Chicago Summit, Afghanistan exit strategy and Pakistan army

Amidst well-coordinated bold terrorist attacks, a growing indication of strong logistical and planning support from places beyond Afghanistan’s boundaries, and early morning Presidential press conferences, both sides in Afghanistan are claiming a victory. What is certain is that international force will start withdrawing from Afghanistan sooner than later. It therefore, should not be surprising if Pakistan’s army is busy in damage control with regard to its relationships with Taliban.  Traditionally Pakistan and Iran have been on the same page when it came to suppressing Baloch nation, whose land is divided between the two countries, but in Afghanistan they have had their differences on the choice of partners. But during the recent attacks on NATO supply line by the so called non state actors or ISI’s implementing partners and subsequent block on NATO supplies by Pakistan’s Army, the Iranian President rushed to Pakistan and following two issues were at the forefront of the agenda,

·         Coordinated military action against Baloch nationalist and Jundullah on Pakistan and Iranian occupied part of Baloch homeland respectively, to facilitate development of gas pipeline between two countries.  

·         Pushing their respective militant groups in Afghanistan and agreeing on a power sharing mechanism after withdrawal of international forces.

As was expected Pakistan’s military has decided to reopen NATO supply line but not without additional conditions. The GHQ in Pakistan is one of the best pundits of American foreign policy and internal politics simply because it’s the American tax payers money that for generations supported the lavish life style of Pakistan’s army generals from Ayub Khan to General Kiyani, off course the ISI chiefs including the mastermind behind Haqqni network, Hameed Gul, have also been amongst top beneficiaries. Therefore Pakistan army was not expected to let go of such an important source of funding and the fact of the matter is that Pakistan’s army prefers to play the middle man. Their longstanding relationship with pentagon and west has convinced them that they can, and always have, played on both sides.

Another important issue that made Pakistan’s generals (parliaments committees are a joke) to reopen the supply line was growing international and especially US concern on human rights violations in Balochistan. Again Pakistan’s army generals realize that their brutalities against Baloch civilians during President Musharraf’s era were completely brushed under the carpet by west because of their halfhearted and dual role in war against religious militants in the region hence they have decided to travel the same path so that the genocide of Baloch nation could go on without any reaction from western democracies. Besides Pakistan’s regular army and FC the ISI sponsored group “Defense of Pakistan” has also announced Jihad against Baloch civilians and political activists. One of the major organizations in Defense of Pakistan is Jammat u Dawa that has already decided a comprehensive multifactorial “Balochistan plan” which comprises of attacking Baloch nationalists, student activists, journalists and freedom fighters on one end and establishing free medical treatment camps on the other. It must be noted that Pakistan’s military and its allied religious militant groups do not allow local and international neutral NGOs to operate in Balochistan but Jammat u Dawa, despite its militant wing and announcement of war against Baloch, has been granted access by Pakistan’s secret agencies. 

 Meanwhile, Baloch are being hunted by Pakistan’s military and paramilitary forces in their own homeland as well as Baloch diaspora overseas is threatened, intimidated and constantly ridiculed by Pakistan’s consulates throughout the west. Likewise pro-Pakistan groups in the west are busy stepping up their hate campaign against small number of Baloch diaspora in the west. Baloch under Pakistan’s occupation are worried about their well-being and are economically crippled. It’s becoming exceptionally hard for Baloch nation to feed their children. Internationally Baloch diaspora are the least funded and supported group of all stateless people in the world. Among stateless people in the western cities such as Kurds, Tamils, Palestinians, Kashmiris, Baloch diaspora has the lowest per capita income. It is ironic that Pakistan continues its forcible occupation of Baloch homeland and genocide of Baloch nation and yet it claims billions of dollars from international community to give them access to routes that travel entirely through Baloch homeland to southern Afghanistan. In Pakistan thousands of Baloch civilians have been targeted by military operations and at least 300 students, activists, and nationalist leaders have been killed in custody by Pakistan’s secret agencies. Internationally Baloch do not have a single office in the entire North America a region that spends billions of dollars of Pakistan’s army that is the brutal killer of Baloch civilians.

