Professional Documents
Culture Documents
.
1. Background
Balochistan: A story of discrimination
Strategic location
.
Balochistan is situated on the southwest of Pakistan and covers
an area of 347,190 square kilometres (134,050 sq mi), constituting
44% of Pakistan's total land mass and making it Pakistan's
largest province by area. The province is bordered by
Afghanistan to the north and northwest, Iran to the southwest,
Punjab and Sindh to the east, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the
Federally Administered Tribal Areas to the northeast. To the
south lies the Arabian Sea. Balochistan is located on the south-
eastern part of the Iranian plateau. It borders the geopolitical
regions of the Middle East and Southwest Asia, Central Asia and
South Asia. Besides sitting at the mouth of Hormuz Straits it can
provide the shortest route from port to Central Asia. These facts
have placed the otherwise desolate region constantly it in the
scopes of competing global interests like Afghanistan for all of
recorded history.
Sukkur
•Three major tribes;
• Baloch, (Bugti, Marri, Magsi)
• Brahvi, (Mangal)
• Pashtoon, (Achakzai)
• Hazaras
P0pulation- 8.3 mn
.
40 per cent of the province’s inhabitants speak Balochi,
20 per cent speak Brahui,
Pushtoon speakers were estimated at 25 per cent.
As Brahui-speakers are also grouped under the Baloch
ethnicity, they would form the majority of Balochistan
. In 1876, Sir Robert Sandeman made a treaty with the Khan of Kalat and brought his
territories (including Kharan, Makran, and Las Bela) under British suzerainty. After the
Second Afghan War was ended by the Treaty of Gandamak in May 1879, the Afghan Emir
ceded the districts of Quetta, Pishin, Harnai, Sibi and Thal Chotiali to the British. In 1883, the
British took control of the Bolan Pass, southeast of Quetta, from the Khan of Kalat. In 1887,
some of the areas of Balochistan were declared British territory. In 1893, Sir Mortimer Durand
negotiated an agreement with the Amir of Afghanistan, Abdur Rahman Khan, to fix the
Durand Line running from Chitral to Balochistan as the boundary between the Emirate of
Afghanistan and the British
After independence .
In 1947-48, the Khan of Kalat agreed to join Pakistan.
Kalat joined Pakistan on the agreement that defence,
currency, foreign office and finance will be controlled
by the federal govt but that the rest the province will
control by itself.
However, after death of Muhammad Ali Jinnah,
formation of one unit changed this situation and Kalat
along with other princely states of Baluchistan were
merged into Pakistan as elsewhere in the South Asian
sub continent.
Since Pakistan's independence, a small group of
Baloch nationalist, groups and Provincial governments
have been in conflict with the Federal Government.
Health, water,
Education
Quota
Segregation
Ethnic killing
.
Economic
Afghanistan
.
5. Current issues
Issues range from;
. greater autonomy,
human rights abuses,
.
Judicial probe into Akbar Bugti, other Baloch leaders
and target killings
Fact-finding commission to investigate circumstances
that led to Akbar Bugti’s killing
Release of all political workers except those charged
with heinous crimes
FC to replace Army at Sui
Rs120 billion gas royalty
Political dialogue with all stakeholders
Provincial Assembly resolutions to be implemented
.
Reaction
“Mockery and a cruel joke” with the people of Balochistan
and said it falls short of
Baloch expectations and was only an exercise in buying
.more time. He said: “This package is misleading. It’s another
trap set for us to convince us that the federation pains for us
and wants the solution of our miseries. Marri said President
Zardari and his government may have good sentiments but
they were powerless and the real powers rest with the
military establishment. “
Mir Suleman Dawood Khan, the current Khan of Kalat,
said the government failed to take all stakeholders on
board and didn’t consult those it didn’t like. “Baloch
nationalist parties were not consulted and only allies of the
current government were informed about it a few days ago.”
Noordin Mangal, who regularly speaks at the UN
forum, said the package doesn’t address the real
. problems of the Baloch people.”
Late Akbar Bugti’s son and President of Jamhoori
Watan Party (JWP) Talal Bugti charged that the
package was prepared by the invisible forces and not
by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani’s team or a
parliamentary committee. “The prime minister in his
address to the parliament’s joint session said the FC
would remain in Balochistan, which means, no change
in the status-quo. If they are not serious, which I
believe, we have the option to knock at the doors of
the United Nations,” Talal warned.
Balochi not part of the committee
.
Feb 2012 – Raisani said 19 key proposals could not be
implemented even 27 months after the announcement
of the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan (
.
Baluchistan Package- 2009
vs.
Mengal’s 6 points- 2012
Nov. 12 SC decision
.
Jan. 13- Governor Raj
membership was suspended for three months for allegedly ‘violating party policies’.
Raisani, in a press conference, had announced that he would appear before the Supreme Court on
.
Friday along with other coalition partners in the law and order case and defend himself.
On Akbar Bugti killing
As the hearing commenced, the attorney general read out the interior secretary’s report on the
Balochistan issue.
He said that the entire matter began after Akbar Bugti was killed and that those involved in his killing
were responsible for the issues faced by the province.
The attorney general added that the province was going towards elections in two months and said
that even the Balochistan court had accepted that the province was a victim of distractions since
2006.
Justice Chaudhry said that the court had ordered for elections so that the situation in the province
would improve.
Predicting that the attorney general intended to argue, the chief justice told him to say whatever he
wanted to in a written statement.
Rehman Malik on non-state actors
Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who was also present at the hearing, blamed the Taliban and
Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) among others of being responsible for the unrest. He also prayed
that the court give him a chance to explain the matter in detail.
In response, Justice Jawwad S Khawaja said that President Asif Ali Zardari’s statement, that not
briefing but initiatives are needed, was nice.
Rejecting Malik’s plea – where he requested the court to issue an order that enabled the provincial
government to continue – the chief justice said that its decision on the Balochistan government
remained intact.
Elections 2013
So far only one seat gone to Balochi.
Balochi again pushed to wall. Results with- held
President from ?
P/M from punjab
Speaker ?
Senate chairman from Punjab.
.
7. Solution??
Independent Balochistan
Under the partition agreement, reached shortly after Mountbatten published his June 3
Plan, most of Balochistan had already joined Pakistan, by treaties or tribal referendum,
but the Khan of Kalat, a state which was around 23% of modern Baluchistan,
.
wanted to be the ruler of an independent, albeit land locked state. Eventually a
Standstill Agreement was reached between the two parties and the British Viceroy.
Following the talks, a communique was issued on August 11, 1947 stating that:
The Government of Pakistan recognizes Kalat as an independent sovereign state in
treaty relations with the British Government with a status different from that of other
princely states.
Legal opinion will be sought as to whether or not agreements of leases will be inherited
by the Pakistan Government.
Meanwhile, a Standstill Agreement has been made between the Government of Pakistan
and the Khan of Kalat.
Discussions will take place between Pakistan and Kalat at Karachi at an early date with a
view to reaching decisions on Defence, External Affairs and Communications(currency
was not mentioned as it was understood that the Pakistani Rupee was to be used in
Kalat, as a successor to its previous currency,the British Indian Rupee).[5]
Parliamentary elections were held in the state, in which the Kalat State National Party
won a majority. However, Baloch(or Kalat) nationalists insist that the government forced
the Khan to sign the Instrument of Accession on March 27, 1948. The move was
condemned by the Kalat parliament, which saw itself weakening as a legislative body,
and, in July 1948, the Khan's brother, Prince Abdul Karim, led the first armed revolt
against the Pakistani government. The prince was originally a powerful governor of parts
of Kalat, but that position ended with accession to Pakistan. Many Former British
Colonies abolished Principality of the Colonial Er
.
Population shoots up by 47 percent since 1998
.
A subsequent Baloch separatist movement gained
momentum during the 1960s, and amid consistent
political disorder and instability at the federal level,
the government ordered a military operation into the
region in 1973, assisted by Iran, and inflicted heavy
casualties on the separatists. Insurgency, however,
again gained strength in the 1990s and 2000s.
.
the Pakistani security forces especially Inter-Services
Intelligence (ISI) and the Frontier Corps have been
reported to follow a "kill and dump" campaign.
In the period from 2003-2012, it is estimated that 8000
people were kidnapped by Pakistani security forces in
the province.
In April 2009, Baloch National Movement president
Ghulam Mohammed Baloch and two other nationalist .
leaders (Lala Munir and Sher Muhammad) were seized
from a small legal office and were allegedly "handcuffed,
blindfolded and hustled into a waiting pickup truck which
is in still [sic] use of intelligence forces in front of their
lawyer and neighboring shopkeepers." The gunmen were
allegedly speaking in Persian (a national language of
neighbouring Afghanistan and Iran). Five days later, on 8
April, their bodies, "riddled with bullets" were found in a
commercial area. The BLA claimed Pakistani forces were
behind the killings, though international experts have
deemed it odd that the Pakistani forces would be careless
enough to allow the bodies to be found so easily and "light
Balochistan on fire" (Herald) if they were truly
responsible.[37] The discovery of the bodies sparked "rioting
and weeks of strikes, demonstrations and civil resistance"
in cities and towns around Balochistan.[38] (See Turbat
killings).
.
On 12 August 2009, Khan of Kalat Mir Suleiman Dawood declared
himself ruler of Balochistan and formally announced a Council for
Independent Balochistan. The council's claimed domain includes
"Baloch of Iran", as well as Pakistani Balochistan, but does not include
Afghan Baloch regions, and the council contains "all separatist leaders
including Nawabzada Bramdagh Bugti." He claimed that "the UK had a
moral responsibility to raise the issue of Balochistan’s illegal
occupation at international level."[39]
The Economist writes:
"[The Baloch separatists] are supported—with money, influence or
sympathy—by some members of the powerful Bugti tribe and by parts
of the Baloch middle class. This makes today’s insurgency stronger
than previous ones, but the separatists will nevertheless struggle to
prevail over Pakistan’s huge army."[20]
—The Economist, April2012
.
Foreign support
Pakistan has repeatedly accused India, and
occasionally the U.S., of supporting the Baluch rebels
in order to destabilise the country. Both countries have
denied the charge.[42][43] Iran has accused America of
supporting Jundallah "for years." America has denied
the charge.[44]
Afghanistan
Development issues
According to Indian claims the Government of Pakistan has repeatedly stated
its intention to bring industrialisation to the province, and continues to claim
that progress has been made and introduced a Economic Package called
"Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan".[citation needed] This is vehemently challenged by
. Baloch nationalist groups, who argue the benefits of these policies have not
accrued to the native Baloch residents of the province.[citation needed] Baloch
nationalist groups continue to highlight the extraction of natural resources,
especially natural gas, from the province, without discernible economic benefit
to the Baloch people.[citation needed] Nonetheless, the government of Pakistan
continues to insist that industrial zones are planned along the new Gawadar-
Karachi highway. According to the government, this development is envisaged
to bring accelerated progress in the future for the Baloch.[citation needed] On the
third of May 2004 Three Chinese engineers working on a hydropower project
that would enable irrigation for poor Baloch farmers as part of Pakistani
government's initiatives to develop Baloch agricultural capacity were killed
while another 11 injured in a car bomb attack by BLA.[citation needed] China called
back her engineers working on the project in Balochistan.[citation needed] The
progress in the hydro-power sector has been slow since then. However, the
people of the region have been largely forced to maintain a nomadic lifestyle
due to extreme poverty, illiteracy and inability to respond to changing modern
environment.[74][not in citation given] The indigenous people are continuously
threatened by war and other means of oppression which has resulted in loss of
thousands of innocent lives for many years.[75][76][77] Presently, according to
Amnesty International, Baluch activists, politicians and student leaders are
among those that are being targeted in forced disappearances, abductions,
arbitrary arrests and cases of torture and other ill-treatment.[78]
.
