By
Sajjad Shaukat
Because of the ideal strategic location of its province
Balochistan and being the lonely nuclear country in the Islamic World, Pakistan
has become special target of the foreign entities like US, India, Israel and
some western countries whose secret agencies have been destabilizing it through
various kinds of terror attacks, as witnessed in the recent years. These
hostile elements are also using propaganda in maligning Pakistan.
In this regard, in a recent report, Asian Human Rights Commission
(AHRC) blamed that the government, military and Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs)
of Pakistan are involved in elimination of Baloch people by adopting tactics of
disappearances and extra-judicial killings under the canopy of National Action
Plan (NAP). AHRC allegedly pointed out that the government and military
are involved in creating and supporting Islamist extremist groups to manage
domestic political challenges in Balochistan.
Report further elaborated that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC) has again provoked the government to commence a new phase of military
operation in Balochistan to curb the popular demands for autonomy and equal
rights in comparison with other provinces.
While, there is no confirmation and authenticity of any
involvement of Armed Forces/LEAs/ Agencies in the said report. But, to make
their donors happy (who are mostly from European Countries, USA, India and
Israel) are highly opposed to CPEC project. In fact, AHRC is spreading
disinformation to achieve the grand designs of these countries by creating
hurdles in the way of CPEC.
For the purpose of propaganda campaign against Pakistan’s security
forces, these external elements have also hired the services of those
Pakistanis who are vulnerable and can work against the national interest of
their own country.
According to online sources, on 28-30 October 2016, these traitors
get together and a conference titled “Future of Pakistan” was organized in
London under aegis of South Asians against Terrorism & for Human Rights
(SAATH). The moot was termed by segment of social media as “Pakistani Left
Gathers in London to Set Things Right”. SAATH can be reached at www.saathforum.org; however this website has not updated any features as yet.
SAATH is a recently raised forum and the conference which was
co-hosted by a US-based activist Dr Mohammad Taqi and Pakistan’s former
ambassador Hussain Haqqani. Other prominent participants included ANP leaders
Bushra Gohar, Afrasiab Khattak, MQM London leader Wasay Jalil,
ex-diplomats-Wajid Shamsul Hassan, Hussain Haqqani, columnists and
academicians-Rashed Rehman, Dr Ayesha Siddiqa, Marvi Sermad, Gul Bukhari, Dr
Taimur Rahman of Laal and Mazdoor Kisan Party, activists and anchors-Anis
Harooni, Asma Sherazi, Meena Sarwar, Shah Jahan Baloch (represent Baloch HR
group), Saleem Javed (Sweden based HR activist from Hazara Community), Senge
Hasnan Sering (USA based Giglit-Baltistan activist), Sufi Leghari, Dr Haroon
Ahmad, Prof Aqil Shah, author Dr Farhat Taj, journalists Murtaza Solangi, Umber
Khairi, Babar Ayaz and many others.
All major Indian papers and channels and major Pakistani
newspapers gave wide coverage to the moot. The speeches of selected
participants are also available on YouTube.
They gathered in the cozy London, away from the gaze of the feared
establishment, to vent their views under the patronage of Hussain Haqqani. The
aim of SAATH forum was to put their heads together to find an alternative
narrative to get rid of the Albatross hanging in Pakistan’s neck, the
establishment. Hussain Haqqani commenced in a lighter tone with jokes and
giggles and laughter to purify Pakistani well from the stink created by the
dead dog and everyone laughed and clapped acknowledging the hint, who this dead
dog was being referred to.
Some important remarks by participants from videos released on
YouTube are as under:-
Murtaza Solangi said, “We know who the elephant in the room is;
smaller provinces are forcefully bound in Pakistan, it’s a prison and Pakistan
is heading into a direction which will make it worse than Yugoslavia. The forum
should develop a monitoring mechanism for implementation of its aims and
objectives.”
Farheen Rizvi (MQM activist and blogger) stated, “The Rangers
break in our homes in Karachi and abuse our people in Punjab…they beat our
youth and ridicule our being Mohajirs. We need to augment our intellectual
resources, why cannot all of us here write at least one article or blog to
raise the issue of suppression of Mohajir community.”
Sufi Laghari allegedly said, “Although we the Sindhis and Balochis
have coexisted in Pakistan till today, our remaining in one Pakistan has become
very difficult, we need Azadi (Freedom).