Nuclear armed Pakistan army is far more dangerous than any other militant organization in the world especially when many of its high level officers have been arrested in the past few years trying to mastermind a religious coup within military. Empowerment of Baloch nation is essential to resist Pakistan’s sinister designs for the region and to establish a neutral, liberal and stable state along the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Western leaders and Governments have not supported this idea thus far, but it must be kept in mind that with the fall of liberal, peace loving Baloch nation in the region Afghanistan will regrow into a ghost that it once was and will haunt world peace for centuries.

Pakistan’s ISI launches holy war against “Baloch” and NATO supply line in Pakistan

Formal announcement was made by such powerful ISI partners as Jammat u Dawa,, leaders from Kashmiri jihadi groups and other likeminded militant organizations who are brought under one umbrella called “Defense of Pakistan”. In Balochistan a similar shadowy organizationhas been claiming the killings of Baloch activists in past on the pretext thatBaloch political activists are agents of India and Jews. This announcement of Jihad against Baloch and NATO supplies was cheered by such prominent military figures as Hamid Gul and son of former army chief and dictator Zia ul Haq. MeanwhilePakistan and Iran in their recent high level discussions have agreed to carry on with controversial gas pipeline project that travels through heart of Baloch homeland, a territory jointly occupied by Iran and Pakistan. Recent visit of Iranian president to Pakistan was specifically focused on suppressing Baloch national struggle for freedom and an agreement on political power sharing in Afghanistan after NATO withdrawal in near future.

Baloch freedom struggle, an indigenous secular movement that has been going on since occupation of Balochistan by Pakistani forces, has a strange relationship with western powers. During Afghan war eara Baloch were fighting with militant religious forces then called “mujahedeen” but western governments were pouring money and equipment to these religious militant outfits to defeat Soviet Union.In recent times Pakistan’s Army under Musharraf dictatorship received billions of dollars in aid and military equipment to fight Taliban’s. It has been now documented that the surveillance equipment and military funds were used for
genocide of secular Baloch people whereas Pakistan’s military provided safe heavens to international religious terrorists. Pakistan’s military kept Osama Bin Ladin in a fortress at military town away from battle zone and US drone attacks. Similarly key Taliban leaders are based in Quetta and Loralai Cantonment areas, where they are busy planning sophisticated attacks on NATO forces in Afghanistan.

NowISI is coordinating a second group of loosely linked militant terrorist organizations such as Jammat u Dawa, Kashmiri groups and some local religious group to launch a holy war against Baloch and NATO supply line through Balochistan, with an objective to annihilate secular Baloch nationalist groups and increase attacks on NATO supplies (once they are open) by non-state actors. It seems probable that Pakistan’s ISI and Iran’s regime have been to set aside their differences, at least temporarily, on their preference for Shite and Sunni religious militant groups in Afghanistan.

Creationof an independent, secular and stable Balochistan is the best option to prevent ISI involvement in Southern Afghanistan as well as putting adequate pressure on Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. An independent Balochistan also offers a safe route for logistic supplies to Afghanistan and elsewhere in the region through its Gawader port. But it requires, on part of western policy makers, a major shift from reliance on Pakistan’s military and ISI to supporting indigenous national independence freedom movement of Baloch nation.

Baloch stay away from Pakistan’s Pro-Taliban “All Parties Conference”.

The coordination between various stakeholders in Baloch freedom movement may not be ideal, but a recent decision by Baloch leaders in different parties to stay away from Pakistan’s pro-Taliban “all parties’ conference” seems to be a joint decision. Baloch have been campaigning against the Pakistan military sponsored talibanization in Pashtun districts of Balochistan since early days of Afghan war during Pakistani General Zia Ul Haq’s era. The absence from “APC” shows that Baloch are not interested in Pakistan’s pro-Taliban policy , and seek an end to Pakistan military’s support to Pro-Taliban religious elements.

Pakistan army and its secret agencies have intensified its “kill and dump” policies in Balochistan despite various reports and warnings by international human rights organizations. Mere reports seem to have little effect on Pakistan’s military and it continues with its crimes against humanity in Balochistan, where young Baloch students, political activists, lawyers, journalists, doctors and social workers are forcibly disappeared and their mutilated bodies’ surface on roadsides.

When the Prime Minister of Pakistan traveled to Quetta and delivered his eloquent speech about reconciliation, the same week Baloch nation received 6 mutilated dead bodies, that speaks volumes for Pakistan’s reconciliation and political process in Balochistan. Until and unless United Nations and international community decides to intervene and take notice of Pakistan’s atrocities against Baloch nation, Pakistan military and secret agencies will continue their “kill and dump” policies in Balochistan.