The resources of the local inhabitants such as natural gas,
minerals, oceans and others have been used to produce energy
for Pakistan and generated. Balochistan gets Rs32.71 per unit on
account of gas revenues which includes a royalty of Rs13.90,
excise duty of Rs5.09 and gas development surcharge of Rs13.72.
Also many private individuals with gas storages on their land also
receive payments. Many Balochs argue that such royalties are too
low.[79] In response in 2011 Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani
announced a further Rs. 120 billion ($2.5bn USD) under
Balochistan gas development surcharge and royalty part of the
"Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan" package[80] The royalties often
do not trickle down to the common people in Balochistan due to
corruption and welath-hoarding of Baloch tribal chiefs. This has
hindered the growth of infrastructure.[citation needed]
Multiculturalism and immigration
Skill is imported from other regions, due to the historical shortage of skilled
workers in the sparsely populated and inaccessible terrain.[81] The arrival of
. skilled workers means new industries can develop and boost the local economy
however nationalist argue that this creates resentment amongst the local
inhabitants. Like Karachi, which after migration from Balouchistan, Central
Asia, Iran, East Asia and especially a large number of people arriving from
other areas of Pakistan in search of daily living settled there, it has been a
national financial hub in Pakistan.[82] thus the local inhabitants (Sindhis)
became a minority in the largest city of their province. Nationalists argue
against multiculturalism and non-Baloch immigration. Karachi city has been
playing a key role as a financial hub for Pakistan and its economy has exploded
to become on the major cities in Asia as a seaport. However the city continues
be a home for ethnic and sectarian violence. Balouch nationalist argue that
migration leads to such events, and they are opposed to similar situation in
Baluchistan. Mir Suleiman Dawood claims that the people in Balochistan
remain deeply resentful of Pakistan's policies in the region and he, apart from
other, rather militant, Baloch nationalist organisations have openly called for
India's assistance in Balochistan's separation from Pakistan. On 12 August
2009, Khan of Kalat Mir Suleiman Dawood declared himself ruler of
Balochistan and formally made announcement of a Council for Independent
Balochistan. The Council's claimed domain includes "Baloch of Iran", apart
fron Pakistani Balochistan,but does not include Afghan Baloch regions, and
the Council contains "all separatist leaders including Nawabzada Bramdagh
Bugti.".[83]
.
Economic effects and shortage of skilled workers and
goods
The Chief Minister of the Province has said "A large number of
professors, teachers, engineers, barbers and masons are leaving
the province for fear of attacks, This inhuman act will push the
Baloch nation at least one century back. The Baloch nation will
never forgive whoever is involved in target killings. He said the
government has approved three university campuses, three
medical colleges and hospitals for Turbat, Mastung, Naseerabad
and Loralai districts but there was shortage of teachers in the
area".[84] Rice traders from Punjab have also been killed in target
killing, this has resulting in higher prices of foods items in
Balochistan . Almost 40 people of non balochi ethinc groups
were killed in 2009[85]
.
MPA Personal Development Budget
Balochistan’s annual development programme for 2010–11 was Rs27bn as
compared to Rs13bn in 2007–08. This allowed each Member of the Provincial
Assembly of Balochistan to have a personal development budget for his or her
consistency of Rs 180 million[86] which will be increased to Rs 250 million in
2011–2012 . However critics argue development funding is not a substitute for
deep political issues, and MPA have no incentive to find a political solution
with the insurgents as they believe as long as the insurgency continues they will
get more funds.There have also been allegations that MPAs are exploiting the
PSDP programme to get Kickbacks and engage in corruption[87]
Farm subsidy
The Federal government announced it would transfer Rs4 billion subsidy to
Provincial Government to be passed onto farmers in Balochistan to promote
for tube-wells. The Provincial Government announced it would spend further
Rs 3 billion to support the Federal Programme.[88] However high levels of
corruption amongst civil servants and senior ministers may mean the common
man only gets partial benefit
Education issue
Education is a major factor in the Balouchistan conflict, which nationalist
feeling as sense of being neglected. Government of Pakistan recognises that
importing skilled labour from other regions causing tensions in the region, so
it has sought to encourage scholarships for Balochistan students so they can go
. home and lead development programmes . The quota for baloch students in
punjab university was doubled in 2010 under the Cheema Long Scheme on the
order of CM Shabaz Sharif. The Provincial governments of Sindh, Punjab and
KP said they would take steps to encourage Balochistan students to enroll and
benefits from 100% scholarships[89][90] However Nationalist argue that not
enough educational development is taking place, and the government has
neglected its duty.
Education City at Sui
The Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Army, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani in
January 2011 announced the establishment of Education City in Sui. The
military said it had built a number of colleges in Balouchistan to promote
education levels such as Balochistan Institute of Technical Education (BITE)
and the Gwadar Institute of Technical Education (GITE), approximately ~1,673
individuals had graduated from the technical colleges. Historically, the military
administrated institutions are less corrupted than civilian managed ones.
Presently, ~22,786 Baloch students are studying in military run educational
institutions[
.
Aghaaz-e-Huqook package
.
Stating that the financial assistance given by the
present federal government in terms of Rs 4.6
billion PSDP support, Rs 2.8 billion paid as arrears of
royalty for Uch – pending since 1995, Rs
17.5 billion overdraft of Balochistan written off,
realising that this is not a substitute to provincial
autonomy;
withdrawn cases and released
political workers and helped in identifying the places of
detention and release of some of the
. missing persons;
Determined, to correct the wrongs of history, by conferring
the political, economic and cultural
rights of the provinces, so that the federation may blossom,
and;
Recalling, the documents made from time to time, namely
The Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir
Bhutto Reconciliation Committee Papers, the interim
reports of the Wasim Sajjad and Mushahid
Hussain Sayed committees of the Parliamentary
Committee on Balochistan, headed by
Chaudhary Shujaat, proposals made by the Balochistan
chief secretary and the proposals of
Mian Raza Rabbani.
.
The following "proposals" are made:
A. Constitutional-related Matters
1. Constitutional Reform: In terms of the resolutions
passed by parliament, the speaker has
constituted a parliamentary committee. The said
committee has commenced work of considering
various amendments in the constitution, including on
provincial autonomy, this should be
immediately addressed;
My population lives by its code of honor, hospitable, generous and kind but when it
comes to it – it is vociferous and wrathful too. I became a province of Pakistan with the
hope and dreams of living in a country that would respect me and my children. But
instead I was robbed, they took my resources and left me and my children without
education and in desolate poverty. When I ask for my rights I am termed as a traitor, then
. I lose patience, get enraged and my men pick up guns and take refuge in the mountains.
I had been going in vicious circles with men in power at the Center; every time they hold
talks with me, every time they promise things to change and every time they backstab
me. I got fed up yet again by the broken promises, empty slogans, hypocrisy and sham.
While my Pashtun population still patiently or perhaps strategically holds on to the
ideology of Pakistan my Baloch population largely wants independence from Pakistan.
The Baloch youth are now rebellious and joining an uprising or more precisely according
to Pakistani dictionary have become ‘terrorists’ and according to Pakistani military
dictionary ‘bad terrorists’ because the very same army supports the ‘good terrorists’ for
Kashmir and for Afghanistan. So discrimination persists even in the choice of terrorists –
if you are from Balochistan.
In 2008 the new ruling political party apologized to me on the basis that they have learnt
from their past mistakes they made in Balochistan. I also hoped that now democracy will
be the best revenge for me also and it will compensate for all the injustices till now. But
PPP also didn’t keep the promise; it never tried to negotiate with the estranged. Instead
of bombardment this time my youth are picked by the security forces and killed,
torchered and dumped on roadsides, 300 dumped bodies of Baloch in less than 2 years
time! Most of these are students and political workers and even journalists who have
little to do with the war but support and believe in independence of Balochistan. I fight
back (with one of the largest army in the world) again my leaders, my political workers
and my students are killed for supporting the independence, they are not tried, they
never appear in courts, they go disappearing are tortured and later the bodies are
dumped. They don’t deserve a fair trial those who preach law violate the very laws and
constitution of Pakistan; through this state terrorism.
My tribal chiefs are blamed for keeping me illiterate and poor
but my southern Pashtun population doesn’t have any tribal
chiefs; ironically the situation for them is also the same, even my
. so called urban areas are deprived of basic necessities - no
Sardars; so this excuse by those who have usurped my rights is
counterfeiting. If you visit me I will take you to my villages and
your definitions of poverty and marginalization and deprivation
will change.
I am used by terrorists and agencies for their cross border
warfare, whether it’s the nuclear test or the shamsi base I am
home to it all. I am used for all kinds of things but I am not
treated with respect and as an equal partner when it comes to the
rights of my men, women and children. I don’t accept this
discrimination which is against the constitution of the country,
against the charter of humanity and against the international
human rights law. I respected the constitution of this country
but every time my elected govt was toppled, every time I was
bombarded. I have been bombarded by Pakistan army four times
in 64 years!
.
The Mengal tribe is one of the largest Brahui Speaking
Baloch tribe. Mengal people speak Brahui, a Dravidian
language that has been heavily influenced by other Iranian
languages spoken in the area, especially Balochi.[1][2] The
Mengal are now closely linked to the Baloch people, with
whom they have substantially intermingled and whose
cultural traits they have absorbed. The tribe can be divided
in two major branches: Zagar Mengal and Shahizai Mengal.
Tribal area
The Mengal tribal area is around 70,000 square miles
(180,000 km2), stretching from the Helmand River in the
North to Lasbela District in the south, and bordering on
the province of Sindh to the east.[3]
I am war torn – the beautiful land which was a tourists’ heaven is
now a killing field in many instances.
My teachers my doctors and other professionals have fled from
. this land for fear of their lives This itself has been so unfortunate
for me to watch. My heart bleeds to see my own people being
killed and fighting with each other, but this discontent has been
created to make me weaker. I am becoming a land that is
simmering with several conflicts now and who has brought all
this upon me? – remember it all started with asking for the
fundamental rights of my people.
