Dr Wahid Baloch at National Press Conference
Visiting Journalists
Balochistan News Network (BNN)
August 15, 2008
WASHINGTON DC: Dr. Wahid Baloch, President of Baloch Society of North
America urged the US Government and world leaders to support the
Balochistan's case against the Pakistan's illegal occupation of Balochistan and
exploitation of its resources. Speaking at the National Press club in
Washington, DC, he said, Balochistan was never a part of Pakistan, but was
forcefully annexed in to Pakistan in 1948 by Pakistani army. Since then the
Baloch people are up in arms against the Pakistani illegal occupation and
exploitation of their natural resources.
Here is the full text of his speech:
Respected Journalists, Ladies and Gentlemen:
It is a honor for me to be here with you all this afternoon. Thank you for your time and attention and thanks for being here with us to listen the story of
Balochistan which is rarely mentioned in the western media, except Dan Rather , who did an excellent reportage on Balochistan.
For those who don't know, Balochistan is a Texas sized region, divided among Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. The Iranian portion was given to Iran by
British rulers in 1928 as part of the British forward policy to serve as a buffer between its imperial possessions in India with the Russian communist
empire. The Pakistani portion that remained in British hands was granted freedom separately from India and Pakistan. Balochistan emerged on the
map of the world as a sovereign state for more than seven-and-half months until March 1948, when Pakistani army attacked Balochistan and forcefully
annexed it into Pakistan. Just as a matter of record, the issue of Balochistan's independence was taken up before the bicameral Baloch parliament,
Diwan-i-A'am, or the House of Commons, and Diwan-i-Kha'as, or House of Lords, both of which unanimously opted for independence. The second
option for the Baloch was acceding to India, which they thought made better political sense. And still do.
Since March 1948, Balochistan, a land rich in oil, gas and minerals, with a 900 miles of strategically located warm water coastline on the Straits of
Hormuz has been under the Pakistani occupation. The Baloch people never accepted to this day the illegal occupation of their homeland and the loot
and plunder of their natural resources that is being done at the gun point by Pakistan. On July 19, 2008 a 12-year old boy named Jani Baloch was
among nearly 100 civilians killed in Dera Bugti area by the Pakistan army.
Thousands Baloch have lost their lives in this war and tens of thousands of Bugti and Marri tribesmen have been forced to leave their homes and
thrown into destitution because of the Pakistan army operation that began in 2005. According to a UN survey report there are more than 80, 0000
displaced homeless Balochs and 59,000 of those suffering are women and children. Quote I would say, this qualifies as 'crimes against humanity',
unquote, said a UN official who visited the affected area.
For those who don’t know about Pakistan army, it is a Jihadi army. To be more precise, they are in fact Taliban in uniform holding U.S. arms in their
hands. For those who still think that Pakistan is a an ally in the war in terror, they need to re-check the facts. Pakistan has never been an ally in the war
on terror, because Pakistan itself is the terror. Pakistan, its military and ISI, are the main sources of terrorism.
We have no doubt Islamabad played a crucial role in the 9/11 attacks against America. If the Taliba'an and Al Qaeda had a hand, how come their main
sponsors can be innocent.
The killing of Balochs is continuing on both side of the artificial border of Balochisan as I speak before you.
In Iran, extremist Mullahs and Iranian revolutionary guards arrest and kill Baloch at will, on flimsy pretexts. The case of Yaqub Mehrnihad, a journalist
and civil rights activist, who was hanged on August 4, 2008 in Zahedan in Iranian occupied Balochistan is a case in point. Thousands of young Baloch
activists are victims of torture and languishing in Pakistani and Iranian Jails. Their only crime was attending peaceful demonstrations and protest
rallies.
I Pakistann, many hundred Baloch have been made to disappear and their loved ones don't know where they are. In Iran the Mullahs hang the Baloch
in public, without a fair trial on mere charges of being 'mufssid fil arz' (miscreant on earth). Each time they hang a Baloch in public the mullahs Chants
slogans like "Allahu Akbar, Margbar Amreeka, Margbar Israel", Which mean, "God is Great, Death to America, Death to Israel." They think killing
innocent Balochs is their religious duty as they consider the Baloch agents of Israel and U.S.A.
Similar slogans are raised by the Pakistan army soldiers when they attack Baloch villages.
The Pakistanis use the label Indian and Afghan agents to kill and torture the Baloch. More recently they have started suspecting the Baloch nationalists
and their allies of pushing the U.S. agenda. One case is that of activist Dr. Safdar Sarki, who was tortured for 20 months in Pakistan military intelligence
dungeons on suspicion he has links with the Baloch resistance and was working for CIA and pushing a U.S. agenda.
Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, 79, former governor and chief minister, president of the Jamhoori Watan party and chief of the Bugti tribe, was killed extra
judicially by the Pakistan army, who began suspecting him in the late 1980s when he befriended the then U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, Robert Oakley.
Balach Marri, a member of Balochistan assembly, was also killed by Pakistan army.
All of this must stop.
The Iranian and Pakistani jihadi armies can not fight the Indian and Israeli armies, but with impunity, they are carrying on their shameful terror
campaign against the defenseless innocent Baloch civilians, which is going on for many decades.
Since August 2006, after the extra judicial killing of Nawab Bugti by Pakistani army, Pakistan has increased its terror campaign against the Baloch
people. The genocide of Baloch nation is continuing on both side of the border. The US F-16 jets and Cobra gunship helicopters given to Pakistan to
hunt down Taliban terrorists are being used in Balochistan against the innocent secular Baloch people. Last week Pakistani jihadi terrorist army
attacked a village in Dera Bugti Balochistan, killed 48 people and arrested several hundred innocent Bugti Baloch who were then taken to nearby
military camp, where they were summarily executed in Nazi style and their bodies were dumped in mass graves t cover up their crimes. This is not the
first time Pakistani army has committed such crimes against humanity. The genocide of three million innocent people in Bengal and rape of half
million Bengali Muslim women is now part of the world's history books.
1n 2006, a key Pakistani organization, the Human Right Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), in their fact finding mission report, reported gross human
right violations, scores cases of arbitrary arrests, detentions, tortures, disappearances and summary extra judicial execution by Pakistan army in
Balochistan. Appeals and urgent actions have been issued many times by Amnesty International, Asian Human Right Commission and other human
right organizations to highlight the Pakistani and Iranian military atrocities against Baloch people.
Soon after Nawab Bugti's assassination,the dejure ruler of Balochistan the Khan of Kalat, Suleman Dawood Ahmedzai, called upon the Balochistan’s
representative assembly, the Grand Balochi Jirga, which was
attended by almost all Baloch tribal leaders, political activists, and students--nearly 100 tribal chiefs and 400 notables. The historic Grand Balochi
Jirga denounced the Pakistani military operation in Balochistan and extra judicial killing of Nawab Bugti and they unanimously made a declaration to
challenge the illegal occupation of Balochistan at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague.
Let it be crystal clear that Balochistan was never a part of Pakistan. Trying to Pakistanize Balochistan at the gun point and through the slogan of Allahu
Akbar has not worked for the last six decades and will not work in the future. Simply because the state of Pakistan in itself is not a very legitimate State
by herslf. Just because the majority of Baloch are born Muslim, does not give the jihadi armies of Pakistan and Iran a license to continue to occupy our
lands, conduct genocide of our people, loot and plunder our resources, and test their nuclear weapons in Balochistan. The world community must not
close their eyes over the crimes against secular Baloch people. I urge the U.S. Government, in particular the Pentagon, and international community, in
particular the N.A.T.O., to immediately intervene and initiate dialogue with De Jure ruler of Balochistan Mir Suleman Daud Ahmedzai, who is seeking
asylum in the UK. I ask the other international leaders, particularly the leaders of India, Afghanistan, Israel, Russia and European Union and His Royal
Majesty King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and the leaders of Gulf States to support the Balochistan's case at the ICJ against Pakistan's illegal, unjust and
immoral occupation of Balochistan.
Baloch people, just like the Kurds, are secular and great ally in the war on terror. We support and defend the International Security Assistance Force
and the democratic government of Afghanistan's right to pursue the Taliban and Al-Qaida terrorists right into the sanctuaries provided to them by the
Pakistan army and the Inter Services Intelligence. A Balochistan ruled by secular forces is in the interest of the peoples of the world, including the
United States.
We urge our friends on the Capitol Hill to not support Pakistan, a terrorist State, but extend a helping hand to the Baloch people who are their best and
natural ally in the war on terror in the region. Small baby steps can make a sea of difference. One of these steps is an embargo on all military supplies
and equipment until Pakistan ends its illegal and immoral occupation of Balochistan, hands over terrorists like A.Q. Khan, Osama bin Laden, Ayman
Alzwahiri, Daud Ebrahim and Rashid Rauf and rolls back its nuclear weapons program.
We urge the U.S. Department of State to set up the Voice of America Balochi service as soon as possible. We also urge immediate resumption of
USAID for Balochistan to bring in more Baluch youths into the U.S. by an enabling visa waiver program and political asylum for Baloch activists who are
facing Pakistani and Iranian persecution.
Thank you.
