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.