I don’t need these economic packages anymore; I fought for that
too long, I want my political rights to be respected. You have to
understand that mine are a fiercely independent people. This
doesn’t augur well with the brutal and undemocratic forces who
want to oppress, so where will this lead to, because to work out a
solution you will have to talk to my people unarmed, you will
have to stop killing and dumping, you can’t hold a gun on my
head and ask me to give up mine. The choice this time is not
yours Pakistani establishment, it is mine – as I have finally
decided to be a chooser and not a beggar!
.
Area • Total 347,190 km2 (134,050 sq mi) Population
(2011) • Total 7,914,000
The economy of Balochistan is largely based upon the production of
natural gas, coal, and minerals. Other important economic sectors
include fisheries, mining, manufacturing industries, trade and other
. services being rendered by public and private sector organizations in
the province. Tourism remains limited but has increased due to the
exotic appeal of the province. Limited farming in the east as well as
fishing along the Arabian Sea coastline are other forms of income and
sustenance for the local populations. Due to the tribal lifestyle of many
Baloch and Brahui, animal husbandry is important, as are trading
bazaars found throughout the province.
Though the province remains largely underdeveloped, several major
development projects are in progress in Balochistan including the
construction of a new deep sea port at the strategically important town
of Gwadar.[13] The port is projected to be the hub of an energy and trade
corridor to and from China and the Central Asian republics. Mirani
Dam on Dasht River, 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of Turbat in the
Makran Division, is being built to provide water to expand agricultural
land use by 35,000 km2 (14,000 sq mi) where it would otherwise be
unsustainable.[
Reliance on exhaustible natural resource extraction
Balochistan's share of the national income has historically ranged
between 3.7% to 4.9%.[15] Since 1972, Balochistan's gross income has
grown in size by 2.7 times.[16] Outside Quetta, the resource extraction
. infrastructure of the province is gradually developing but still lags far
behind other parts of Pakistan.
There is also Chinese involvement in the nearby Saindak gold and
copper mining project where large gold and copper deposits exist in the
Chagai District in Reko Diq area. The main license is held jointly by the
Government of Balochistan (25%) the rest is held by foreign interests
Antofagasta Minerals (37.5%) and Barrick Gold (37.5%). These deposits
are comparable in size to nationally-controlled deposits Sarcheshmeh
in Iran and Escondida in Chile (which are the second and the third
largest proven deposits of copper in the world).[citation needed] Foreign
multinationals BHP Billiton and Tethyan entered into a joint venture
with the Balochistan government to develop these deposits. The
potential annual copper production has been estimated to be 900,000
to 2.2 million tons.[citation needed] The deposits seem to be largely of
porphyry rock nature.[citation needed] The agreements for royalty rights and
ownership of these immense exhaustible resources were reached
during a period of unprecedented natural disasters, economic, social,
political, and cultural unrest in the country. The negotiations were
widely considered to be insufficiently transparent.[17]
.
The population reached some 13,162,222, not including
3 districts of Khuzdar, Kech and Panjgur in 2012
Census preliminary figures, far more than 5,501,164 in
1998. The population density is very low due to the
mountainous terrain and scarcity of water. As of the
1998 census, Balochistan had a population of 8
million inhabitants, representing approximately 5%
of the Pakistani population. Official estimates of
Balochistan's population grew from approximately 7.45
million in 2003 to 7.8 million in 2005.
Balochi are 13 mn.
According to the 2008 Pakistan Statistical Year Book, households
whose primary language is Balochi represent 100% of the population,
Pashto is also spoken by around 30% of the population, and 4% of
households speak Brahui. It makes Balochi and Pashto the two
.
dominant languages in the region.
Other languages include Hazaragi (Persian), Sindhi, Punjabi[citation
needed] and Saraiki.[22
.
Sarwar Danish · Karim Khalili
Sima Samar · Habiba Sarabi
Sayed Anwar Rahmati · Abdul Haq Shafaq
Total population 3,435,000 [1] Regions with significant
populations Afghanistan 2,737,793 (2012 est.) [2] Iran 355,000
[3] Pakistan 111,000 [4] Australia 50,000[citation needed] European Union
180,000[citation needed] United Kingdom 54,230[citation needed] Turkey
33,320[citation needed] Canada 4,328 (2006 est.) [5] Languages Persian
(predominantly Dari and Hazaragi dialects)
Religion Shia Islam (Twelver and Ismaili), with a Sunni minority[6]
Hazāra (Persian: ) هزارهare a Persian-speaking people who mainly live
in central Afghanistan and in Pakistan. They are overwhelmingly Shiite
Muslims and comprise the third largest ethnic group of
Afghanistan,[7][8][9] forming about 9% (according to other sources[who?]
up to 18%) of the total population.[2][10][11] Over half a million Hazaras
live in neighbouring Pakistan (mostly in Quetta) and a similar number
in Iran.
In Pakistan today, most of the Hazara people live in the city of
Quetta, in Balochistan province. Localities in the city of Quetta
with prominent Hazara populations include Hazara Town and
Mehr Abad.
.
The Hazara ethnic minority has been facing discrimination in the province for
a long time, nevertheless, bloody violence perpetrated against the community
has risen very sharply in recent years.[49][50][51] Some 800 people including
women and children have been killed either in suicide attacks or targeted
shootings.[52] No one has been arrested to this date in connection with these
killings.[citation needed]
Literacy level among the Hazara community in Pakistan is relatively high[citation
needed] and they have integrated well into the social dynamics of the local
society. Saira Batool, a Hazara woman was one of the first female pilots in
Pakistan Air Force. Other notable Hazara include Qazi Mohammad Esa,
General Muhammad Musa, who served as Commander in Chief of the
Pakistani Army from 1958 to 1968, Air Marshal(r) Sharbat Ali Changezi,
Hussain Ali Yousafi slain chairman of the Hazara Democratic Party,[53] Syed
Nasir Ali Shah, MNA from Quetta. Agha Abbas and his son Agha Ghulam Ali,
owners of Agha Juice, a famous fruit juice outlet in the country since 1960, who
were murdered in [54] May 2003 and jan 2007. The political representation of
the community is served by Hazara Democratic Party, a secular liberal
democratic party, headed by Abdul Khaliq Hazara
2. Constitutional Reform: The quantum, form and scope of provincial
autonomy will be
determined by the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms,
.
legal framework of the
constitution.
8. Local Government: The Balochistan Local Government Ordinance
needs to be amended by
the provincial government keeping in view the administrative needs of
the province.
C. Administratively-related Matters
9. Operations by Federal Agencies: The federal government should
immediately review the role
of federal agencies in the province and stop all such operations that are
not related to the pursuit
of fighting terrorism;
10. Construction of Cantonments: The federal government should
announce, that the presence of
the army in Sui will be withdrawn and replaced by the FC in pursuit of
peace in the present
situation. Proposals should not be for
12. Missing Persons: The names of missing persons be identified and following actions be taken
immediately, after verification, in any case, if they are found to be in custody. (i) Those persons
against whom there are no charges be released. (ii) Those persons against whom there are
charges be brought before a court of competent jurisdiction within seven days for trial (effective
3.
from the date of promulgation of commission). (iii) Such persons be allowed legal consul of their
choice, the government should assist them in this regard in accordance with law. (iv) Family
members of such persons be informed accordingly and allowed visiting rights.
13. Judicial Inquiry: Judicial inquiry by the superior judiciary be ordered by the federal
government to inquire into: -
a. Murder of Baloch political workers, Ghulam Muhammad, Lala Munir and Munir Ahmed.
b. Target killing in the province.
14. Nawab Akbar Bugti Shaheed: A fact-finding commission, headed by a retired judge of the
Supreme or High Court be constituted, to determine the circumstances leading to the death of
Nawab Akbar Bugti Shaheed.
15. New Army Cantonments: Construction of new cantonments in Sui and Kohlu be stopped for
the time being. Army will be withdrawn from Sui after handing over the duties to FC. FC will also
takeover the already constructed Cantonment at Sui.
16. Conversion Of "B" Areas Into "A" Areas: In view of the decision of the provincial government,
the policy of conversion of "B" areas into "A" areas may be reviewed from time to time. Urban
areas may have regular police.
17. The Role Of Civil Armed Forces:
(i) Frontier Corps; The role of the FC in law enforcement shall be under the chief minister of the
province. The powers conferred under the Customs Act shall be withdrawn, (ii) Coast Guard; The
CG should perform its primary duty of checking smuggling of arms and narcotics along the coast
.
and the border. The check posts established beyond their territorial limits as prescribed under the
law shall be dismantled. An exercise of delimitation of the border areas needs to be undertaken
by the federal government, provincial government and the Frontier Corps to give effect to the
aforesaid.
18. Check Posts: The various check posts established by the civil armed forces and other related
agencies, other than border areas should be in accordance with the directions of the provincial
government.
19. Judicial Inquiry: here should be a judicial enquiry by the superior judiciary into the allotment of
land at Gwadar,
20. Flood Relief: Some monies are due on the federal government for the flood-affected people of
Balochistan, these amounts should be released.
21. Education: Balochistan be given a special quota of scholarships by the Higher Education
Commission so that students of the province can pursue studies leading up to local or foreign
Masters and PhDs.
D. Economically-relate
D. Economically-related Matters
22. Rationalisation Of The Royalty Formula:
(i) Rationalization of the royalty formula and the Gas Development Surcharge have been
done,
.
(ii) The concept of public-private ownership in the areas of a district granted for
exploration should
be followed. Where contracts are awarded, the said district should be given 15% of
revenue to be
received by the provincial government, (iii) Due representation should be given to the
province on
the boards of the PPL; OGDC and Sui Southern Gas, (iv) Distribution companies should
be
obligated under contract/law to provide on priority basis gas to the district where it is
explored, (v)
4
In case of a successful find the federal government shall spend an amount equivalent to
10% of
the net profits on development projects in the area. The ascertainment of profits shall be
open to
scrutiny by independent/third party auditors, (vi) The federal government has released
the
accrued Production Bonus to the districts producing oil and gas. This policy will be
strictly
implemented.
23. Mega Projects:
(i) All new mega projects to be initiated with the consent and approval of the provincial
government. The share of the province in its profits/benefits to be assured in the
contact/agreement, (ii) The concept of public-private ownership in such projects to be
.
followed
where ever possible, (iii) In Gwadar, there shall be a free economic zone and political activities
in
the said zone may be regulated by an appropriate law to be framed in consultation with all the
stakeholders, (iv) In Gwadar, all or as far as possible, appointments in BS-1 to 16, should be
from
the local population, (v) In Gwadar, the local youth should be provided technical training and
absorbed in GPA, GDA and Special Economic Zone, (vi) Preference should be given to the
qualified local contractors while awarding contracts related to the port, (vii) Compensation
and
reallocation of all those fishermen, who are being displaced due to the Gwadar Port must be
finalised immediately, (ix) The two jetties agreed to be constructed for the fishermen on the
eastern and western bays be constructed, (x) A fisheries training centre as required to be
established under the 9th Five Year Plan for Balochistan be constructed, (xi) A portion of the
revenue collected by the Gwadar Port Authority be allocated for the development of the
province,
(xii) The chief minister shall be the ex-officio chairman of the Gwadar Development Authority
and
there shall be seven members from the province on the Board of Directors, (xiii) The
provincial
government of Balochistan will nominate a person duly qualified to be the Chairman of the
Gwadar Development Authority
24. SUI:
(i) There should be a special development package for the area. (ii) The armed forces should be
systematically withdrawn from the area.
