Baloch and Sindhi Groups meet US Senators

Press Release

Chicago: Oct 11, 2006. Several Political activists of Prominent US based
Baloch and Sindhi Organizations (BSO-NA and WSI) met with US
Senators and Congressmen here today and asked their help to end the
Pakistani Military Operation and human right violations in Balochistan
and Sindh Province of Pakistan.

>>More Photos

Click to Enlarge

Those who met with US Senators includes Dr. Wahid Baloch, President of Baloch Society of North America and
Secretary General of "American Friends of Balochistan (AFOB), Munawar Laghari, CEO and Director of of World
Sindhi Institute, Dr. A.W Bhatti, Afzal Ali Bugti and Altaf Hussain.

Talking to the Senators and congressmen, the group brought their attention to the ongoing Pakistani military
Operation in Balochistan and gross human right violations against the Baloch and Sindhi people In Balochistan
and Sindh. They presented senators the facts and figures of killed and disappeared Baloch and Sindhi people
and asked their help to Pressure Pakistan to end the suffering of Baloch and Sindhi people.

Dr. Wahid Baloch, Presented the Honorable senators a letter, the text of which is as follows;

Dear Hon'ble Senator,

It gives me great pleasure to have a chance to meet with you in person here in Chicago. My profuse thanks to Dr A.
W. Bhatti for making the meeting with you possible.

On behalf of people of Balochistan, Government of Balochistan (GOB) in Exile, Baloch society of North America
(BSO-NA), Four Party Baloch Alliance, World Baloch-Jewish alliance (WBJA), The American Friends of Balochistan
(AFB) and Baloch Diaspora, we would like to draw your attention to the ongoing military operation and
deteriorating human rights situation in Pakistani occupied Balochistan and Sindh province where Pakistani
Islamic Jihadi Terrorist army and its security forces are engaged in a State terrorism and ethnic cleansing against
the innocent moderate Baloch and Sindhi people, where arrests, kidnappings, disappearances and illegal
detention of moderate secular Baloch and Sindhi students, political workers and leaders by Pakistani police and
military intelligence agencies, including Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), are surpassing all limits.

Let me please draw your attention to some of the facts:

Dear Senator,

• As you know, Islamic Pakistan was created out of India in 1947 as a result of famous “Lahore resolution”,
adopted by the All India Muslim League to form an independent Islamic State for Indian Muslims, which stated that
Pakistan would be a federation where all the federating units will have full provincial autonomy and equal rights,
but Pakistan never honored its own founding resolution.

• Since the creation of this Islamic fundamentalist state, this country has been engaged in human right
violations, promoting Islamic extremism and fundamentalism and supporting terrorism. The country has been run
almost entirely by military dictators, in coups after coups. There are no democratic institutions and no law exist in
Pakistan. The only law that exists is the law of military men, where military thugs, terrorists, and drug mafia have
joined hands together making their own laws and terrorizing every ordinary citizen.

• Balochistan was never a part the Indian sub-continent, but was an independent sovereign state. The Secular
Baloch people did not participated in any form in the creation of fundamentalist Islamic Pakistan and wanted to
remain an independent secular state but Pakistan after one year of its creation, on March 27, 1948 attacked the
sovereign Balochistan and annexed it into Pakistan by force. Since the forceful annexing in 1948, Baloch people
have fought and are still fighting against the Pakistani occupying forces to restore their independence and
freedom. Thousands people have died in this conflict and millions have been dislocated from their homes and
families since then.

. On September 21, 2006, a Grand Baloch Tribal Jirga of Balochistan's upper Parliament (Dar-ul-umrah)
was held , announced in a declaration that a case would be filed in the International Court of Justice against the
illegal occupation of Balochistan, Exploitations of Baloch resources and gross human right Violation in
Balochistan against Baloch Nation by Pakistani occupying forces. The Khan of Kalat, King of Balochistan, Mir
Suleman Daud Ahmedzai, presided over the jirga held in the Royal Palace (Shahi Hall). It was attended by 85
tribal chiefs and about 300 elders.The declaration expressed concern over the ‘colonial occupation’ of the Baloch
land by Punjab in violation of the accord signed by the state of Kalat and the government of Pakistan in 1948.

• Thousand Baloch students and political activists are behind bars since last year when Pakistani military
started the 5th military operation in Balochistan. Many are missing and are being tortured in Pakistani Army run
detention camps in Balochistan, while Taliban and Al-qaeda elements are roaming around in Quetta and other
parts of province with full support and special permits of Pakistani ISI and military. Taliban and Al-Qaeda’s top
leaders Mullah Omar and Osma bin Laden are still hiding in Pakistan with full knowledge and protection from
Pakistani ISI.

• The extra-judicial arrests also include journalists and relatives of political leaders. Munir Mengal, the
managing director of an under production Balochi television channel, Baloch Voice, has also been reported
missing. Zakia Karim, Mengal's sister, said that no human rights or journalists' group has protested her brother's
abduction by the intelligence agencies', which took place on April 4 at the Karachi airport.

"He was returning from Bahrain when he was whisked away by agency officials at the Karachi Airport. We don't
have the slightest idea where he is right now," Zakia said.

Samiullah Baloch, 24, the younger brother of Baloch Senator Sanaullah Baloch, of the Balochistan National Party
(BNP), went missing on July 16. His whereabouts are still unknown.

Bilal Bugti, the younger brother of Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) Secretary General Agha Shahid Bugti, and Murtaza
Bugti, the son of Balochistan's first finance minister, Ahmed Nawaz Bugti, were also reported missing in July.

Abdul Nabi Bungulzai (former Chairman of Baloch Students Organization, a highly educated and progressive
political leader of Balochistan) was arrested in February 2001 along with 11 others. After being inhumanly
tortured, he is being kept under detention without any trial and is now imprisoned in Quetta Central jail.