Pakistan rejects human rights reports and commandant frontier constabulary vows to intensify “Action” In Balochistan

If there were any misconceptions in any one’s mind that Pakistan was going to abandon its systematic genocide of Baloch nation just because; Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, Asian Human Rights Commision or even United Nations for that purpose , condemned the brutalities of Pakistan’s forces in Balochistan. These should be clear by now as the commandant of Pakistan’s Frontier Constabulary has announced recently that soon there will be “Peace” in Balochistan.

The salient features of Military’s peace process in Balochistan has included,

• An onslaught on Baloch homeland soon after the creation of Pakistan

• Occupation of Baloch homeland by force against wishes of Baloch nation

• A military action against Baloch tribes in 1970s with resultant migration of thousands of Baloch tribes to Afghanistan (especially the Marri tribes)

• Nuclear tests inside Baloch civilian population

• Intensification of military operation against Baloch nation in 2000 and military attacks on Dear Bugti, Kohlu, Awaran, Noushki, Punjgur and other areas in Balochistan.

• Target killings of Baloch leaders, students, lawyers, activists and professors

• Enforced disappearance (abduction) of more than 14000 Baloch civilians

• Torturing and shooting of more than 250 Baloch students, activists ,journalists , lawyers, and political workers


After all of the above when finally international community has started paying attention to gross human rights violations in Balochistan, Pakistan’s generals instead of apologizing for the heinous crimes against humanity are promising to intensify the genocide of Baloch nation, and yes they call it “peace”. It’s the same similar peace that Pakistan is promoting in Afghanistan, Kashmir and even in Mumbai through its “Partners in Peace Process” these partners include such terrorist organizations as Taliban, Jammat E Dawa, and others.


At this moment Baloch nation and families of enforced disappearance victims are looking towards international community to do more than just words…..

Is Pakistan Military getting ready for yet another take over?

Since OBL's death in a military town of Pakistan, army has literally taken over the country’s foreign office not that it was ever under complete civilian control but usually during civilian times army does not order / manage day to day activities of foreign office. But Pakistan’s general are in aggressive mood, the head of the Government was dispatched to China immediately to make sure China keeps supporting Pakistan military , as it always has.

Coincidently, the Taliban attacks in Southern Afghanistan have been on the rise and also the brutalities of Pakistan’s forces (Frontier Constabulary and secret agencies) have increased in Balochistan. The number of mutilated dead bodies found along road sides in Balochistan has increased, these are the bodies of Baloch activists, students, lawyers, engineers, doctors, professors and civilians who are abducted (forced disappearances) , tortured and killed by Pakistan’s secret agencies and forces.

Taliban are the precious assets of Pakistan’s inter-services intelligence agency and hence their activities reflect the temperature in control rooms of GHQ. Baloch have long been labeled and marketed by Pro-Taliban media in Pakistan as agents of India and Jews and therefore whenever army needs a boost in morale they launch a massive operation in Balochistan to support their ongoing systemic genocide of Baloch nation.

It seems clear that army has decided to intensify its genocide of Baloch nation; large deployments of Frontier Constabulary in Balochistan, a few hundred miles from Afghan border also make it easier for Pakistan’s Frontier Constabulary (Pashtu speaking) to cross the border and help their Taliban brethren. Something that Pakistan’s forces have been doing in the past.


Baloch are resisting the assault of Pakistan’s forces as much as they can but a civilian population without outside support cannot fight an army that has no regard for human rights. The civilized world is still trying to “work with Pakistan military” but it seems clear that very soon the military in Pakistan will be taking over again.
Generals in Pakistan army consider civilian government too incompetent to defend them and hence they want to be on the negotiation table alone with no bloody civilians around. Working with army during Zia and Musharraf regimes did not solve the problem of Pakistan supported terrorism and wooing Kiyani and Pasha would not be any different.

Afghanistan …is the job really done?

