Author: Jabbal Baloch
The brutal armed attack on charity run Maternity Hospital in Kabul on Tuesday 12th May and simultaneously murder of thirty-two people in a blast in Funeral is a reminiscent of European Holocaust in which 6 million Jews were killed by Nazi regime of Hitler in Germany in collaboration with other European Fascist groups. Forty-two years’ long Afghan conflict has taken 2.1 million lives which is a huge human loss keeping in view 37 million population of Afghanistan. In spite the fact that the imperialist war does not seem to end in foreseeable future despite US-Taliban peace agreement.
Tuesday’s attack on Maternity Hospital left many women and children die and several injured. The scenes of new-born babies’ injured bodies shocked the entire human civilization and also reminded the world that the barbarians are still alive and pose a serious threat to the survival of human civilization. Few days earlier Pashtoon Tahfuz Movement (PTM) leader, Arif Wazeer was assassinated in Pakistan. The Afghan and Pashtoon casualties, deaths, injuries, migrations and sufferings have now become an equal international tragedy with comparisons to European Holocaust, which happened with Jews in Europe in 1940s. The Afghan and Pashtoon death toll, immense sufferings and untold destruction is going to surpass the Jews Holocaust. The similar human tragedy is also being faced by Baloch in the neighbouring Balochistan province that is burning in fire of fifteen-year brutal conflict which has claimed thousands of precious lives of Baloch nationalist leaders, political workers, human rights activists, journalists, intellectuals and writers. This mass murder is being described as Baloch genocide.
The other day, two highly qualified research scholars were killed in an armed skirmish with government-supported armed groups. Mr. Ehsan Baloch and Shahdad Baloch had been students of Pakistan’s top Quaid-e-Azum University Islamabad. But they opted to join proscribed guerrilla fighter organization named as Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). Previously, there was a prevalent notion that the Baloch guerrilla warfare is being headed by tribesmen. However, the sense of disappointment caused due to utter failure of Democratic institutions such as Judiciary, Civil Service, political parties and civil society to deliver to the Baloch nation has left Baloch youth no other option than to join armed struggle. The Baloch youth consider armed struggle the only way of leading a dignified life that is a serious omen for people who still believe on successful Federalism in Pakistan.
Grave human rights violations have been taking place in neighbouring Afghanistan and Balochistan. The international community has considered these incidents of massacre as war crimes against humanity and threat to international peace and security. Nonetheless, the silence of UN Security Council to protect Baloch and Afghan innocent civilians is a big stigma on the face of UNO. It were the same oblivious inactions of erstwhile League of Nations that became cause of its ultimate failure and disappearance from world subsequent upon end of First World War.
The military and political elite of Pakistan are responsible for present conflict in Balochistan. They try to crush a political movement by coercive manner at the cost of huge death toll. Baloch and Pashtoon have been denied their Democratic rights. A puppet government headed by Jamal Kamal Khan Alyani, has been imposed upon province of Balochistan. In past such undemocratic regimes have always aggravated situation. The military and political elite should have learnt lesson from past experiences that the Baloch issue cannot be crushed with coercive use of power and imposing unelected governments upon them by denying them all democratic rights. The present unelected government of Jam Kamal is facing criticism from all across Balochistan due to nominating a non-local person as Balochistan’s representative in National Finance Commission. Since 1948 till present time the issue of Balochistan has been manipulated and no serious efforts have been made by State to find a political solution for Baloch conflict.
The word Federalism has been derived from Latin word “foedus” which refers a lasting voluntary Association among equals. Federalism frames the ways that various governments simultaneously influence, depend upon and push away from each other. The use of power is the most important aspect of government. Particularly, for democracies, because government is the official coercive authority for so many decisions that affect people, values and resources. Representative governments award, deprive and rearrange our lives with our consent. Thus, Federalism is the organizational mechanism through which government manages power. Multi-ethnic States can only survive with true Federalism guaranteed by Constitutionalism. It is Federalism that created a strong State in shape of United States of America (USA) and also behind successful Indian democracy, it is also Federalism. But unfortunately, Pakistan negated the very true spirit of Federalism. Therefore, not only Balochistan conflict surfaced but Pashtoon, Sindhi, Seraiki, Hazara and Mohajir ethnic minorities have raised their voices against defacto unitary form of government prevalent since inception of Pakistan which has given rise so many ethnic and regional conflicts.
American and Pakistan’s military imperialist policies have disregarded the destruction of lives, economies and infrastructure in South and West Asia. The imperialist designs of US-Pakistan which began in 1978 from Soviet -Afghan war brought arms, religious extremism, drugs and turned the region the hub of all religious terrorism and terrorist groups. American intervention in the region left a deep consequences for societies in this region, it made Pakistan’s military dictators and secret agencies much powerful who in turn harboured global and regional dominance agenda and strategic depth policy was adopted to establish a friendly and pliant regime in Kabul and still that sole policy does not allow Afghanistan to get political, economic and social stability. American imperialism has never been against religious terrorist organizations operating in Afganistan rather it is America that promoted and nourished these Jihadist organizations. The US-Taliban agreement is not dawn of peace in Afghanistan rather it is beginning of another deadliest Afghan civil war which will be fought by international and regional imperialist powers through their proxies, but the fuel of this war would be common Pashtoon and other Afghans.
As Afghanistan continues to be battle ground of imperialist powers, the Baloch nation will also suffer the destruction and deaths. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has turned Balochistan another battle ground in the region. US-China global dominance war would be fought on this unfortunate geo-strategic land of Balochistan which has been at war for last fifteen-years in which almost entire cream of society and political and educated population has been eliminated in counter insurgency operations. Unelected and puppet rulers have been imposed upon Balochistan. The actual decisions are taken by establishment and the Cheif Minister and his cabinet members have been assigned the job to run Twitter accounts and WhatsApp groups and plunder as much resources as they can. The schools, healthcare facilities are closed in Balochistan and political rights are banned. Small dissent can result into abduction and death. The imperialist forces have turned Balochistan a hell for their own son of soils.
Baloch and Pashtoon are destined to suffer worst kind of Holocaust if they don’t forge unity against imperialist designs and resist against coercive and international or regional powers. It is time to wake up from deep slumber and with zest of Marxist-Leninist ideology resist the imperialist designs in the region and defeat all imperialism to save Baloch and Pashtoon to be another victims of Holocaust and the civilized world must also come forward to help protect these downtrodden nationalities to face another Holocaust.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Balochistan Post or any of its editors.