Supporting Tyrant

The wicked former president who was not restraint by moral and legal laws and who is principally responsible for bringing Pakistan on the verge of disintegration  by assassinating and disrespectfully burying Nawab Bugti and maintaining his ‘hit policy’ against other Baloch activists who dared to ask for their universally and constitutionally accepted rights enjoys support from many Pakistanis.

Being well-unaware or intentionally ignoring the fact that today the Baloch demand independence because of a continuous genocidal ruthless violence against them embraced willfully by the crueler tyrant of the decade Musharaf in order to eliminate them if they refuse to comply with his brazenly stern attitude.

It must be noted that by supporting tyranny they are further distancing the Baloch and extremely increasing hatred towards Pakistan and strengthening their call for self determination by justifying and patronizing grievous injustice. Baloch consider it a good sign and welcome it as it is enormously beneficial for them. 

Shameless crimes against women

Women are brutally rejected of a socially rightful place in the global society which is rationally and ethically unacceptable to human nature.  She is treated with disdain like an animal and expected to comply men orders and the most hurtful fact, woman is strangely considered a man’s property, mostly in Islamic societies. A woman does not have basic control over her own body, and with passage of time, the grave violence against woman is increasingly developing despite the declaration of universal human rights and claimed rule of law.  

There are innumerable terrible stories carrying nationally and internationally published newspapers and the most painfully heartbreaking and tearful story is of Fakhra Younis who recently committed suicide over the silence of law and insensitivity of the Pakistani rulers, in Rome, Italy. Her husband poured acid on her face in 2000, after she left him and returned to her mother home over realizing that Bilal Khar her husband, who is a former MPA, deceived her.

I would like to ask those cruel women punishers pensively: is it justified by any universal human law to pour acid on a woman's face, or kill or stone her to death for she dares to leave her husband or seek a divorce for an unhappy marriage? Is it a crime when a girl tries to choose her own husband? Is it legal or moral to kill a girl for falling in love with a man outside her tribe? What honestly justifies shooting a girl after finding an unfamiliar number on her phone?

We should realize that the practicing of centuries old savage and obsolete traditions is unacceptable in a civilized world and this is the 21^st century and heirs have no right to take precious life of any among the family members and no notorious Qisas law is approvable anymore. I strongly appeal to the apex court that Bilal Khar the former MPA, who is now trying to do a character assassination on her to bring her down by attempting to prove Fakhra Younis a prostitute, which is another severe crime, and all those who commit such shamefully heinous crimes against women must be brought in the court of justice without any delaying.

The ingratitude Baloch

 It is extremely hurtful to see that the Baloch are enormously ingratitude towards a man who gave them what they were never given almost in their dismal history. The praiseworthy former president Musharaf started the policy of Baloch genocide, constructions of a network of cantonments, assassinated and disrespectfully buried their undisputed tamandar Nawab Bugti and their beloved leader Balaach Mari, advocated a policy of hitting those who demand their natural and constitutional rights, ordered extra-judicial killings, and illegal arrest, abductions and disappearances. 

How can the naturally faithful and extra-ordinarily loyal Baloch nation be so unthankful towards a truly godfather who effectively increased oppressing and suppressing them socially and culturally by maintaining his brazenly stern attitude? 

Resolution in US Lower House, tensions and misconceptions

Recently a US Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher tabled a concurrent resolution in the US house of Representatives seeking right of self-determination for the people of Balochistan shocked all Pakistanis and triggered a national wise debate across the country. Pakistanis took it a threat to their national sovereignty, a process of disintegrating Pakistan and calling it a “dirty conspiracy” as usual.

A misconception is widespread in media circles regarding this resolution, most TV anchors and reporters call it a bill knowing not the difference that a bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature, on the other hand, resolution is often a written motion adopted by a deliberative body and what is tabled in the US house of representatives is a concurrent resolution designed to document opinions, not initiate a process and it is not passed on to executive branch to be signed in to law.

A reverent senior journalist Najam Sethi calls this resolution a “stunt propaganda” adding that it is a media hype meanwhile ignoring the reality that Sherry Rahman and Hina Rabbani Khar are not media persons but ambassador and foreign minister respectively. They, however, are vigorously energetic to criticize America for intervening in their internal matters while neglecting to reach the Baloch issue paying little regard.