25.Employment Opportunities:
.
(a) The federal government will create, with immediate effect, five thousand additional jobs for the
province, (b) (i) The quota for the province as prescribed in the rules/law for employment in
government (specially foreign service), semi-government, autonomous/semi-autonomous,
corporations and bodies must be strictly complied with. Deficiency if any, needs to be met in a
proactive manner, (ii) The Overseas Employment Foundation needs to facilitate the recruitment of
skilled or unskilled labour for employment aboard, (iii) The local people living along the coast who
meet the criteria should be given jobs in the Coast Guards, (iv) The monitoring of the aforesaid
shall be the responsibility of the Senate Standing Committee for Establishment.
26. Gas Development Surcharge: The federal government agrees to pay the arrears of Gas
Development Surcharge from 1954 to 1991. This is a total amount of Rs 120 billion payable in 12
years.
27. Ownership in oil and gas companies: In organisations such as PPL, OGDCL and Sui
Southern, the province will be able to purchase up to 20% of the right shares when offered in the
open market.
28. Sandak Project: The federal government from its 30% shares in the project will immediately
give 20% to the province. On completion of the project and when the foreign company withdraws,
the project shall be owned exclusively by the province.
.
5
29. Uniform Price of Gas: There shall be a uniform price of gas throughout the country for the
purpose of calculation of GDS.
30. Fishing Trawlers: Fishing trawlers should be restricted to the authorised limits of 33
kilometres
from the coast. This will help promote the small fishermen.
31. Kohlu District: Special incentives should be given to the local tribes to facilitate exploration in
the area, which continues to be closed due to security concerns.
32. Poverty Alleviation: In all poverty alleviation schemes, the allocation of the province should be
proportional to the percentage of people living below the poverty line.
33. Profit Sharing In Existing Agreements:
(i) It is proposed that existing agreements on projects such as SANDAK, REKODIC and others
where agreements have already been negotiated, the federal government may reconsider the
agreements concerning the sharing of income, profits or royalty between the federal government
and the provincial government.
.
34. Dera Bugti Internally Displaced Persons: The
federal government for the rehabilitation and
settlement of the IDPs shall provide a sum of Rs 1
billion.
35. Water Management: The federal government shall
immediately undertake schemes, which
include the construction of small dams throughout the
province but particularly in the districts of
Quetta, Pasheen, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Zhob
etc.
The provincial government to amend local government ordinance
End of all operation except actions against terrorism
The policy of conversion of "B" areas into "A" areas to be reviewed from time to time
.
The FC’s law-enforcement role to be under the chief minister, powers conferred under
the customs act to be withdrawn and the coastguard to perform its primary duty of
checking arms and narcotics smuggling
The Federal Government to immediately give 20 per cent from its 30 per cent shares in
Saindak project to the province, which will exclusively own it on completion and after
withdrawal of the foreign company
Judicial probe into the allotment of land at Gwadar
Special quota in HEC scholarships
5,000 additional jobs at the earliest
Ownership in oil and gas companies
Rs1 billion for Dera Bugti IDPs
Parliament Committee on National Security to monitor package implementation
Fishing trawlers to be restricted to 33km from the coast, to help small fishermen.
.
package did not reflect the will of the
Baloch, as it had not given them a constitutional guarantee.
Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) Vice-President
Sajid Tareen, while talking to
from Quetta, noted what had been announced in the package
had never been the demand of
Balochistan’s people. “Our stand remains unchanged that the
federating units must be treated as
per the 1940 Pakistan Resolution,” he said.
Senator Hasil Bazinjo said the package carries most of the
old things and there is nothing new
in it. “The Baloch people want practical steps, not
announcements,”
The Khanate of Kalat or Balochistan was located between 25°1′ and
30°8′N. It occupied the whole of the territory today known as
Balochistan in Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. To its north is
Afghanistan, the west border is shared with Iran, in the east are Punjab
and Sindh, and the south has the long coast on the Arabian Sea. The
country was divided into three parts during British colonial era into
Iran, Afghanistan and a much shrunken Kalat state. Presently the Area
is divided amongst Iran (Seistan o Baluchistan), Afghanistan
(Hilmand, Nemroz) and Pakistan's Balochistan province.
The principal mountains are the Central Brahui, Kirthar, Pab, Siahan,
Central Makran and Makran Coast Ranges, which descend in elevation
from about 10,000 to 1,200 feet (370 m). The drainage of the country is
almost all carried off to the south by the Nari, Mula, Hab, Porali,
Hingol and Dasht rivers. The only large river draining northwards is the
Rakhshan. The coast line includes Gawadar, Pasni, Sonmiani and
Geewani in Pakistan and Chahbahar, Bandar Abbas in Iran.
BOOKS
The taming of Kalat
A.G. NOORANI
A fascinating study of a sub-nationalism in which tragedy and farce are closely intertwined.
.
KALAT was Pakistan’s Hyderabad. Both princely states refused to accede to the Union of the country to which
they properly belonged. Both received Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s legal advice that on the lapse of British
paramountcy on August 15, 1947, they become independent sovereign states. There were standstill agreements in
both cases. Hyderabad had to be brought into the Indian Union by armed action on September 13, 1948.
The British were dismayed at Jinnah’s legal advice to Kalat. It was never independent, nor was Hyderabad. The
Khan of Kalat acceded to Pakistan only on March 20, 1948, when his intrigues with New Delhi and Kabul were
exposed. However, in mid-July the Khan’s brother returned from Afghanistan where he had fled with a lashkar
(army). Pakistan’s army had to engage them. Unfortunately, successive governments neglected Balochistan and its
sensitive part, Kalat, fuelling Baloch nationalism.
The book is an excellently researched study of that early phase until 1955. Policies pursued thereafter were no
wiser, especially by Z.A. Bhutto and Zia-ul-Haq. The author is a German political scientist who did laborious field
work in Sindh, the North West Frontier Province and the Iran-Pakistan transborder region of Balochistan. He is
currently engaged in research on the evolution of Baloch nationalism and the role of the province’s rich natural
resources as cause and target of the current conflict in the region. President Asif Ali Zardari, significantly,
remarked that Balochistan has the first claim on its resources.
The Baloch ethnic identity’s “transformation” to Baloch national identity is an arresting phrase. It can be used for
upsurge in any region. The pioneer in the field was Innayatullah Baloch’s book The Problem of Greater
Balochistan: A Study of Baloch Nationalism (1987) published in Germany. The author had worked at the
University of Heidelberg. The Khan of Kalat, Mir Ahmad Yar Khan, also wrote his memoirs, Inside Baluchistan,
which were published in 1975. Once the States of Kharan, Makran and Las Bolo acceded to Pakistan, his territory
was diminished. The ones he considered to be his feudatories acted independently. Worse, he lost the precious
seaboard.
The author holds that the roots of the present crisis lie in the period from 1930 to 1955 and portrays the evolution
of Baloch national identity as a reaction to the territorial, political and cultural inclusion on the part of the All
India Muslim League and the Pakistan movement. He argues that the birth of the Baloch nation was a
consequence of the birth of the state of Pakistan in August 1947 and a result of the annexation of the Baloch
proto-state of Kalat by that new state in March 1948.
The state of Kalat was founded in 1666. The Khanate as a
Soveriegn state reached at its peak during the period of Naseer
Khan 1, who unified all the Baloch areas of region under his Flag.
The state remained independent until British interfered in the
territory in 1839. The territories controlled by the state
fluctuated over the centuries but eventually were established by
treaties with the British Agent Robert Sandeman in the late 19th
century. Parts of the state to the north and northeast were leased
or ceded to form the province of British Baluchistan which later
gained the status of a Chief Commissioners province.
From 11 August 1947 to 27 March 1948, the region was de facto
independent, before acceding to Pakistan. The Baluchistan
States Union was formed on 3 October 1952 with three
neighbouring states. The state of Kalat ceased to exist on 14
October 1955 when the province of West Pakistan was formed.
Baluchistan states
1839 Eastern Baluchistan within British sphere
of influence;
for Western Baluchistan see under Iran.
1 Oct 1887 Baluchistan a British protectorate, part
of British India.
15 Aug 1947 - 1948 Ruler of Kalat declares Baluchistan
independent.
3 Oct 1952 - 14 Oct 1955 The four Baluchistan states form
the Baluchistan States
Union, with the Wali of Kalat as Khan-e
A`zam of the Union.
20 Jun 1958 - 1958 Ruler of Kalat again declares
Baluchistan independent.
8.3
2011
30
Awaran Killa Saifullah
Barkhan Lasbela
Bolan Loralai
Chagai Mastung
Dera Bugti Musakhel
Gwadar Nasirabad
Harnai Nushki
Jafarabad Panjgur
Jhal Magsi Pishin
Kalat Quetta
Kech Sherani
Kharan Sibi
Kohlu Washuk
Khuzdar Zhob
Killa Abdullah Ziarat
The Balochi speaking tribes include
Rind, Lasher, Marri, Jamot, Ahmedzai, Bugti Domki,
. Magsi, Khosa, Rakhashani, Dashti, Umrani, Nosherwani,
Gichki, Buledi, Sanjarani and Khidai. Each tribe is further
sub-divided into various branches. The tribal chief is called
Sardar while head of sub-tribe is known as Malik, Takari or
Mir. Sardars and Maliks are members of district and other
local Jirgas according to their status .
The Baluchis, believed to have originally come from Arabia
or Asia minor, can be divided in to two branches: the
Sulemani and Mekrani as distinct from the Brahvis who
mostly concentrate in central Balochistan.
Among the eighteen major Baloch tribes, Bugtis and
Marris are the principal ones who are settled in the
buttresses of the Sulemania. The Talpur of Sind aIso claim
their Baluch origin.
My tribal chiefs are blamed for keeping me illiterate and poor
but my southern Pashtun population doesn’t have any tribal
chiefs; ironically the situation for them is also the same, even my
. so called urban areas are deprived of basic necessities - no
Sardars; so this excuse by those who have usurped my rights is
counterfeiting. If you visit me I will take you to my villages and
your definitions of poverty and marginalization and deprivation
will change.
I am used by terrorists and agencies for their cross border
warfare, whether it’s the nuclear test or the shamsi base I am
home to it all. I am used for all kinds of things but I am not
treated with respect and as an equal partner when it comes to the
rights of my men, women and children. I don’t accept this
discrimination which is against the constitution of the country,
against the charter of humanity and against the international
human rights law. I respected the constitution of this country
but every time my elected govt was toppled, every time I was
bombarded. I have been bombarded by Pakistan army four times
in 64 years!
