Baloch Leader in Exile - Dr. Wahid Baloch Speaks

This interview was taken last week by Nagesh Bhushan

saag.org/papers21/paper2046.html

Dr.Wahid Baloch is President of BSO-NA ( Baloch Society of North America) bso-na.org , and one of the young emerging Baloch leaders living in USA . He is considered to be close to many senior leaders in Pakistan and Iran. He is a medical professional living in Florida .

1. Dr.Wahid , it's been over a year I spoke with you to introduce about you and your organization . What are BSO-NA's accomplishments and its contribution to Baloch Diaspora and freedom aspirations.

BSO-NA has organized many protest demonstrations in Washington DC, New York, Chicago and Canada. We are also running a website (BSO-NA.ORG) to educate the American people and the world community about the plight of Baloch people in Balochistan. Recently we met with some US Law maker and brought their attention to the ongoing military operation and human right violations by Pakistan and Iran in Balochistan. We are working hard to do more in the near future to bring more awareness about Balochistan's situation to the international community.

3. Mr.Nawab Bugti was a tall figure who is revered and most feared in modern Balochistan. Has his death created a leadership vacuum?

Indeed Nawab Bugti was the tallest Figure when it comes to Balochistan’s leadership. His killing by Pakistani army was a big setback for Baloch National struggle and a great loss for Baloch Nation, but it doesn’t mean that it has created any leadership vacuum. We have many Baloch Nationalist leaders and young BSO heroes who are mature enough and ideologically well prepared to defend their Nation and to carry out Nawab Bugti’s mission.

4. Nawab Bugti said that "Pakistan has no future ", what is your opinion considering the current situation?

Pakistan is on the road of balkanization. The military ruler have chosen this path by denying the rights of Baloch, Sindhi and Pakhtoon people. They denied Bengali’s right and you saw what happened in 1971. They are repeating the history. Peoples can not be held hostage by force anymore.

5. You took Baloch issue to many Senators ,what is their response ?

We met with several US lawmakers including Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Senator @#%$ Durbin and Senator Mary L. Landrieu , and brought their attention to the ongoing Pakistani military operation and human right violation in Balochistan and Sindh. We asked their help to end the Baloch sufferings. Their response was very positive and they assured us to look into the matter and pass our concerns to the State Dept. We are going to have more such meetings in the near future.

6. Tell me about newly formed American Friends of Balochistan .

Well, there are many Americans who are concerned about the human right violations going on in Balochistan and they came forward with the idea to help Baloch people end their suffering. I think this is a very positive thing. I was asked by some of these Americans friends of Balochistan to join them in making the American Friends of Balochistan (AFOB) and to guide them about what is happening in Balochistan so that they bring the human right abuses in Balochistan by Pakistan and Iran to the attention of US law makers, to do something about it. This is the first time Americans have come forward to help Baloch people and I highly value their support. I hope the other Nations will also do the same to help Baloch to end their tragedy.

7. What is your opinion about General Musharrafs's New book ?

I have not read it and I don't want to either. I can use my time doing something else better than reading his book.

8. Experts like Ahmed Rashid says Baloch Diaspora wish to see an independent Balochistan this time and not autonomy- your comments on that.

Balochistan is an occupied land and the illegal occupation Of Balochistan must end. Baloch people were free and their land was forcefully annexed into Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan without their will. Freedom is the birth right of each and every Nation. The Baloch should not be denied to exercise their universal birth right to live free and independent.

9. During this period did you try to meet leaders from Iranian Balochistan, if so is there any effort to work together?

I met with Br. Nasser Boladai, the president of Balochistan peoples Party of Iranian occupied Western Balochistan, in Washington Dc at the USIP seminar on "Balochistan’s crisis" and we discussed the situation of both eastern and western Balochistan. We are working together for Baloch National cause and we will continue to do so for our people. I don’t see any difference between the Eastern and Western Baloch people. We are all one blood and one Nation, united together in this struggle for our people.

10 . Pakistan says that India is helping Baloch freedom fighters , ignoring the fact that arms are freely available in Pakistan and Afghanistan , so do you believe that ?

