Balochistan’s illegal occupation must end --Dr Wahid Baloch


WSHINGTON DC: March 23, 2007. Baloch Society of North America (BSO-NA) president Dr Wahid Baloch said, that Balochistan is an occupied land, illegally occupied by Pakistan and Iran and that the illegal occupation of Balochistan must end. Speaking at the National press club in Washington Dc at the world Sindhi institute’s sponsored event, he said Balochs has nothing to do with Lahore resolution as Baloch were not invited nor they participated. He also said that secular Baloch people did not participated in any form in the creation of fundamentalist Islamic Pakistan. He said Balochistan was a free sovereign state and Pakistan after one year of its creation attacked the severing State and forced the Ruler of Balochistan to sign the Instrument of accession under duress while the both upper and lower Baloch parliament, (House of common and hose of lord) unanimously rejected the idea of merger with Pakistan. He backed his argument with historical data and facts and said that international community must help to end the illegal occupation of Baloch Land from Pakistan and Iran". "Balochistan sovereignty must be restored according to international laws", he said.

He said, since the illegal occupation of Balochistan by Pakistan and Iran, Baloch have been systematically oppressed and kept backward, while their resources were used by Islamabad and Tehran Pakistan to build nuclear arsenals, WMD and in promoting Islamic extremism and terrorism. He said,” Balochistan have been converted into a into a Mega prison. There are military cantonments in every city and more than 600 military check post throughout Balochistan to control the lives and activities of Baloch citizens in their own homeland. Baloch people have no say about their land, coasts and resources. Balochistan’s resources are being looted at the gunpoint and are being sold to Chinese and other multi international companies without the Baloch consent and will. He asked the international community to help stop the looting and exploiting of Baloch resources.

He said, since the start of the 5th military operation, more than 6000 Baloch people have been arrested and many of them are missing and are being tortured. Pakistan is building three more military cantonments in Balochistan to suppress the Baloch voice and to continue exploitation of Baloch resources. There are 80 thousand troops stationed in Balochistan and more troops are on the way. Balochistan have been turned into a military occupied war zone. Baloch people are living in fear and in hopelessness.

He said, Pakistan claims to be a U.S. ally in the war of terror but its recent “peace deal” with Taliban and Al-Qaida terrorist 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-Qaida terrorists. Small wonder even after five years, we have not been able to capture Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar.

Pakistani Air Force fighter jets, Army gunship helicopters and military hardware provided by US Government to kill or capture Al-Qaida and Taliban elements, are being used against the innocent secular Baloch people. More then 1600 hundred people, including women and children, have been reported Killed in the war in the last one-year, and according to UN report more than 80 Thousand Marri and Bugti Baloch have been displaced and who are living under harsh condition without any help.

The Gwadar port built and completed with the help of China, despite the strong Baloch opposition, to bring millions of non-Baloch Punjabi to change Baloch demography and to turn the Baloch people into minority in their own homeland, a typical mindset of a colonial attitude. The Baloch people’s resistance against Pakistani anti-Baloch plans is natural. They are demanding that Baloch resources should be used for Baloch people and that the military cantonments should be stopped and Pakistani Punjabi military should be withdrawn from Balochistan and be replaced by a Baloch force.

He appealed to United Nations, World Leaders, and International community, the International Court of Justice, Human Rights Watch and all other Organizations to urge Pakistani Army to stop the massacre of Innocent Baloch civilians.
The military operation must be STOPED immediately in order to prevent further civilian casualties. All the political prisoners including Saradr Akhtar Mengal, Ghulam Mohd Baloch, Lala Munir Baloch, Sher Mohd Baloch and Salim Baloch should and all others abductees must be released immediately.

Dr. Wahid Baloch,
President
Baloch Society of North America (BSO-NA),
USA
www.bso-na.org/