My population lives by its code of honor, hospitable, generous and kind but when it
comes to it – it is vociferous and wrathful too. I became a province of Pakistan with the
hope and dreams of living in a country that would respect me and my children. But
instead I was robbed, they took my resources and left me and my children without
education and in desolate poverty. When I ask for my rights I am termed as a traitor, then
. I lose patience, get enraged and my men pick up guns and take refuge in the mountains.
I had been going in vicious circles with men in power at the Center; every time they hold
talks with me, every time they promise things to change and every time they backstab
me. I got fed up yet again by the broken promises, empty slogans, hypocrisy and sham.
While my Pashtun population still patiently or perhaps strategically holds on to the
ideology of Pakistan my Baloch population largely wants independence from Pakistan.
The Baloch youth are now rebellious and joining an uprising or more precisely according
to Pakistani dictionary have become ‘terrorists’ and according to Pakistani military
dictionary ‘bad terrorists’ because the very same army supports the ‘good terrorists’ for
Kashmir and for Afghanistan. So discrimination persists even in the choice of terrorists –
if you are from Balochistan.
In 2008 the new ruling political party apologized to me on the basis that they have learnt
from their past mistakes they made in Balochistan. I also hoped that now democracy will
be the best revenge for me also and it will compensate for all the injustices till now. But
PPP also didn’t keep the promise; it never tried to negotiate with the estranged. Instead
of bombardment this time my youth are picked by the security forces and killed,
torchered and dumped on roadsides, 300 dumped bodies of Baloch in less than 2 years
time! Most of these are students and political workers and even journalists who have
little to do with the war but support and believe in independence of Balochistan. I fight
back (with one of the largest army in the world) again my leaders, my political workers
and my students are killed for supporting the independence, they are not tried, they
never appear in courts, they go disappearing are tortured and later the bodies are
dumped. They don’t deserve a fair trial those who preach law violate the very laws and
constitution of Pakistan; through this state terrorism.
My tribal chiefs are blamed for keeping me illiterate and poor
but my southern Pashtun population doesn’t have any tribal
chiefs; ironically the situation for them is also the same, even my
. so called urban areas are deprived of basic necessities - no
Sardars; so this excuse by those who have usurped my rights is
counterfeiting. If you visit me I will take you to my villages and
your definitions of poverty and marginalization and deprivation
will change.
I am used by terrorists and agencies for their cross border
warfare, whether it’s the nuclear test or the shamsi base I am
home to it all. I am used for all kinds of things but I am not
treated with respect and as an equal partner when it comes to the
rights of my men, women and children. I don’t accept this
discrimination which is against the constitution of the country,
against the charter of humanity and against the international
human rights law. I respected the constitution of this country
but every time my elected govt was toppled, every time I was
bombarded. I have been bombarded by Pakistan army four times
in 64 years!
.
The Mengal tribe is one of the largest Brahui Speaking
Baloch tribe. Mengal people speak Brahui, a Dravidian
language that has been heavily influenced by other Iranian
languages spoken in the area, especially Balochi.[1][2] The
Mengal are now closely linked to the Baloch people, with
whom they have substantially intermingled and whose
cultural traits they have absorbed. The tribe can be divided
in two major branches: Zagar Mengal and Shahizai Mengal.
Tribal area
The Mengal tribal area is around 70,000 square miles
(180,000 km2), stretching from the Helmand River in the
North to Lasbela District in the south, and bordering on
the province of Sindh to the east.[3]
The economy of Balochistan is largely based upon the production of
natural gas, coal, and minerals. Other important economic sectors
include fisheries, mining, manufacturing industries, trade and other
. services being rendered by public and private sector organizations in
the province. Tourism remains limited but has increased due to the
exotic appeal of the province. Limited farming in the east as well as
fishing along the Arabian Sea coastline are other forms of income and
sustenance for the local populations. Due to the tribal lifestyle of many
Baloch and Brahui, animal husbandry is important, as are trading
bazaars found throughout the province.
Though the province remains largely underdeveloped, several major
development projects are in progress in Balochistan including the
construction of a new deep sea port at the strategically important town
of Gwadar.[13] The port is projected to be the hub of an energy and trade
corridor to and from China and the Central Asian republics. Mirani
Dam on Dasht River, 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of Turbat in the
Makran Division, is being built to provide water to expand agricultural
land use by 35,000 km2 (14,000 sq mi) where it would otherwise be
unsustainable.[
Reliance on exhaustible natural resource extraction
Balochistan's share of the national income has historically ranged
between 3.7% to 4.9%.[15] Since 1972, Balochistan's gross income has
grown in size by 2.7 times.[16] Outside Quetta, the resource extraction
. infrastructure of the province is gradually developing but still lags far
behind other parts of Pakistan.
There is also Chinese involvement in the nearby Saindak gold and
copper mining project where large gold and copper deposits exist in the
Chagai District in Reko Diq area. The main license is held jointly by the
Government of Balochistan (25%) the rest is held by foreign interests
Antofagasta Minerals (37.5%) and Barrick Gold (37.5%). These deposits
are comparable in size to nationally-controlled deposits Sarcheshmeh
in Iran and Escondida in Chile (which are the second and the third
largest proven deposits of copper in the world).[citation needed] Foreign
multinationals BHP Billiton and Tethyan entered into a joint venture
with the Balochistan government to develop these deposits. The
potential annual copper production has been estimated to be 900,000
to 2.2 million tons.[citation needed] The deposits seem to be largely of
porphyry rock nature.[citation needed] The agreements for royalty rights and
ownership of these immense exhaustible resources were reached
during a period of unprecedented natural disasters, economic, social,
political, and cultural unrest in the country. The negotiations were
widely considered to be insufficiently transparent.[17]
.
The population reached some 13,162,222, not including
3 districts of Khuzdar, Kech and Panjgur in 2012
Census preliminary figures, far more than 5,501,164 in
1998. The population density is very low due to the
mountainous terrain and scarcity of water. As of the
1998 census, Balochistan had a population of 8
million inhabitants, representing approximately 5%
of the Pakistani population. Official estimates of
Balochistan's population grew from approximately 7.45
million in 2003 to 7.8 million in 2005.
Balochi are 13 mn.
According to the 2008 Pakistan Statistical Year Book, households
whose primary language is Balochi represent 100% of the population,
Pashto is also spoken by around 30% of the population, and 4% of
households speak Brahui. It makes Balochi and Pashto the two
.
dominant languages in the region.
Other languages include Hazaragi (Persian), Sindhi, Punjabi[citation
needed] and Saraiki.[22
.
Sarwar Danish · Karim Khalili
Sima Samar · Habiba Sarabi
Sayed Anwar Rahmati · Abdul Haq Shafaq
Total population 3,435,000 [1] Regions with significant
populations Afghanistan 2,737,793 (2012 est.) [2] Iran 355,000
[3] Pakistan 111,000 [4] Australia 50,000[citation needed] European Union
180,000[citation needed] United Kingdom 54,230[citation needed] Turkey
33,320[citation needed] Canada 4,328 (2006 est.) [5] Languages Persian
(predominantly Dari and Hazaragi dialects)
Religion Shia Islam (Twelver and Ismaili), with a Sunni minority[6]
Hazāra (Persian: ) هزارهare a Persian-speaking people who mainly live
in central Afghanistan and in Pakistan. They are overwhelmingly Shiite
Muslims and comprise the third largest ethnic group of
Afghanistan,[7][8][9] forming about 9% (according to other sources[who?]
up to 18%) of the total population.[2][10][11] Over half a million Hazaras
live in neighbouring Pakistan (mostly in Quetta) and a similar number
in Iran.
In Pakistan today, most of the Hazara people live in the city of
Quetta, in Balochistan province. Localities in the city of Quetta
with prominent Hazara populations include Hazara Town and
Mehr Abad.
.
The Hazara ethnic minority has been facing discrimination in the province for
a long time, nevertheless, bloody violence perpetrated against the community
has risen very sharply in recent years.[49][50][51] Some 800 people including
women and children have been killed either in suicide attacks or targeted
shootings.[52] No one has been arrested to this date in connection with these
killings.[citation needed]
Literacy level among the Hazara community in Pakistan is relatively high[citation
needed] and they have integrated well into the social dynamics of the local
society. Saira Batool, a Hazara woman was one of the first female pilots in
Pakistan Air Force. Other notable Hazara include Qazi Mohammad Esa,
General Muhammad Musa, who served as Commander in Chief of the
Pakistani Army from 1958 to 1968, Air Marshal(r) Sharbat Ali Changezi,
Hussain Ali Yousafi slain chairman of the Hazara Democratic Party,[53] Syed
Nasir Ali Shah, MNA from Quetta. Agha Abbas and his son Agha Ghulam Ali,
owners of Agha Juice, a famous fruit juice outlet in the country since 1960, who
were murdered in [54] May 2003 and jan 2007. The political representation of
the community is served by Hazara Democratic Party, a secular liberal
democratic party, headed by Abdul Khaliq Hazara
.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (also Baloch
Liberation Army or Balochistan Liberation Army)
(BLA) is a militant group based in Balochistan, a
mountainous region within southern Iran and
Pakistan. The organization is a participant in the
Balochistan conflict and strives to establish an
independent state of Balochistan, free of Pakistani and
Iranian rule. The Baloch Liberation Army became
publicly known during the summer of 2000, after it
claimed credit for a series of bombings of attacks on
Pakistani authorities in response to mistreatment and
neglect of the Baloch province in Pakistan.
In 1948 Akbar Bugti was sent for administraitive training to the
C.S.P Academy in Lahore. After independence and partition,
Baluchistan was not a full-fledged province but still a centrally
. administrated area, and in 1950 he became one of the two
advisors on the Baluchistan Advisory Council towards bringing
about provincial status.[10]
Bugti was elected in a by-election to the National Assembly of
Pakistan in May 1958 to fill the vacancy created as a result of the
assassination of the incumbent, Dr Khan Sahib, and sat on the
government bench as a member of the ruling coalition. Bugti
(Republican) served as Minister of State (Interior) in the
government of Prime Minister Malik Sir Feroz Khan Noon
(Republican) from September 20, 1958, to October 7, 1958, when
the cabinet was dismissed on the declaration of Martial Law by
President Iskander Mirza.
He was arrested and convicted by a Military Tribunal in 1960 and
subsequently disqualified from holding public office. As a result
of his legal battles, he did not contest the 1970 general elections.
Instead, he campaigned on behalf of his younger brother, Sardar
Ahmed Nawaz Bugti, a candidate of the National Awami Party.