If India and the world community had helped the Baloch people, we would not have been slaughtered by Pakistani dictators and hanged by Iranian military mercilessly everyday. Nawab Bugti would not get killed and thousand Baloch youth would not have disappeared or gone behind bars without any response. Our resources would not have been looted and our lands and mineral wealth would not be sold to China and other foriegn companies without our consent. Where is the help? I don't see any help for Baloch people. So far the international community have ignored Balochistan's crisis.

11. What is the significance of Grand Jirga ?

Gran Jirga was an historic event and the credit goes to His Highness Khan of Kalat Mir Suleiman Jaan Daud Khan. The Jirga proved to the world community that Balochistan’s problem is not of three Saradars as Gen Musharrf projects it to be. It also clarified that Balochistan is an illegal occupied land and that Balochistan’s pre-partition status as an independent sovereign Nation must be restored. Almost all of Baloch tribal Sardars came to the Jirga and they overwhelmingly declared that Pakistan’s occupation of Balochistan is illegal and immoral and that they will take Balochistan's case to IJC. Pakistan should honor the Jirga decision and let the Baloch Nation decide about their fate, lands, resources and their destiny. Pakistan has no legal or moral right to rule Balochistan.

11. BSO-NA supported Grand jirga's decision to take the Balochistan case to ICJ , some say that it is to protect Sardari Syatem , do you support that?

Baloch tribal system and Baloch tribes are a part of Balochistan. Before the Pakistani occupation and forceful annexation of Balochistan, we had the tribal Jirga (Dar-ul-Umrah) and the Baloch peoples parliament (Dar-ul-awaam). There is nothing wrong with our traditions and out tribal system. We are proud of our tribal cheifs and elders. They are our Nationalist leaders and mentor. It is a Pakistani propaganda to discredit our tribal elder by creating division among us as part of their policy to "divide and rule". It is true that some drug smugglers have been "crowned" by Pakistani Govt as "Baloch Sardar" and they support Islamabad’s agenda against their own Baloch Nation, but the true Baloch Nationalist tribal Sardars have never gone against their own people. For example, Nawab Bugti was not only a tribal chief but also a Baloch Nationalist leader, so are the Nawab Khair Buksh Marri and Sardar Attaullah Mengal and most respected Khan of Kalat His Highness Mir Sluleiman Jaan Daud Khan, the head of all Sardars. These are not only our respected tribal chiefs but are also our political nationalist leaders. We are all proud of them and we are proud of our Balochi traditions.

12 . Gazain Marri was released from UAE soon after killing of Nawab Bugti, do you think that UAE officials sensed that if he was extradited to Pakistan , he would be killed .

Gazzin Marri to my knowledge has not committed any crime or violated any UAE law. UAE Govt should not have arrested or detained him to begin with. I’m glad they let him go. Fighting for your people, for freedom and justice is not a crime.

13 . What are your future plans, we learned that you are planning for World Baloch Conference to lay foundation for government of Balochistan in exile, can you confirm and throw some light on that?

Government of Balochistan (GOB) in Exile has already been established by noblemen of Balochistan on April 18th, 2006. They have nominated Khan of Kalat His Highness Mir Suleiman Jaan Duad Khan as the "King of Balochistan", have chosen the Red, Green and Blue with Sun inside as their National Flag and reinstated the Kalat as their Capital of Balochistan. The Current temporarily headquartersof GOB in Exile is established in the holy city of Jerusalem, Israel with the help of Mir Azaad Khan Baloch and other Jewish Baloch brothers. For More details please visit their website at governmentofbalochistan.blogspot.com/

14 . Did you make any efforts to meet Baloch community in India?

No actually not. I have been so busy, I haven’t had a chance to get in touch with our Indian Baloch brothers. I’ll try doing so in the near future if time and resources permit.

15. Finally, Indians Diaspora and Sindhis are very sympathetic to Baloch cause, what is your message to them?

We appreciate their concerns and moral support and we ask them to please do more to help the suffering Baloch people in Balochistan, as they are going through a very critical time in their history.