In reaction to the resolution, ambassador to Washington, Sherry Rehman, warned it would “seriously impact Pak-US relations.” Foreign minister Khar condemned resolution on Balochistan, and said such acts of “foolhardy and global vigilantism” could aggravate Pakistan’s already estranged ties with US.

 The reaction, posted on the embassy website, stated that "the Pakistan envoy in Washington has taken serious notice of the resolution submitted by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher on Balochistan in the US House of Representative. We reject this ill-informed move and the Congressman's misplaced concern on Balochistan, which is a part of the Pakistani federation". 

"Balochistan has a directly elected provincial assembly of its own and has due representation in the National Assembly and the Senate of Pakistan," the ambassador said, adding that the "resolution seeks to cast doubt on the territorial integrity of a member of the United Nations and a friend of the United States, and is totally unacceptable". Talking to reporters, PM Gilani reacted angrily and described the move as an attack on country’s sovereignty; he said “We condemn it as it is against our sovereignty.”

Such a frantic reaction is likely to make the US or the rest of the world doubt that Pakistan too is afraid knowing the severity of the precarious situation in Balochistan. Thus they are bound to contemplate something brutal is happening in Balochistan couple this with a moral endorsement of the Baloch version of genocide.

 A point needs attention is the ignorance of the media anchorpersons having no background knowledge of the real situation. They blame Sardars for creating the tense situation in Balochistan ignoring the real factors leading to this fortune, and stand them responsible for backwardness of the province and the miseries of the people which is irrational and illogical. 

Another point of paramount significance is not considered by political and intellectual forces that this time the situation is definitely different; critically analyzing the conflict clearly exists because of the youth not Sardars. Therefore, it is not going to be solved until ordinary Baloch people are not dealt and persuaded. By offering bribe to some tribal heads (known as Sardars by many in Pakistan) will not help in diminishing the perilous situation and in sustaining peace as nothing is in their hands. 

Rehman Malik, interior minister, claims foreign hands involvement in violence, and target killings in Balochistan while remains reluctant to produce his incontrovertible evidences when asked, and his irrational claim that the missing persons are in Dubai, Afghanistan is further increasing the hate in the heart of the ordinary Baloch. He makes so foolish arguments forgetting that if there is a foreign power behind the killings again it falls into the responsibility of the security forces and government to tackle them guaranteeing the security of its citizens. 

The anchorpersons are not playing the role of a moderator. They are impatient to listen to those, even amongst themselves, who comment honestly on Balochistan conflict, and always invite experts who denounce Baloch and call them Israeli or Indian agents, meanwhile, heed not for a minute to ascertain the facts led the conflict ridden province under world attention but  mistakenly assume others involvement like the government officials. 

The arrangement of an APC to improve the situation in Balochistan seems to be ineffective as much water has flowed under the bridge. The mainstream nationalist parties refused to participate in the APC. Hyrbiyar says time for negotiations is gone, and they accept nothing short of self-determination whereas Akhtar Mengal has declared that Rehman Malik is a “non-serious” person. Unfortunately, President Zardari’s declaration of meeting the disgruntled Baloch brothers himself might face the same answer as he once remarked that promises are no Quranic verses.

Shameless Rehman Malik’s , extremely futile and nonsensical statement, nothing more than a baby’s babbling that he is granting amnesty to the Baloch leaders is equal to rubbing salt into Baloch’s wounds. He who is not worth of his pay, expresses what he knows not distantly, unworthy of respect, is aggravating the grievances of the Baloch people. Amnesty? what for? For demanding one’s justified natural and constitutional rights?

The situation will not turn to normalcy until they don’t realize and accept their wrongdoings done against the Baloch people and punish those responsible. 

Historical analysis of Baloch issue

Balochistan faced four bloody conflicts, and the Baloch and Pakistan’s relations can easily be termed as hostile since 1948 with Prince Karim’s initiated insurgency against Pakistan as a result when army was sent by the central government, which allegedly forced Mir Ahmad Yar Khan (Khan of Kalat) to give up his state signing an accession agreement ending kalat’s de facto independence. The Balochs have been politically, economically and culturally subjugated and forcefully crushed whenever they spoke for their rights by the civil and military establishment.