However, Bugti developed differences with the NAP leadership,
especially the new Balochistan Governor, Ghaus Baksh Bizenjo. He .
informed the Federal Government and President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
(Pakistan Peoples Party) of the alleged London Plan, which resulted in
the dismissal of the provincial governor as well as the Chief Minister
Sardar Ataullah Khan Mengal and his cabinet on February 14, 1973. The
next day, the Federal Government appointed Bugti as the Governor of
Balochistan, and the Pakistan Army was deployed in the province as part
of a crackdown on the National Awami Party.
He resigned on January 1, 1974, after disagreeing with the manner in
which the Federal Government was carrying out policies in Balochistan.
The army had deployed 100,000 men in Balochistan killed large
numbers of Balochis. The Pakistani army is alleged to have killed more
than 4000 Balochi, mostly Marri insurgents, in these operations.
There was a lull in his activities when General Rahimuddin Khan was
appointed Governor of Balochistan in 1978. Bugti remained silent
throughout the course of Rahimuddin's rule, which was often
characterized by hostility towards the Baloch Sardars.
In 1988, he joined the Balochistan National Alliance and was elected
Chief Minister on February 4, 1989. His government frequently
disagreed with the Federal Government led by the Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto (Pakistan Peoples Party).
.
Bugti resigned on August 6, 1990, when the provincial assembly
was dissolved by Governor of Balochistan General Muhammad
Musa in accordance with the instructions of President Ghulam
Ishaq Khan, who was exercising his authority by virtue of Article
58 (2 b) of the Constitution of Pakistan. For the 1990 General
Elections, Bugti formed his own political party, the Jamhoori
Watan Party (JWP), being Balochistan's single largest party and
was elected to the provincial assembly.
In 1993, he was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan,
representing the JWP in parliament. Also, in 1993, Nawab Bugti
announced his candidacy to be President of Pakistan but later
withdrew his candidacy and announced his support of the
eventual winner, Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari. In 1997,
Nawab Bugti was re-elected to the National Assembly of
Pakistan, representing the JWP.
Balochistan conflict .
Bugti was involved in struggles, at times armed ones, in Balochistan
in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. He led the current movement in
Balochistan for greater autonomy. He was the public face and
provided political support for the movement while his grandson,
Brahamdagh Khan Bugti, led the Bugti tribesmen.[11]
In recent years, he was accused by the Pakistani government of
being a warlord and running a well-organized militia, sometimes
thought to be the shadowy Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)
with members numbering in the thousands. The BLA allegedly ran
dozens of militant guerrilla training camps. While campaigning
from the mountain ranges of Dera Bugti, he was, according to the
Pakistani government, directing a “Mullah Omar” style guerrilla
war. In July 2006, Pakistani president General Musharraf targeted
him through aerial bombing, using air force jets and gunship
helicopters. The leader of Balochistan National Party, Sardar
Akhtar Mengal said, "The increase in bomb attacks in the Bugti and
Marri areas are meant to target Baloch nationalist leader Nawab
Akbar Bugti and his associates" and called upon the international
community to take note of the situation.[
My tribal chiefs are blamed for keeping me illiterate and poor
but my southern Pashtun population doesn’t have any tribal
chiefs; ironically the situation for them is also the same, even my
. so called urban areas are deprived of basic necessities - no
Sardars; so this excuse by those who have usurped my rights is
counterfeiting. If you visit me I will take you to my villages and
your definitions of poverty and marginalization and deprivation
will change.
I am used by terrorists and agencies for their cross border
warfare, whether it’s the nuclear test or the shamsi base I am
home to it all. I am used for all kinds of things but I am not
treated with respect and as an equal partner when it comes to the
rights of my men, women and children. I don’t accept this
discrimination which is against the constitution of the country,
against the charter of humanity and against the international
human rights law. I respected the constitution of this country
but every time my elected govt was toppled, every time I was
bombarded. I have been bombarded by Pakistan army four times
in 64 years!
My population lives by its code of honor, hospitable, generous and kind but when it
comes to it – it is vociferous and wrathful too. I became a province of Pakistan with the
hope and dreams of living in a country that would respect me and my children. But
instead I was robbed, they took my resources and left me and my children without
education and in desolate poverty. When I ask for my rights I am termed as a traitor, then
. I lose patience, get enraged and my men pick up guns and take refuge in the mountains.
I had been going in vicious circles with men in power at the Center; every time they hold
talks with me, every time they promise things to change and every time they backstab
me. I got fed up yet again by the broken promises, empty slogans, hypocrisy and sham.
While my Pashtun population still patiently or perhaps strategically holds on to the
ideology of Pakistan my Baloch population largely wants independence from Pakistan.
The Baloch youth are now rebellious and joining an uprising or more precisely according
to Pakistani dictionary have become ‘terrorists’ and according to Pakistani military
dictionary ‘bad terrorists’ because the very same army supports the ‘good terrorists’ for
Kashmir and for Afghanistan. So discrimination persists even in the choice of terrorists –
if you are from Balochistan.
In 2008 the new ruling political party apologized to me on the basis that they have learnt
from their past mistakes they made in Balochistan. I also hoped that now democracy will
be the best revenge for me also and it will compensate for all the injustices till now. But
PPP also didn’t keep the promise; it never tried to negotiate with the estranged. Instead
of bombardment this time my youth are picked by the security forces and killed,
torchered and dumped on roadsides, 300 dumped bodies of Baloch in less than 2 years
time! Most of these are students and political workers and even journalists who have
little to do with the war but support and believe in independence of Balochistan. I fight
back (with one of the largest army in the world) again my leaders, my political workers
and my students are killed for supporting the independence, they are not tried, they
never appear in courts, they go disappearing are tortured and later the bodies are
dumped. They don’t deserve a fair trial those who preach law violate the very laws and
constitution of Pakistan; through this state terrorism.
My tribal chiefs are blamed for keeping me illiterate and poor
but my southern Pashtun population doesn’t have any tribal
chiefs; ironically the situation for them is also the same, even my
. so called urban areas are deprived of basic necessities - no
Sardars; so this excuse by those who have usurped my rights is
counterfeiting. If you visit me I will take you to my villages and
your definitions of poverty and marginalization and deprivation
will change.
I am used by terrorists and agencies for their cross border
warfare, whether it’s the nuclear test or the shamsi base I am
home to it all. I am used for all kinds of things but I am not
treated with respect and as an equal partner when it comes to the
rights of my men, women and children. I don’t accept this
discrimination which is against the constitution of the country,
against the charter of humanity and against the international
human rights law. I respected the constitution of this country
but every time my elected govt was toppled, every time I was
bombarded. I have been bombarded by Pakistan army four times
in 64 years!
.
The Mengal tribe is one of the largest Brahui Speaking
Baloch tribe. Mengal people speak Brahui, a Dravidian
language that has been heavily influenced by other Iranian
languages spoken in the area, especially Balochi.[1][2] The
Mengal are now closely linked to the Baloch people, with
whom they have substantially intermingled and whose
cultural traits they have absorbed. The tribe can be divided
in two major branches: Zagar Mengal and Shahizai Mengal.
Tribal area
The Mengal tribal area is around 70,000 square miles
(180,000 km2), stretching from the Helmand River in the
North to Lasbela District in the south, and bordering on
the province of Sindh to the east.[3]
I am war torn – the beautiful land which was a tourists’ heaven is
now a killing field in many instances.
My teachers my doctors and other professionals have fled from
. this land for fear of their lives This itself has been so unfortunate
for me to watch. My heart bleeds to see my own people being
killed and fighting with each other, but this discontent has been
created to make me weaker. I am becoming a land that is
simmering with several conflicts now and who has brought all
this upon me? – remember it all started with asking for the
fundamental rights of my people.
I don’t need these economic packages anymore; I fought for that
too long, I want my political rights to be respected. You have to
understand that mine are a fiercely independent people. This
doesn’t augur well with the brutal and undemocratic forces who
want to oppress, so where will this lead to, because to work out a
solution you will have to talk to my people unarmed, you will
have to stop killing and dumping, you can’t hold a gun on my
head and ask me to give up mine. The choice this time is not
yours Pakistani establishment, it is mine – as I have finally
decided to be a chooser and not a beggar!
.
Area • Total 347,190 km2 (134,050 sq mi) Population
(2011) • Total 7,914,000
The economy of Balochistan is largely based upon the production of
natural gas, coal, and minerals. Other important economic sectors
include fisheries, mining, manufacturing industries, trade and other
. services being rendered by public and private sector organizations in
the province. Tourism remains limited but has increased due to the
exotic appeal of the province. Limited farming in the east as well as
fishing along the Arabian Sea coastline are other forms of income and
sustenance for the local populations. Due to the tribal lifestyle of many
Baloch and Brahui, animal husbandry is important, as are trading
bazaars found throughout the province.
Though the province remains largely underdeveloped, several major
development projects are in progress in Balochistan including the
construction of a new deep sea port at the strategically important town
of Gwadar.[13] The port is projected to be the hub of an energy and trade
corridor to and from China and the Central Asian republics. Mirani
Dam on Dasht River, 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of Turbat in the
Makran Division, is being built to provide water to expand agricultural
land use by 35,000 km2 (14,000 sq mi) where it would otherwise be
unsustainable.[
Reliance on exhaustible natural resource extraction
Balochistan's share of the national income has historically ranged
between 3.7% to 4.9%.[15] Since 1972, Balochistan's gross income has
grown in size by 2.7 times.[16] Outside Quetta, the resource extraction
. infrastructure of the province is gradually developing but still lags far
behind other parts of Pakistan.
There is also Chinese involvement in the nearby Saindak gold and
copper mining project where large gold and copper deposits exist in the
Chagai District in Reko Diq area. The main license is held jointly by the
Government of Balochistan (25%) the rest is held by foreign interests
Antofagasta Minerals (37.5%) and Barrick Gold (37.5%). These deposits
are comparable in size to nationally-controlled deposits Sarcheshmeh
in Iran and Escondida in Chile (which are the second and the third
largest proven deposits of copper in the world).[citation needed] Foreign
multinationals BHP Billiton and Tethyan entered into a joint venture
with the Balochistan government to develop these deposits. The
potential annual copper production has been estimated to be 900,000
to 2.2 million tons.[citation needed] The deposits seem to be largely of
porphyry rock nature.[citation needed] The agreements for royalty rights and
ownership of these immense exhaustible resources were reached
during a period of unprecedented natural disasters, economic, social,
political, and cultural unrest in the country. The negotiations were
widely considered to be insufficiently transparent.[17]
.
The population reached some 13,162,222, not including
3 districts of Khuzdar, Kech and Panjgur in 2012
Census preliminary figures, far more than 5,501,164 in
1998. The population density is very low due to the
mountainous terrain and scarcity of water. As of the
1998 census, Balochistan had a population of 8
million inhabitants, representing approximately 5%
of the Pakistani population. Official estimates of
Balochistan's population grew from approximately 7.45
million in 2003 to 7.8 million in 2005.
Balochi are 13 mn.