Dr Anis Harooni as pointed out by Rashed Rehman said, “There
is a Karkhana in Pakistan which labels people as traitors, I don’t need a
certificate for my loyalty, we are told to talk to establishment, how we can
trust them when they bulldoze their narrative on our heads. Out of 25 million
Pakistani children out of schools almost 2.5 lacs land up in Madrissas, how can
we bring change?”
Bushra Gauhar (ANP) opined, “We are all defensive,
Balochistan is burning, FATA has been raised to ground, Pakistan in self
destructive mode and our neighbours are angry, part time activism should stop
now and we need to continuously work to change the narrative in Pakistan.”
Dr Ayesha Siddiqa remarked, “We all know who the dog in the well
is; however we are all part of the problem and need to peruse the goals of the
conference with consistency and vigor.”
Tahir Gora of TAG TV Canada Interviewed Altaf Hussain, as Tahir
Gora and selected members of SAATH forum called on Altaf Hussain for an
interview which was arranged to show Altaf Hussain in good spirit. However;
Altaf Hussain showed a sublime and accommodative posture; he highlighted the
rights of Mohajir community. Tahir Gora runs an exclusive programme on TAG TV
including people like Tariq Fateh etc.
The timing of holding this forum was interesting, Pakistani Line
of Control (LoC) is under direct assault from the Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi Modi’s boys, terrorists—stepping up in Balochistan and
Karachi—Cyril gate and specter of Pakistan’s diplomatic isolation and
Doval-Modi circus going in full swing to isolate Pakistan and build up the
bogey of Giglit-Baltistan and Balochistan to deflect the attention away from
the year of Pellet Guns and Dead Eyes in Kashmir.
Nevertheless, SAATH forum has been able to get maximum attention
in Indian press and electronic media. Recent weeks also saw resonating articles
in Pakistani press, where criticism of military operation Zarb-e-Azb and need
for an alternative discourse and narrative was highlighted. It is expected that
the charade of assault on Pakistan Army and its primary intelligence agency ISI
would not only grow in coming days, but also become more sophisticated and
intense.
Nonetheless, at the end of the moot, journalist Rashed Rehman read
out “London Declaration for Pakistani Pluralism” which had following points:-
It is sad and disconcerting that instead of dealing real issues
with the help of fresh ideas espoused by broad-minded Pakistanis, the Pakistani
state tends to appease or nurture religious extremists, propagates religious
extremism and allows it free spread in society, and persistently misinforms the
people of Pakistan about the realities of our country.
The Pakistani state, regrettably, expresses a continued
willingness to engage with religious extremists and terrorists, and sometimes
even talks of formally inducting Jihadi terrorist groups into the state’s
paramilitary structure but remains hostile to liberal, progressive and
nationalist groupings within Pakistan. Political parties representing Baloch,
Muhajir, Sindhi, and Pashtun segments of Pakistan’s population have been
targeted by both state repression and hostile propaganda aimed at
de-legitimizing them even when they have won clear electoral mandates form the
people.
Participants of today’s conference are a diverse array of people,
united by the desire for a pluralist and tolerant Pakistan that abides by
internationally recognized human rights, allow full and free debate, treats all
its people and nationalities fairly and is no longer seen around the world as
an incubator for terrorism.
While, talking to Hindustan Times, Hussain Haqqani stated “If
Pakistan wants to avoid big pressure from the rest of the world; it has to
change from within. The current narrative of the establishment is untenable.”
As matter of fact, the main aims of these traitors were to share
the malicious propaganda of the anti-Pakistan elements by marginalization of
the Baloch and other minorities by “Punjabi majoritarianism”, showing crises of
identity.
In this respect, Shahjahan Baloch who strongly opposed the $46
billion CPEC by saying that the project had adversely affected Balochistan and
recalled the killing of dozens of lawyers and police cadets in the province in
the recent past, elaborated, “It is wrong to say there is democracy in
Balochistan. We don’t want the development brought by CPEC. I have lost so many
friends. Who will want the fruits of such development that comes with so many
killings? We only want the right to life”.
And recounting the military’s pervasive role in public life,
speakers of the conference stated that the army was not involved in image and
narrative management, with major investment in films, radio and theatre to
“capture the mind before it gets ideas…to strengthen democracy, the military
needs to be put on the back foot, news media in Pakistan was not being allowed
to convey ground realities to the people.”
They emphasized the need for a dialogue for unity among various
ethnic groups. The conference also concluded that Pakistan faces the risk of
global isolation because of widespread obscurantism, growing intolerance, lack
of rule of law, along with official support for extremism and general disregard
for human rights.