Mr Naseer Dashti, a renowned Baloch nationalist scholar, writes in an article that Pakistani military establishment “perceives the Baloch nationalism as a grave threat to the state”. Major military offensives were launched in Balochistan during 1948, 1958, 1962, and 1973, Baloch were indiscriminately killed and displaced by the intelligence operatives, army and paramilitary and the political activists and intellectuals were harassed, kidnapped and tortured during and later on.  

The recent ongoing Baloch resistance movement meant to avenge the wrong and injustice done to them takes its roots in mid 2004 and during which the death of Nawab Bugti (who was a staunch pro-Pakistan leader) and Mir Balaach Mari in 2006, and 2007, respectively, brought a significant change in the history of Baloch Resistance Movement, and now they openly demand independence before it was for utmost autonomy. 

Pakistani military and so-called political establishment never heeded upon a political settlement of the Baloch issue but rather believed in using brute force as a continuation of the policy to silent those voices raised for their just rights, seemingly failed, in other words it further energized the Baloch to fight back and due to their faithful and courageous resistance Baloch cause is promoted and recognized and now the Baloch moderate forces greatly favour armed resistance.

The story continues, the addition of the callous murder of three towering Baloch leaders waja Ghulam Mohd, BNP president, Lala Munir, vice president of BNP and Sher Mohd Baloch, central deputy secretary general of BRP further severely intensified the situation as they were using political grounds to fight for their national rights which strengthen the existing perception of the common Baloch that Pakistani rulers don’t consider them equal partners and think them as a subject race and themselves the race of conquerors, the same precisely was the attitude of Pakistan toward the Bengalis.

A “kill and dump” process is adopted now of those kidnapped and disappeared as a counter insurgency tactic by the repressive military establishment to frighten those voices particularly opposing the exploitation of resources. The situation in Balochistan is extremely precarious and gross human rights abuses are reported. “Pakistani security services are brazenly disappearing, torturing, and often killing people because of suspected ties to the Baloch nationalist movement,” said Brad Adams, executive director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia division and a general expert on Asia, “this is not counterinsurgency – it is barbarism and it needs to end now.” 

Historically, resistance was always present in Balochistan against unjust policies and exploitation of their natural resources which was totally ignored by national media and intellectuals and common masses still know not the real issue, and Baloch lacked means but with the passage of time they accessed the modern resources of communication like twitter, facebook, mobile phones and youtube and skillfully exploited them by uploading videos and photos of mutilated corpses of Baloch activists and explained Baloch genocide in Pakistan which attracted attention of the international community. 

The recent congressional hearing and subsequent proposed resolution moved in US congress by Republican congressman Dana Rohrabacher (who recently co-authored an article with Congressman Louie Gohmert uttering support for an independent Balochistan wrote: “Perhaps we should even consider support for a Balochistan carved out of Pakistan to diminish radical power there (in Pakistan).”) has tremendously encouraged the Baloch as their plight is highlighted.  The Baloch leader Hairbiyar Mari in an interview on geo TV said answering a question “we are happy at least they paid attention to Baloch issue”, and added that “this became possible only by the youths sacrifice.”

The main reason behind the troubled relations is a consistent blunder made by Pakistanis that even today they don’t know the exact nature of the Baloch and deliberately reluctant to pay attention to this ignored reality. They don’t know or try not to that the role assigned  for a Baloch in society is one of honour and freedom not of subjugation and dependence and a mother’s wish in her lullaby to her babyson is that he should grow in the true tradition of freedom and that he should be called for war by the tribal chief.

Traditionally, they have never accepted hegemony and domination and the spirit of revenge can be extinguished in a Baloch heart if stone could melt away in waters. They never consent to be treated subordinately. Yet the establishment did not change its attitude and treated them against their genuine wishes. A sense of deprivation is realistically genuine and valid as Balochistan being the largest natural resource rich province is yet the least developed. 

As the Baloch resistance is entered in its third phase being a revised resistance in nature  is potentially impossible to be curbed at least by suppressive militaristic approach if it could be then it was years before. They lost trust in political leaders and term them as more interested in resource rich land rather than Baloch. Now it is time to seriously ponder over what can be done peacefully ending all type of violence, and psychological warfare as already it is too late. 

