch (March 10). Pakistan demands that the principle of self-determination be exercised in Kashmir, but conveniently ignores a similar demand for Balochistan. There is an assumption concerning the current Baloch uprising — that it is foreign-backed, and that Balochis are happy with the current state of affairs. But the Balochi struggle for its political, social and economic rights is much older than Pakistan itself. Separatist insurgency has gripped the province ever since its inception. Instances of disappearances and targeted killings by state authorities are routinely reported. Clearly, the region remains alienated from the rest of Pakistan.
H.N. Ramakrishna
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