An interview with Mir Azaad Khan Baloch

I conducted an online interview with Mir Azaad Khan Baloch, who graciously answered my questions. My questions and the answers are presented here unedited.

Mir Azaad Khan Baloch is with the Government of Balochistan in Exile, and is known there as the Secretary General. The blog has insightful posts on the Baloch independence movement, and has links to other informative sites.

For those unfamiliar with Balochistan, it is a province in southwest Pakistan. It shares a border with Afghanistan and Iran, and its coast is on the Arabian Sea. It is a dry, mountainous region that comprises about 42% of Pakistan's land area, but has only about 5% of the population. It is rich in natural resources, and Balochs say the rest of Pakistan is benefiting from these resources more than the Baloch people.

Pakistan has existed as a country in more or less its present form only since the British Partition in the 1940s. Balochistan was not historically associated with other provinces as a nation, and has retained an independent stance. In fact, the Baloch people also live in Iran and Afghanistan. There has been conflict between Balochistan and Pakistan over the years, and the current independence movement has flared up again starting in December 2005.

Here, Mir Azaad Khan Baloch sheds some light on the Baloch point of view, and what is behind the independence movement.

Q: What is the Government of Balochistan (GOB) in Exile, and what are you doing to bring about an independent Balochistan?

GOB (Exile) is composed of a loose group of Baloch nationalists from around the world who are structuring a skeleton for a sovereign Balochistan state so we can have a functional government right off the bat when we are liberated. Also, we are positioning GOB (Exile) to interact with member countries of the United Nations. Our temporary office is located in the Jewish quarters of Jerusalem, and Jewish Baloch nationals financially support us. We are incorporating the Balochi culture, and are basing our system of government on "Democracy, Liberalism and Secularism". (This is a unique combination in a region where Islamic fundamentalism is gaining a strong foothold.)

Our goal is to utilize the power of the Internet to liberate Balochistan. As our first step online, we started a blog ( GovernmentOfBalochsitan.blogspot.com ). Our next move is to establish a fully functional website, which is presently under construction. Furthermore, we would like to gain grass root support from the global community similar to the support Darfur is currently receiving.

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Q: Has Pakistan acknowledged the existence of the Government of Balochistan in Exile in any way?

A: We launched GOB (Exile) on April 18, 2005. There is no official acknowledgment from either the Government of Iran or Pakistan. However, Senator Sanaullah Baloch has heard of us, and we believe that once he knows of our objectives, he'll be very supportive.

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Q: How does the Government of Balochistan in Exile view the Balochistan National Party and Senator Sanullah Baloch? Do they play a role in the independence movement?

A: We admire the courage of all Baloch nationalist parties in Iran and Pakistan. We are proud to have sincere politicians like Senator Sanullah Baloch who, against all odds, voices the genuine concerns of the Baloch people to the rulers of Pakistan. Anyone who participates in any type of activity that supports the Baloch concerns is playing a very important role in the independence movement of Balochistan. We welcome people from any ethnicity, country, and religion to get involved in liberating Balochistan.

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Q: There are a number of different tribes in Balochistan. How do they relate to each other?

A: The tribal Sardar (chieftain) is a hereditary position, and a Sardar heads each tribe in Balochistan. The Sardar and heads of clans within the tribe constitute a council that settles all type of issues, including those of war and peace. Inter tribal and clan disputes can sometimes escalate into arms conflict. The Pakistani intelligence agencies are known for creating such disputes between Baloch tribes and clans to keep them engaged in blood feuds (Pakistani government's divide and rule policy).

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Q: Does Government of Balochistan in Exile interact with the tribes in Balochistan, and if so, how?

A: We have interacted with individuals from different Baloch tribes via email.

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Q: Three of the main tribes in Balochistan are Marri, Bugti and Mengal.
Are these tribes united in the independence movement, and does the Government of Balochistan in Exile interact with their Sardars?

A: The Baloch independence movement is evolving. At the beginning, the three tribes were not united. But, the movement has picked up momentum and not only the three main tribes have formed a united front, but Baloch from all social and economic strata are joining the movement in droves to fight the "Baloch War of Independence". To date, the GOB (Exile) has not interacted with any of the tribal Sardars.

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Q: There is a Pashtun population in Balochistan. How do Balochs and Pashtuns in Balochistan relate to each other?

A: The Baloch and Pashtun culture compliment each other. They have amicably interacted with each other for centuries and have learned to live peacefully. Occasional disputes are subdued through intervention by the elders and chieftains of each group. In fact, inter-marriages between the Pashtun and Baloch are quite common.

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Q: Do the Taliban operate in Balochistan, and how do Balochs view the Taliban in general?

A: Yes, the Taliban are supported by the Pakistani intelligence agencies to operate in Balochistan. The Baloch views the Taliban presence in Balochistan negatively as they consider it encroachment of Baloch territory and marginalizing of Baloch political standing.