Dr. Wahid Baloch, President of
Baloch Society Of North America (BSO-NA),
1629 K Street NW, Suit 300
Washington D.C 20036 USA
Tel: (202) 349-1682
Fax: (202) 331-3759
E-Mail:
dr_wahid_baloch@bso-na.org
Website:
http://www.bso-na.org/
August 15, 2008
WASHINGTON DC: Dr. Wahid Baloch, President of Baloch Society of North
America urged the US Government and world leaders to support the
Balochistan's case against the Pakistan's illegal occupation of Balochistan and
exploitation of its resources. Speaking at the National Press club in
Washington, DC, he said, Balochistan was never a part of Pakistan, but was
forcefully annexed in to Pakistan in 1948 by Pakistani army. Since then the
Baloch people are up in arms against the Pakistani illegal occupation and
exploitation of their natural resources.
Here is the full text of his speech:
Respected Journalists, Ladies and Gentlemen:
It is a honor for me to be here with you all this afternoon. Thank you for your time and attention and thanks for being here with us to listen the story of
Balochistan which is rarely mentioned in the western media, except Dan Rather , who did an excellent reportage on Balochistan.
For those who don't know, Balochistan is a Texas sized region, divided among Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. The Iranian portion was given to Iran by
British rulers in 1928 as part of the British forward policy to serve as a buffer between its imperial possessions in India with the Russian communist
empire. The Pakistani portion that remained in British hands was granted freedom separately from India and Pakistan. Balochistan emerged on the
map of the world as a sovereign state for more than seven-and-half months until March 1948, when Pakistani army attacked Balochistan and forcefully
annexed it into Pakistan. Just as a matter of record, the issue of Balochistan's independence was taken up before the bicameral Baloch parliament,
Diwan-i-A'am, or the House of Commons, and Diwan-i-Kha'as, or House of Lords, both of which unanimously opted for independence. The second
option for the Baloch was acceding to India, which they thought made better political sense. And still do.
Since March 1948, Balochistan, a land rich in oil, gas and minerals, with a 900 miles of strategically located warm water coastline on the Straits of
Hormuz has been under the Pakistani occupation. The Baloch people never accepted to this day the illegal occupation of their homeland and the loot
and plunder of their natural resources that is being done at the gun point by Pakistan. On July 19, 2008 a 12-year old boy named Jani Baloch was
among nearly 100 civilians killed in Dera Bugti area by the Pakistan army.
Thousands Baloch have lost their lives in this war and tens of thousands of Bugti and Marri tribesmen have been forced to leave their homes and
thrown into destitution because of the Pakistan army operation that began in 2005. According to a UN survey report there are more than 80, 0000
displaced homeless Balochs and 59,000 of those suffering are women and children. Quote I would say, this qualifies as 'crimes against humanity',
unquote, said a UN official who visited the affected area.
For those who don’t know about Pakistan army, it is a Jihadi army. To be more precise, they are in fact Taliban in uniform holding U.S. arms in their
hands. For those who still think that Pakistan is a an ally in the war in terror, they need to re-check the facts. Pakistan has never been an ally in the war
on terror, because Pakistan itself is the terror. Pakistan, its military and ISI, are the main sources of terrorism.
We have no doubt Islamabad played a crucial role in the 9/11 attacks against America. If the Taliba'an and Al Qaeda had a hand, how come their main
sponsors can be innocent.
The killing of Balochs is continuing on both side of the artificial border of Balochisan as I speak before you.
In Iran, extremist Mullahs and Iranian revolutionary guards arrest and kill Baloch at will, on flimsy pretexts. The case of Yaqub Mehrnihad, a journalist
and civil rights activist, who was hanged on August 4, 2008 in Zahedan in Iranian occupied Balochistan is a case in point. Thousands of young Baloch
activists are victims of torture and languishing in Pakistani and Iranian Jails. Their only crime was attending peaceful demonstrations and protest
rallies.
I Pakistann, many hundred Baloch have been made to disappear and their loved ones don't know where they are. In Iran the Mullahs hang the Baloch
in public, without a fair trial on mere charges of being 'mufssid fil arz' (miscreant on earth). Each time they hang a Baloch in public the mullahs Chants
slogans like "Allahu Akbar, Margbar Amreeka, Margbar Israel", Which mean, "God is Great, Death to America, Death to Israel." They think killing
innocent Balochs is their religious duty as they consider the Baloch agents of Israel and U.S.A.
Similar slogans are raised by the Pakistan army soldiers when they attack Baloch villages.
The Pakistanis use the label Indian and Afghan agents to kill and torture the Baloch. More recently they have started suspecting the Baloch nationalists
and their allies of pushing the U.S. agenda. One case is that of activist Dr. Safdar Sarki, who was tortured for 20 months in Pakistan military intelligence
dungeons on suspicion he has links with the Baloch resistance and was working for CIA and pushing a U.S. agenda.
Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, 79, former governor and chief minister, president of the Jamhoori Watan party and chief of the Bugti tribe, was killed extra
judicially by the Pakistan army, who began suspecting him in the late 1980s when he befriended the then U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, Robert Oakley.