According to the 2008 Pakistan Statistical Year Book, households
whose primary language is Balochi represent 100% of the population,
Pashto is also spoken by around 30% of the population, and 4% of
households speak Brahui. It makes Balochi and Pashto the two
.
dominant languages in the region.
Other languages include Hazaragi (Persian), Sindhi, Punjabi[citation
needed] and Saraiki.[22
.
Sarwar Danish · Karim Khalili
Sima Samar · Habiba Sarabi
Sayed Anwar Rahmati · Abdul Haq Shafaq
Total population 3,435,000 [1] Regions with significant
populations Afghanistan 2,737,793 (2012 est.) [2] Iran 355,000
[3] Pakistan 111,000 [4] Australia 50,000[citation needed] European Union
180,000[citation needed] United Kingdom 54,230[citation needed] Turkey
33,320[citation needed] Canada 4,328 (2006 est.) [5] Languages Persian
(predominantly Dari and Hazaragi dialects)
Religion Shia Islam (Twelver and Ismaili), with a Sunni minority[6]
Hazāra (Persian: ) هزارهare a Persian-speaking people who mainly live
in central Afghanistan and in Pakistan. They are overwhelmingly Shiite
Muslims and comprise the third largest ethnic group of
Afghanistan,[7][8][9] forming about 9% (according to other sources[who?]
up to 18%) of the total population.[2][10][11] Over half a million Hazaras
live in neighbouring Pakistan (mostly in Quetta) and a similar number
in Iran.
In Pakistan today, most of the Hazara people live in the city of
Quetta, in Balochistan province. Localities in the city of Quetta
with prominent Hazara populations include Hazara Town and
Mehr Abad.
.
The Hazara ethnic minority has been facing discrimination in the province for
a long time, nevertheless, bloody violence perpetrated against the community
has risen very sharply in recent years.[49][50][51] Some 800 people including
women and children have been killed either in suicide attacks or targeted
shootings.[52] No one has been arrested to this date in connection with these
killings.[citation needed]
Literacy level among the Hazara community in Pakistan is relatively high[citation
needed] and they have integrated well into the social dynamics of the local
society. Saira Batool, a Hazara woman was one of the first female pilots in
Pakistan Air Force. Other notable Hazara include Qazi Mohammad Esa,
General Muhammad Musa, who served as Commander in Chief of the
Pakistani Army from 1958 to 1968, Air Marshal(r) Sharbat Ali Changezi,
Hussain Ali Yousafi slain chairman of the Hazara Democratic Party,[53] Syed
Nasir Ali Shah, MNA from Quetta. Agha Abbas and his son Agha Ghulam Ali,
owners of Agha Juice, a famous fruit juice outlet in the country since 1960, who
were murdered in [54] May 2003 and jan 2007. The political representation of
the community is served by Hazara Democratic Party, a secular liberal
democratic party, headed by Abdul Khaliq Hazara
.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (also Baloch
Liberation Army or Balochistan Liberation Army)
(BLA) is a militant group based in Balochistan, a
mountainous region within southern Iran and
Pakistan. The organization is a participant in the
Balochistan conflict and strives to establish an
independent state of Balochistan, free of Pakistani and
Iranian rule. The Baloch Liberation Army became
publicly known during the summer of 2000, after it
claimed credit for a series of bombings of attacks on
Pakistani authorities in response to mistreatment and
neglect of the Baloch province in Pakistan.
In 1948 Akbar Bugti was sent for administraitive training to the
C.S.P Academy in Lahore. After independence and partition,
Baluchistan was not a full-fledged province but still a centrally
. administrated area, and in 1950 he became one of the two
advisors on the Baluchistan Advisory Council towards bringing
about provincial status.[10]
Bugti was elected in a by-election to the National Assembly of
Pakistan in May 1958 to fill the vacancy created as a result of the
assassination of the incumbent, Dr Khan Sahib, and sat on the
government bench as a member of the ruling coalition. Bugti
(Republican) served as Minister of State (Interior) in the
government of Prime Minister Malik Sir Feroz Khan Noon
(Republican) from September 20, 1958, to October 7, 1958, when
the cabinet was dismissed on the declaration of Martial Law by
President Iskander Mirza.
He was arrested and convicted by a Military Tribunal in 1960 and
subsequently disqualified from holding public office. As a result
of his legal battles, he did not contest the 1970 general elections.
Instead, he campaigned on behalf of his younger brother, Sardar
Ahmed Nawaz Bugti, a candidate of the National Awami Party.
However, Bugti developed differences with the NAP leadership,
especially the new Balochistan Governor, Ghaus Baksh Bizenjo. He .
informed the Federal Government and President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
(Pakistan Peoples Party) of the alleged London Plan, which resulted in
the dismissal of the provincial governor as well as the Chief Minister
Sardar Ataullah Khan Mengal and his cabinet on February 14, 1973. The
next day, the Federal Government appointed Bugti as the Governor of
Balochistan, and the Pakistan Army was deployed in the province as part
of a crackdown on the National Awami Party.
He resigned on January 1, 1974, after disagreeing with the manner in
which the Federal Government was carrying out policies in Balochistan.
The army had deployed 100,000 men in Balochistan killed large
numbers of Balochis. The Pakistani army is alleged to have killed more
than 4000 Balochi, mostly Marri insurgents, in these operations.
There was a lull in his activities when General Rahimuddin Khan was
appointed Governor of Balochistan in 1978. Bugti remained silent
throughout the course of Rahimuddin's rule, which was often
characterized by hostility towards the Baloch Sardars.
In 1988, he joined the Balochistan National Alliance and was elected
Chief Minister on February 4, 1989. His government frequently
disagreed with the Federal Government led by the Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto (Pakistan Peoples Party).
.
Bugti resigned on August 6, 1990, when the provincial assembly
was dissolved by Governor of Balochistan General Muhammad
Musa in accordance with the instructions of President Ghulam
Ishaq Khan, who was exercising his authority by virtue of Article
58 (2 b) of the Constitution of Pakistan. For the 1990 General
Elections, Bugti formed his own political party, the Jamhoori
Watan Party (JWP), being Balochistan's single largest party and
was elected to the provincial assembly.
In 1993, he was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan,
representing the JWP in parliament. Also, in 1993, Nawab Bugti
announced his candidacy to be President of Pakistan but later
withdrew his candidacy and announced his support of the
eventual winner, Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari. In 1997,
Nawab Bugti was re-elected to the National Assembly of
Pakistan, representing the JWP.
.
Mir Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo (Urdu/Baloch: میرغوث
) بخش بزنجوwas a prominent Balochi politician of
Balochistan, Pakistan. He was born in Nal in either
December 1917[citation needed] His father's name was Safar
Khan. One of the founding members of the National
Awami Party, he served as the Governor of Balochistan
from 1972 to 1973 and was a key signatory to Pakistans
first constitution
.
The Mengal tribe is one of the largest Brahui Speaking
Baloch tribe. Mengal people speak Brahui, a Dravidian
language that has been heavily influenced by other Iranian
languages spoken in the area, especially Balochi.[1][2] The
Mengal are now closely linked to the Baloch people, with
whom they have substantially intermingled and whose
cultural traits they have absorbed. The tribe can be divided
in two major branches: Zagar Mengal and Shahizai Mengal.
Tribal area
The Mengal tribal area is around 70,000 square miles
(180,000 km2), stretching from the Helmand River in the
North to Lasbela District in the south, and bordering on
the province of Sindh to the east.[3]
Politics
For many years the Mengal tribe has been seeking greater autonomy from the .
Pakistan government.[4][5][6] The Pakistani government and the Mengals have
been clashing for the past four decades, for various reasons.[7][8] Large-scale
military operations were carried out in the area of Khuzdar in the 1960s and
1970s. In 1973, the Pakistani government headed by the former Prime Minister
Late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, with support of the Shah of Iran, carried out one of
the bloodiest military operations in the history of Balochistan against the
Mengal and Marri tribes which lasted for 5 years, during which around 35,000
Baloch fighters and 6000 army soldiers were killed.
Prominent People
( Sardar Asif Mengal Chief of Zagar Mengal)
Ataullah Mengal is a former Chief Minister of Balochistan.[9]
Akhtar Mengal is a former Chief Minister of Balochistan.[10]
Mir Gul Khan Naseer was a renowned poet, historian and politician and the
First Education Minister Of Balochistan.[citation needed]
Amir-ul-Mulk Mengal was Governor and Chief Justice of Balochistan.[11]
Mir Muhammad Naseer Mengal served as acting Chief Minister of
Balochistan[12] and as Pakistan's acting Minister of State for Petroleum and
Natural Resources.[13]
Mir Nooruddin Mengal was a prominent politician of Balochistan. He was
assassinated on 13 October 2010.[14][15]
Mir Lawang Khan Mengal was a famous politician and tribal leade
.
Sardar Akhtar Mengal (Urdu: )سردار اختر مینگلis a
former Chief Minister of the province of Balochistan in
Pakistan. He is the president of the Baloch political
party in the province, the Balochistan National Party
(BNP), and the son of prominent politician, Sardar
Ataullah Mengal.
.
Sardar Ataullah Khan Mengal (Urdu: سردار عطاہللا خان
,)مینگلpopularly known as Sardar Ataullah Mengal, is a
well-known political and feudal figure of Pakistan hailing
from Balochistan. He has been campaigning a nationalist
and separatist movement in Pakistan for over four decades.
He is the head of the Shahizai Mangal tribe. He was born
in 1929 in Wadh, and became the first Chief Minister of
Balochistan during Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's premiership from
May 1, 1972 to February 13, 1973.
It was reported that Sardar Ataullah Khan Mengal is one of
many candidates considered for the position of President
of Pakistan after the resignation of Pervez Musharraf.[1]
Joining National Awami Party
In 1958, Ataullah Mengal along with chief of Marri tribe Khair Bakhsh Marri joined the National
Awami Party (Wali) of Khan Wali Khan and developed a close friendship with Wali Khan over .
the next decade. Ghaus Bux Bizenjo and Gul Khan Nasir already were members of NAP.. In the
1970 general election, National Awami Party sweeped the provinces of Balochistan and North-
West Frontier Province, thus forming governments in each of them. In Balochistan, Ataullah
Mengal was made the first chief minister of the province.
Chief Minister of Balochistan
Ataullah Mengal is from an ancestry of powerful feudal sardars. He won the provincial seat from
his native Kohlu and was installed as the chief minister on 1 May 1972, the day the martial law was
lifted from the country. In his short time as Chief Minister he pushed through many initiatives,
in which the province's first university, medical college and board of secondary education were
set up as well as the first industrial city of the province, in Hub, Lasbela District.
Dismissal of NAP-led government
Despite Mengal's best efforts, the NAP government was plunged into several crises which
culminated with his governments dismissal.