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Q: How do Balochs view the unrest in Waziristan? Do Balochs support the tribes there against the Pakistani government?

A: Waziristan is topographically separated from the Baloch population centers. There is no interaction between the Baloch and the Pashtuns of Waziristan. The unrest in Waziristan has nothing to do with Balochistan.

The Baloch are already engaged in a war against the Pakistani government forces, and they are not in a position to support the tribes in Waziristan.

The facts are that after the fall of Tora Bora, Osama bin Laden, Ayman al Zawahiri, and the Taliban remnants escaped Afghanistan with the help of the Pakistani intelligence agencies. The Pakistani authorities provided safe haven to these people within Pakistan in the Waziristan region; and to this day, they are still under Pakistani government protection.

The military controlled dictatorship in Pakistan is deceiving the United States into believing that the Pakistanis are the "key ally in the fight against terrorism". The truth is that that the Pakistani government is committing "State Terrorism" against it's own people by bombing villages and killing innocent civilians in Waziristan, and then claiming that they have killed terrorists to appease the Americans. The present government in Pakistan is well aware that if they eliminate the real terrorists, then their days to rule Pakistan are numbered. Hence, to prolong their military rule, the Pakistani military has waged a proxy war against the United States and is providing refuge to known terrorists.

Evidence shows that the world's most dangerous terrorist organization is the Pakistani armed forces and it's intelligence agencies.

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Q: Could you describe how Pakistan's government has mistreated Balochistan and the people there?

In 1948, Pakistan used military force to invade and occupy Balochistan.
Ever since then, numerous Baloch insurgencies have erupted, but they were ruthlessly crushed by the well-equipped Pakistani armed forces resulting in deaths of thousands of Baloch freedom fighters and non-combatants. Balochistan is governed as a colony, and its people are treated with suspicion by the Pakistani government. Currently, there are over 6,000 Baloch activists lingering in Pakistani prisons for simply voicing their concern about the state of affairs in Balochistan.

During 58 years of Pakistani occupation, Balochistan was neglected and faced extreme under-development. Lack of infrastructure and basic necessities turned Balochistan into one of the least developed regions in the world! Natural resources are mined from Balochistan, but the proceeds are reinvested in other parts of Pakistan. Employment opportunities within Balochistan are being offered to non-Baloch people.

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Q: The Baloch insurgents have targeted bridges, mined roads, and attacked pipelines and water facilities. Is the goal to hurt Pakistan's economy? Is there a concern that Balochistan might also suffer if economic activity is hindered because of the unrest?

A: The Baloch insurgents are Freedom Fighters like the Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur (French Resistance Army) during World War II. We are waged a “Guerilla Military Action” to liberate Balochistan by attacking military forces, blowing up supply lines, destroying infrastructure, and damaging anything and everything that will incapacitate the Pakistani government and its armed forces. One of our objectives is certainly to hurt Pakistan's economy. And, we do realize that our actions affect the economy of Balochistan too. But, the beneficiaries of Balochistan’s economic activities are mostly non-Baloch people. So, in essence, the Baloch are not losing much; it's the colonizers of Balochistan who are hurting the most.

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Q: Can the independence movement succeed without outside assistance? Is the movement strong enough to force Pakistan to give Balochistan its freedom?

A: This question is debatable. In the past, various Baloch insurgencies didn't succeed because the Baloch didn't receive outside assistance.

This time around, it's different. Expatriate Baloch are vocal and they are internationalizing the Baloch independence movement. Baloch from all over the world are providing moral and/or financial support to their brethrens on the battlefield.

The American Special Forces are working alongside with the Baloch to destabilize the Iranian government in order to neutralize their nuclear threat to global peace. Pakistan is also a rogue country that has proliferated nuclear technology to Iran, Libya, and North Korea. The Baloch are positioned to destabilize Pakistan so the Americans can dismantle the Pakistani nuclear arms.

In 1998, Pakistan conducted six nuclear tests in the Chaghi district of Balochistan. The Baloch nationalists were the only people in Pakistan who opposed the nuclear armaments and nuclear tests in Balochistan.

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Q: What support would the Balochs like from the United States?

A: United States is already doing a lot for the Baloch. I've personally met congresswomen Shelly Barkley (Nevada) and Sheila Jackson-Lee (Texas) and informed them of the crisis in Balochistan. Prior to President Rice's visit to Pakistan, Congressman Thomas G. Tancredo (Colorado) wrote a letter to Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, to inform her of the crisis in Balochistan and to brief the President of the situation.

And recently, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Richard Boucher, declined General Pervez Musharraf request to declare the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) as a terrorist organization.

We would like the United States government to declare and enforce a "No-Fly Zone" over Balochistan, similar to the one imposed on Saddam-controlled Iraq over Kurdish areas. Furthermore, we want the American public to support the Baloch independence movement by meeting with their State’s political representative in Congress and convincing them to pass legislature to assist the Balochistan to become a democratic, liberal and secular country in the Middle East.