It is surprising to note that while pursuing foreign agenda against
Pakistan, the participants of the conference ignored ground realities and
facts. They neglected the statement of Indian spy Kulbushan Yadav who admitted
that he was assigned with the task to create unrest in Karachi and Balolchitan
by stating, “I supported the individuals who worked to destabilize Pakistan…I
promoted the criminal mindset that was there in Balochistan.” Another task
assigned to him was to target the Gwadar Port. Yadav also confessed—funding
Baloch separatists along with other terrorists. During
investigation, RAW agent Yadav admitted that during his stay, he contacted
various Baloch separatist leaders and insurgents, including Dr Allah Nazar
Baloch, to execute the task to damage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
project.
In the recent past, Indian former Army Chief Gen. VK Singh openly
confessed that during his tenure, he supervised special army unit, Tactical
Support Division (TSD) on the instructions of the then defence minister to
sponsor subversive acts in Pakistan, especially in Balochistan.
The participants of the conference must know that these blatant
admissions by New Delhi endorsed that with the assistance of CIA and Israeli
Mossad, RAW has well-established its network in Afghanistan. These secret
agencies have been fully backing cross-border incursions and terror-activities
in Balochistan, Karachi and other regions of Pakistan, while providing the
anti-Pakistan elements to manipulate the situation. With the tactical
assistance of America and some western countries, India has continuously been
assisting the Baloch separatist elements and anti-Pakistan groups like BLA,
Jundullah and TTP including their affiliated outfits with logistic support—the
militants kidnapped and killed many innocent people and the security personnel
in the province through suicide attacks, bomb blasts, targeted killings and
sectarian violence. They also abducted and killed many Chinese and Iranian
nationals. Therefore, they are responsible for dumped bodies and extrajudicial
killings and the missing persons in the province. On a number of occasions,
these insurgent groups claimed responsibility for their acts of sabotage, but
India and some external powers have been shifting the blame game of human
rights violations in Balochistan and other areas of the country towards Pak
Army.
In this context, these traitors’ purpose is to create resentment
among the Baloch, Sindhis, people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan
against Punjab and Army.
Whereas Army has not only been successful in uprooting the
anti-state elements, but also contributed a lot in socio-economic development
of Balochistan. It is mentionable that besides protecting mega projects, and
promoting other developments works, Pak Army set up a number of institutes in
Balochistan, which have been providing especially technical training to
thousands of Balochis. Pak Army has also been imparting military training to
the Baloch youth. The purpose is to bring them in the mainstream of the
country.
As a result of the general elections 2013, the government led by a
nationalist leader Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch was
established. And on December 7, 2013; local bodies elections were largely held
in a peaceful manner in Balochistan. The successful elections have greatly
negated the cause of terrorist groups, who always claim to enjoy the majority
support. These elections also proved that majority of the Baloch are loyal to
the federation, as they have rejected the case of separatists, being projected
by India.
The speakers of the conference should also take cognizance of the
fact that since the government of the Balochistan province announced
general pardon and protection to the Baloch militants as part of reconciliation
process, many insurgents and their leaders have surrendered their arms and
decided to work for the development of Pakistan and the province, peace has
been restored in the Balochistan. But, recent
terror attacks in Balochistan show that the US-led India and Israel have again
started acts of sabotage in the province.
Besides, the Rangers and the police have also restored peace in
Karachi. Notably, since the anti-Pakistan foreign connections of the former
chief of MQM Altaf Hussain have been exposed, a division has been created in
the ranks and files of MQM, resulting into London-based MQM and Karachi-based
MQM.
The participants of the forum in London remained silent over the
gross human rights violations in India and the Indian Occupied
Kashmir—promotion of Hindu extremism in India, the plight of religious
minorities. While following the foreign agenda against Islamabad, they did not
pay attention to the developments like persecution of minorities, forced
conversions of other religious minorities into Hindus, ban on beef and cow
slaughter, inclusion of Hindu religious books in curriculum etc., and creation
of war-like situation with Pakistan, which have continued since the leader of
the ruling party BJP Narendra Modi became Prime Minister of India. Hindu extremist
outfits such as BJP, RSS VHP, Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena including other similar
parties have been promoting religious and ethnic chauvinism in India by
propagating ideology of Hindutva (Hindu nationalism). The extremist Hindus have
particularly accelerated assaults on Muslims and Christians, including their
places of worship. In this respect, even western media have highlighted the
plight of minorities in India. But, traitors of Pakistan who get together in
London totally neglected these realities.
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