(Watch this video before you read)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_aqpta4H40


After years of presence the international commanders are working on putting together an exit strategy. The troops are expected to start their journey back home any time during fall 2011. It’s a critical moment for peace, stability, and future of not only Afghanistan but the entire region.
Leaving Afghanistan in the past after collapse of USSR may have been a contributing factor that turned Afghanistan into safe haven for terrorists but that’s not the root cause. It was the ambitious thinking (to rule Afghanistan through Taliban and subdue India by Jihadists) on part of Pakistan army and ISI that lead to catastrophic events including 9/11.
Despite the complex power point presentations that Pentagon staff is famous for, the conceptual frame work for military endeavors in Afghanistan has always been straight forward that is to give Pakistani Generals the money they wanted and hope they do the best. This time around the only difference is the actual presence of American forces in Afghanistan and now they will start pulling out soon.
This simple approach could have proved beneficial if, Pakistan army generals were willing to do their part honestly something which they are being paid for. It’s an open secret now that ISI and Pakistan military’s future plans for Afghanistan are drastically different from what Pentagon and NATO plans.

A more difficult but logical approach to Afghan situation would have included taking the nations that are fighting against Talibanization in the region into confidence. For instance Baloch nation gained their freedom from British rule before Pakistan but their homeland has been occupied by Pakistan since its creation. Iran also occupies a large part of Baloch territory and Taliban minded forces of both Iran and Pakistan are busy killing liberal, peace loving and democratic Baloch people in their own homeland.

The fact of the matter is that Baloch nation is fighting against two most brutal armies in the world (Pakistani army and Iranian army) and at the same time the Taliban militants of Pakistan army are also targeting liberal Baloch nationalists. It’s the most systematic genocide of any nation going on in recent times. The international community instead of supporting Baloch struggle for independence from Pakistan and Iran is supporting Pakistan army. The result of such a policy towards Pakistan would only strengthen Taliban activities in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the region.

The only practical exit strategy from Afghanistan would be building relationships with people and nations that are fighting against Taliban’s and Pakistan army. Baloch nation is fighting against Talibanization in Balochstan and moral support for Baloch cause from international community could add to stability of the region in the future.

Abdul Malik Reiki another Baloch Leader killed by Iran’s fascist Government

Baloch homeland is occupied by different countries like Pakistan and Iran and Baloch nation is forced to live under the fascist regimes of Iran and Pakistan. Baloch homeland is divided between Iran and Pakistan by a false international border “Goldsmith Line”. But Baloch on both sides of “Goldsmith Line” are treated in the same way. Iran and Pakistan keep on exploiting natural resources in Baloch Homeland but deny even the basic human rights to Baloch nation. Lack of freedom of speech and use of force against innocent Baloch civilians has forced Baloch nation on both sides of Goldsmith line in Balochistan and Siestan to take up arms in self defense.
Both Iranian and Pakistan Governments have a similar policy when it comes to exploitation of natural resources in Baloch Homeland and suppressing Baloch Struggle for Freedom. Baloch nation on both sides of Goldsmith line has been fighting for its independence from Iran and Pakistan. Pakistan Government has targeted many Baloch leaders including Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, Mir Balach Marri, Ghulam Muhammad Baloch and many others including thousands of innocent civilians, kidnapped and tortured Baloch political activists and Baloch students.
In Siestan (western Balochistan occupied by Iran) Jundallah initially organized its resistance movement on demands based on equal rights for minority SUNNIES (Baloch) in a Shia majority country. The Baloch in Iran are denied all basic human rights including the right to speak in their mother tongue (Balochi). Abdul Malik Reiki became the voice of Baloch nation in Iran. He was very popular on both sides of Goldsmith line even though he was using a religious tone still it was obvious he was fighting for rights of Baloch nation.
There was a witch hunt going on, on both sides of Goldsmith line Pakistani and Iranian Governments were desperate to kill this voice which was demanding rights for Baloch nation and was targeting fascist Iranian regime. Finally Iran was able to intercept a flight in its air and arrest Abdul Malik Reiki once he was arrested it was obvious he would be hanged. Iran hangs large number of innocent Baloch people every month how was such a fascist regime going to give Abdul Mali Reiki a fair trial.

But Baloch Struggle for Freedom will go on despite the killings of leaders on both sides of Goldsmith line in fact it’s the blood of martyrs that has strengthened and sustained this struggle. Killing of Abdul Malik Reiki has sparked anger in Baloch nation and there are also signs that Jundallah has in principal agreed to organize its struggle on a secular ideology. The ultimate objective of Baloch Struggle on both sides of Goldsmith line is creation of an independent Baloch State “Greater Balochistan”.