Balach Marri, a member of Balochistan assembly, was also killed by Pakistan army.
All of this must stop.
The Iranian and Pakistani jihadi armies can not fight the Indian and Israeli armies, but with impunity, they are carrying on their shameful terror
campaign against the defenseless innocent Baloch civilians, which is going on for many decades.
Since August 2006, after the extra judicial killing of Nawab Bugti by Pakistani army, Pakistan has increased its terror campaign against the Baloch
people. The genocide of Baloch nation is continuing on both side of the border. The US F-16 jets and Cobra gunship helicopters given to Pakistan to
hunt down Taliban terrorists are being used in Balochistan against the innocent secular Baloch people. Last week Pakistani jihadi terrorist army
attacked a village in Dera Bugti Balochistan, killed 48 people and arrested several hundred innocent Bugti Baloch who were then taken to nearby
military camp, where they were summarily executed in Nazi style and their bodies were dumped in mass graves t cover up their crimes. This is not the
first time Pakistani army has committed such crimes against humanity. The genocide of three million innocent people in Bengal and rape of half
million Bengali Muslim women is now part of the world's history books.
1n 2006, a key Pakistani organization, the Human Right Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), in their fact finding mission report, reported gross human
right violations, scores cases of arbitrary arrests, detentions, tortures, disappearances and summary extra judicial execution by Pakistan army in
Balochistan. Appeals and urgent actions have been issued many times by Amnesty International, Asian Human Right Commission and other human
right organizations to highlight the Pakistani and Iranian military atrocities against Baloch people.
Soon after Nawab Bugti's assassination,the dejure ruler of Balochistan the Khan of Kalat, Suleman Dawood Ahmedzai, called upon the Balochistan’s
representative assembly, the Grand Balochi Jirga, which was
attended by almost all Baloch tribal leaders, political activists, and students--nearly 100 tribal chiefs and 400 notables. The historic Grand Balochi
Jirga denounced the Pakistani military operation in Balochistan and extra judicial killing of Nawab Bugti and they unanimously made a declaration to
challenge the illegal occupation of Balochistan at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague.
Let it be crystal clear that Balochistan was never a part of Pakistan. Trying to Pakistanize Balochistan at the gun point and through the slogan of Allahu
Akbar has not worked for the last six decades and will not work in the future. Simply because the state of Pakistan in itself is not a very legitimate State
by herslf. Just because the majority of Baloch are born Muslim, does not give the jihadi armies of Pakistan and Iran a license to continue to occupy our
lands, conduct genocide of our people, loot and plunder our resources, and test their nuclear weapons in Balochistan. The world community must not
close their eyes over the crimes against secular Baloch people. I urge the U.S. Government, in particular the Pentagon, and international community, in
particular the N.A.T.O., to immediately intervene and initiate dialogue with De Jure ruler of Balochistan Mir Suleman Daud Ahmedzai, who is seeking
asylum in the UK. I ask the other international leaders, particularly the leaders of India, Afghanistan, Israel, Russia and European Union and His Royal
Majesty King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and the leaders of Gulf States to support the Balochistan's case at the ICJ against Pakistan's illegal, unjust and
immoral occupation of Balochistan.
Baloch people, just like the Kurds, are secular and great ally in the war on terror. We support and defend the International Security Assistance Force
and the democratic government of Afghanistan's right to pursue the Taliban and Al-Qaida terrorists right into the sanctuaries provided to them by the
Pakistan army and the Inter Services Intelligence. A Balochistan ruled by secular forces is in the interest of the peoples of the world, including the
United States.
We urge our friends on the Capitol Hill to not support Pakistan, a terrorist State, but extend a helping hand to the Baloch people who are their best and
natural ally in the war on terror in the region. Small baby steps can make a sea of difference. One of these steps is an embargo on all military supplies
and equipment until Pakistan ends its illegal and immoral occupation of Balochistan, hands over terrorists like A.Q. Khan, Osama bin Laden, Ayman
Alzwahiri, Daud Ebrahim and Rashid Rauf and rolls back its nuclear weapons program.
We urge the U.S. Department of State to set up the Voice of America Balochi service as soon as possible. We also urge immediate resumption of
USAID for Balochistan to bring in more Baluch youths into the U.S. by an enabling visa waiver program and political asylum for Baloch activists who are
facing Pakistani and Iranian persecution.
Thank you.
Dr. Wahid Baloch, President of
Baloch Society Of North America (BSO-NA),
1629 K Street NW, Suit 300
Washington D.C 20036 USA
Tel: (202) 349-1682
Fax: (202) 331-3759
E-Mail:
dr_wahid_baloch@bso-na.org Website:
http://www.bso-na.org/
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