The first of which was when the Balochistan police department, mostly officered by people from
Punjab or were Punjabis. As there was a provision that employees in the federating provinces
would return to their province of origin after the dissolution of the One Unit. Most of the officers
insisted on leaving this was despite the fact, Sardar Ataullah Mengal as chief minister moved a
resolution in the Balochistan Assembly to do away with the domicile category and suggested that
those who had spent several generations in the province should be treated as locals (Rahman
2006). Shaeed Sardar Arif Aziz Muhammed Hassani was also there. Shaheed Sardar Arif Aziz
Muhammed Hassani was also the member of NAP. and after that he joined the Baloch National
Movement that was the main history. It was later on alleged that the officers were incited to leave
through the efforts of PPP supporters and the then Chief Minister of Punjab Ghulam Mustafa
Khar.
Unable to exercise any effective authority, Ataullah Mengal turned to the Baloch Student
Organisation to assist in security.
Hyderabad tribunal
Main article: Hyderabad tribunal
Mir Gul Khan Nasir (Left), Ataullah Mengal (Middle) and Mir Ghaus
. Bakhsh Bizenjo (Right) in a historic group photo taken in Mach Jail
A commission, later known as Hyderabad tribunal, was set up by the
PPP-led government and was used to convict the NAP leaders, despite
its dubious legality and now discredited work. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the
then Prime Minister of Pakistan, also suppressed the insurgency in
Balochistan by using the air force and with the cooperation of the
regime of the Shah of Iran. Some tribals, however, did not join the
revolt and collaborated with the government in suppressing their co-
tribals. Among the tribals who collaborated with the government and
the Pakistani military-intelligence establishment were the Jamalis, led
by the family of Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, who became the premier
during General Pervez Musharraf's regime.
After the ouster of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's government by General
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, negotiations for the winding up of the
Hyderabad tribunal and the release of all detainees was initiated
leading to their eventual release in 1979
Differences with NAP leaders
By this time a clear divide between NAP leader Wali Khan and Baloch
leaders Ataullah Mengal and Ghaus Bux Bizenjo. Mengal and many
. other Baloch nationalists increasingly believed that the Army was
responsible for a brutal military operation and that they should be
opposed by force, whereas Wali Khan felt more personal bitterness
towards Ali Bhutto as he felt Bhutto had ordered his assassination on
more than one occasion. This divide turned into a total split when
Ataullah Mengal allied himself with Khair Bakhsh Marri and
attempted to take over the National Democratic Party (a successor to
the then banned NAP). Sherbaz Khan Mazari, president of the
National Democratic Party and a champion for the Baloch cause tried
to reconcile these differences but did not succeed. When this attempt
failed Ataullah Mengal left the party.
After Bhutto was deposed in a military coup by General Muhammad
Zia-ul-Haq in 1977, Rahimuddin Khan was appointed the province's
governor and martial law administrator, beginning a tenure
characterized by hostility towards the sardars. Mengal subsequently
went into exile and took sanctuary in the United Kingdom that year,
where he established contact with the authorities of the erstwhile
Soviet Union through the regime in Kabul and received financial and
logistics support from Moscow.
Assisting Afghan communists .
When the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), through Pakistan's Inter-
Services Intelligence (ISI), trained and armed the Afghan mujahideen
and other Islamic fundamentalist elements and used them to bleed the
Soviet troops in Afghanistan, the Marris and the Mengals kept away
from the anti-Soviet jihad and helped the KGB, the Soviet intelligence
agency, and the KHAD, the Afghan intelligence agency, in the
collection of intelligence regarding the activities of the CIA and the ISI
on the Pakistani side of the border.[
.
Sarwar Danish · Karim Khalili
Sima Samar · Habiba Sarabi
Sayed Anwar Rahmati · Abdul Haq Shafaq
Total population 3,435,000 [1] Regions with significant
populations Afghanistan 2,737,793 (2012 est.) [2] Iran 355,000
[3] Pakistan 111,000 [4] Australia 50,000[citation needed] European Union
180,000[citation needed] United Kingdom 54,230[citation needed] Turkey
33,320[citation needed] Canada 4,328 (2006 est.) [5] Languages Persian
(predominantly Dari and Hazaragi dialects)
Religion Shia Islam (Twelver and Ismaili), with a Sunni minority[6]
Hazāra (Persian: ) هزارهare a Persian-speaking people who mainly live
in central Afghanistan and in Pakistan. They are overwhelmingly Shiite
Muslims and comprise the third largest ethnic group of
Afghanistan,[7][8][9] forming about 9% (according to other sources[who?]
up to 18%) of the total population.[2][10][11] Over half a million Hazaras
live in neighbouring Pakistan (mostly in Quetta) and a similar number
in Iran.
In Pakistan today, most of the Hazara people live in the city of
Quetta, in Balochistan province. Localities in the city of Quetta
with prominent Hazara populations include Hazara Town and
Mehr Abad.
.
The Hazara ethnic minority has been facing discrimination in the province for
a long time, nevertheless, bloody violence perpetrated against the community
has risen very sharply in recent years.[49][50][51] Some 800 people including
women and children have been killed either in suicide attacks or targeted
shootings.[52] No one has been arrested to this date in connection with these
killings.[citation needed]
Literacy level among the Hazara community in Pakistan is relatively high[citation
needed] and they have integrated well into the social dynamics of the local
society. Saira Batool, a Hazara woman was one of the first female pilots in
Pakistan Air Force. Other notable Hazara include Qazi Mohammad Esa,
General Muhammad Musa, who served as Commander in Chief of the
Pakistani Army from 1958 to 1968, Air Marshal(r) Sharbat Ali Changezi,
Hussain Ali Yousafi slain chairman of the Hazara Democratic Party,[53] Syed
Nasir Ali Shah, MNA from Quetta. Agha Abbas and his son Agha Ghulam Ali,
owners of Agha Juice, a famous fruit juice outlet in the country since 1960, who
were murdered in [54] May 2003 and jan 2007. The political representation of
the community is served by Hazara Democratic Party, a secular liberal
democratic party, headed by Abdul Khaliq Hazara
However, Bugti developed differences with the NAP leadership,
especially the new Balochistan Governor, Ghaus Baksh Bizenjo. He .
informed the Federal Government and President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
(Pakistan Peoples Party) of the alleged London Plan, which resulted in
the dismissal of the provincial governor as well as the Chief Minister
Sardar Ataullah Khan Mengal and his cabinet on February 14, 1973. The
next day, the Federal Government appointed Bugti as the Governor of
Balochistan, and the Pakistan Army was deployed in the province as part
of a crackdown on the National Awami Party.
He resigned on January 1, 1974, after disagreeing with the manner in
which the Federal Government was carrying out policies in Balochistan.
The army had deployed 100,000 men in Balochistan killed large
numbers of Balochis. The Pakistani army is alleged to have killed more
than 4000 Balochi, mostly Marri insurgents, in these operations.
There was a lull in his activities when General Rahimuddin Khan was
appointed Governor of Balochistan in 1978. Bugti remained silent
throughout the course of Rahimuddin's rule, which was often
characterized by hostility towards the Baloch Sardars.
In 1988, he joined the Balochistan National Alliance and was elected
Chief Minister on February 4, 1989. His government frequently
disagreed with the Federal Government led by the Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto (Pakistan Peoples Party).
.
Bugti resigned on August 6, 1990, when the provincial assembly
was dissolved by Governor of Balochistan General Muhammad
Musa in accordance with the instructions of President Ghulam
Ishaq Khan, who was exercising his authority by virtue of Article
58 (2 b) of the Constitution of Pakistan. For the 1990 General
Elections, Bugti formed his own political party, the Jamhoori
Watan Party (JWP), being Balochistan's single largest party and
was elected to the provincial assembly.
In 1993, he was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan,
representing the JWP in parliament. Also, in 1993, Nawab Bugti
announced his candidacy to be President of Pakistan but later
withdrew his candidacy and announced his support of the
eventual winner, Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari. In 1997,
Nawab Bugti was re-elected to the National Assembly of
Pakistan, representing the JWP.
.
Mir Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo (Urdu/Baloch: میرغوث
) بخش بزنجوwas a prominent Balochi politician of
Balochistan, Pakistan. He was born in Nal in either
December 1917[citation needed] His father's name was Safar
Khan. One of the founding members of the National
Awami Party, he served as the Governor of Balochistan
from 1972 to 1973 and was a key signatory to Pakistans
first constitution
.
The Mengal tribe is one of the largest Brahui Speaking
Baloch tribe. Mengal people speak Brahui, a Dravidian
language that has been heavily influenced by other Iranian
languages spoken in the area, especially Balochi.[1][2] The
Mengal are now closely linked to the Baloch people, with
whom they have substantially intermingled and whose
cultural traits they have absorbed. The tribe can be divided
in two major branches: Zagar Mengal and Shahizai Mengal.
Tribal area
The Mengal tribal area is around 70,000 square miles
(180,000 km2), stretching from the Helmand River in the
North to Lasbela District in the south, and bordering on
the province of Sindh to the east.[3]
Politics
For many years the Mengal tribe has been seeking greater autonomy from the .
Pakistan government.[4][5][6] The Pakistani government and the Mengals have
been clashing for the past four decades, for various reasons.[7][8] Large-scale
military operations were carried out in the area of Khuzdar in the 1960s and
1970s. In 1973, the Pakistani government headed by the former Prime Minister
Late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, with support of the Shah of Iran, carried out one of
the bloodiest military operations in the history of Balochistan against the
Mengal and Marri tribes which lasted for 5 years, during which around 35,000
Baloch fighters and 6000 army soldiers were killed.
Prominent People
( Sardar Asif Mengal Chief of Zagar Mengal)
Ataullah Mengal is a former Chief Minister of Balochistan.[9]
Akhtar Mengal is a former Chief Minister of Balochistan.[10]
Mir Gul Khan Naseer was a renowned poet, historian and politician and the
First Education Minister Of Balochistan.[citation needed]
Amir-ul-Mulk Mengal was Governor and Chief Justice of Balochistan.[11]
Mir Muhammad Naseer Mengal served as acting Chief Minister of
Balochistan[12] and as Pakistan's acting Minister of State for Petroleum and
Natural Resources.[13]
Mir Nooruddin Mengal was a prominent politician of Balochistan. He was
assassinated on 13 October 2010.[14][15]
Mir Lawang Khan Mengal was a famous politician and tribal leade
.
Sardar Akhtar Mengal (Urdu: )سردار اختر مینگلis a
former Chief Minister of the province of Balochistan in
Pakistan. He is the president of the Baloch political
party in the province, the Balochistan National Party
(BNP), and the son of prominent politician, Sardar
Ataullah Mengal.
.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (also Baloch
Liberation Army or Balochistan Liberation Army)
(BLA) is a militant group based in Balochistan, a
mountainous region within southern Iran and
Pakistan. The organization is a participant in the
Balochistan conflict and strives to establish an
independent state of Balochistan, free of Pakistani and
Iranian rule. The Baloch Liberation Army became
publicly known during the summer of 2000, after it
claimed credit for a series of bombings of attacks on
Pakistani authorities in response to mistreatment and
neglect of the Baloch province in Pakistan.