Ali Asghar Bangulzai, was kidnapped on 18th October, 2001 by ISI, his family was threatened against approaching
any Court. Still his disappearance, his family and children have protested in front of the Quetta Press Club for the
last eight months. His whereabouts are still unknown.

Hafiz Saeed ur Rehman Bangulzai’s whereabouts are unknown after his kidnapping and disappearance in 2002.

Gwahram Baloch s/o Saleh Mohammad was abducted on 8th August, 2004 by Military Intelligence and ISI
personnel. He is still missing.

On 25 March 2005, students and political activists Dr. Imdad Baloch (chairman of Baloch Students Organization or
BSO), Dr. Allah Nazar (former Chairman of BSO), Dr. Yousuf (Press Secretary of BSO), Ghulam Rasool
(member Central Committee of BSO), Dr. Naseem (ex- member Central Committee of BSO), AIi Nawaz and
Akhtar Nadeem were detained and taken to ISI secret torture cells and severely tortured continuously for five
months.

Dr Allah Nazar Baloch (Former Chairmen of BSO, a MBBS Doctor) kidnapped by ISI and Karachi police on 25th
March, disappeared for six months. Recovered from Multan, he is detained in Quetta Central jail.

In August 2005 Majid Samad and fourteen members of BSO were arrested in Turbat, they were mercilessly
tortured by army intelligence agencies and are still under illegal detention.

On 22nd September 2005, Abid Saleh, younger brother of abducted Gwahram Baloch was kidnapped by army and
still missing.

On 15th November 2005, a leading poet and writer in Balochi Language and Medical practitioner Dr. Hanif Sharif
was detained by Army units. His whereabouts are not known to his friends and family.

On 23 November 2005, Aslam Gorgnadi, Master Saeed and Khuda Bux Bizenjo were forcefully taken away by army
units along with their counsel Advocate Sadiq Raisani from the High Court Building despite the court orders to
release them after their two years detention without trial.

These are just a few cases that were highlighted by international press. There are many others that are yet to be
disclosed. The refusal to release Baloch illegal detainees is a typical example of the arrogant mindset of an
occupying army. These are acts of violation against Pakistan’s constitutional provisions and are crimes against
humanity.

• Pakistan claims to be a U.S. ally in the war of terror but its recent “peace deal” with Taliban and Al-Qaeda
terrorists in Waziristan proves otherwise. The fact is that Pakistan has never been and never was an ally against
the war of its own created Taliban and Al-Qaeda terrorists. Small wonder even after five years, we have not been
able to capture Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar.

• Pakistan Air Force fighter jets, Army gunship helicopters and military hardware provided by our US
Government to eliminate Al-Qaeda and Taliban elements, are being used against the innocent Baloch people.
More then 1600 hundred people, including women and children, have been reported Killed in the war in the last
one-year.

• On Aug 26th, 2006, Pakistan Target assassinated the most prominent, pro-American, secular Baloch
Nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti and his bodyguards in a massive military raid on his hide out in the
mountains using gunship helicopters and F-16 fighters jet dropping cluster bombs and other chemical weapons.
Nawab Bugti, a moderate Baloch politician, was fighting for autonomy and greater share in Balochistan
resources. The extrajudicial killing of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti sent shock waves throughout Pakistan and
paralyzed the whole of Balochistan.

• On May 28, 1998 Pakistan carried out its five nuclear tests in Balochistan, despite the Baloch people said
“NO” to all kind of nuclear testing in their homeland. Baloch people support the US Stand to denuclearize Pakistan
and Iran.

• The Gwadar port being built with the help of China on the Mekran coast of Balochistan. The goal is to
facilitate China install its listening devices to monitor the U.S. oil supplies and energy routes in the Persian Gulf
and to bring millions of non-Baloch Punjabi to change Baloch demography and to turn the Baloch people into
minority in their own homeland despite the strong Baloch opposition.

• Like Kurd of Iraq, Baloch are secular and pro-American and they share many American values. We support
the American war against terrorism and Islamic extremism, as we are the victims of State terrorism of two Islamic
Terrorist States (Pakistan and Iran), who have occupied our lands illegally and committing genocide of our people
and looting our resources in the name of religion Islam. We Baloch people are struggling for our freedom from
these two Terrorists State. We appeal to the US government and the world community to help us in our struggle
for freedom and justice.

Appeal

The acts of terror and humiliation and a continuum of state terrorism against Baloch not only increase the ever
present tension and hatred between Baloch people and Pakistani police state, but it could lead to a point where a
bloody confrontation between Baloch and the Pakistani state is inevitable, resulting in the loss of life and
properties of defenseless Baloch people.

The Pakistan army is continuously and contemptuously ignoring the appeals of Human Rights Commission of
Pakistan, Amnesty International and other human right groups for the release of illegal detainees. The Baloch
people demand their political, economic and social rights, guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan,
international human rights laws, instruments and declarations. Immediate intervention by western powers in
general and by your respective Government in particular will save Baloch lives and prevent the kind of genocide of
the Baloch people by the Pakistani army that the world witnessed in East Pakistan during 1971.

The people of Balochistan, appeals to your government to please intervene to help to stop the Baloch genocide
and human right violations by the Pakistani army and its agents before it is too late.

The people of Balochistan highly appreciate your kind immediate attention and positive intervention in this matter.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Dr. Wahid Baloch,

On behalf of:
• Baloch society of North America (BSO-NA),
• The American Friends of Balochistan (AFB)
• Government of Balochistan (GOB) in Exile
• World Baloch-Jewish alliance (WBJA)
• Four Party Baloch Alliance (Balochistan)
• Baloch Diaspora