Intellectual dishonesty

An intellectual, generally speaking, is a person who uses intelli-gence and intellect individually strictly associating it with reason and critical thinking distinctively while demonstrating mental skills not only intelligently but also focusing on thinking about the abstract and philosophical aspects of human inquiry and the value of their thinking can not be naturally judged on practically efficacious consequences.

Exclusive intellectual discourses are extremely noteworthy in shaping and reforming a backward and ill-informed society; as an intellectual is rightly called the world’s eye, definitely has to preserve historical ideas of the past, perfectly communicate them, and reflectively create new ideas and wisely communi-cate back his ideas to the world, not just to fellow intellectuals.

The generally endorsed wisdom about the role of the intellectual is to speak the truth to power and expose their lies and often hidden intentions. But in our corrupt societies, it is vis-à-vis; they are terribly engrossed in selfish activities and patronizing the wrong where their mission should be to advance freedom and knowledge while actively disturbing the status quo.

It is highly acceptable that an intellectual has enormous power to influence and change the mind of the general public, and he must wield that power with great respect. But the intellectuals in our areas/societies seem to be the captive to their own desires and materialistic aspirations consequently busy in performing mental work exclusively for the classes they can extract interests from, not for the general public.

In our society the so called inefficient intellectuals are not aware of the limitations of their knowledge and never avoid their personal prejudice, inattentive of their moral responsibility that they speak for a whole realm of thought while not concerned about the huge possible consequences of what they say and write and do. They don’t recognize their enormously increasing responsibilities.

Intellectuals are hugely expected to realize their significant activity is acting justly and rightfully and they do all of these things not out of obligation to their society, but out of obligation to themselves.

The target of education

The main purpose of education should be crafting a mind that would be greatly capable of thinking reflectively, creatively, and experimentally while enabling the learner become aware of,  conscious of, conditions in his life, in society, and to have the necessary skills, knowledge and resources to be able to plan and create change. The fundamental task of education should not be of collecting stores of information but creating and innovating new and revlutionizing mind and freeing it from conditioned, societal and state's chains are aimed to enslave one to exploit him physically, mentally and socially.  

The potentially  reflective aim of education should be ensuring the learner is able to discover possibilities, can change things, and promote new and different ideas whether they are influentially social, political or educational. Education should be formative and make a mind that can deliver without bias and prejudice any opinion or idea regarding anything in a society. It should not create an undesirable society where barriers are set up to free intercourse and communication of experience. Education should not make a mind ignorant as it can not be free but a mind that is rich, free, informative, reflective and thoroughly curious. It must make one trust, clearly, much lifetime learning occurs outside traditional classrooms and that professional learners measure their success by what they achieve rather than by what creditionals they have and ensure that it comes from within; one gets it from struggle and thought. What is valuable is education should develop a sense of life-long uncompromising intellectual honesty.  

The purpose of education should be to create qualified people and leaders rather than creating diploma holder who knows not for what reason he is issued the document. Education should practically become  the formal process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills, customs and values from one generation to another. 

An Unmarried Widow

I knew, to some extent, if not at all, this day would come. I would get polished beautifully, in extensive wedding  wearings, feminine and appropriate, opera length gloves with sleeveless gowns, laughing and making fun with close friends for the last time before getting into the arms of my prince, my dream of life with a satirical smile to show a silly pride, as part of my tradition, hiding my face, glancing towards him for a moment and next.  

But these all were assumptions, imaginations, pictures, not reality, not what I waited and yearned for so long, not what I deserved, not what I extremely wished for; it was all desaustrous, destructive, damaging and finishing, devastating, and betraying.  

It was the time when I realised that I have no control over my life, not possessed myself, not allowed to choose my future, not respected to do what I wish; it was the time for me to cry, to shout, to beg, to deny but in vain. There was the rule of the strong, the rule of the male, the rule of the honourables, the rule of the tyrant cruels: it was the rule of the people who felt proud for their girls got raped. It is the place where Islam rules, it is the land where a baby girl is expected to grow up and act as an adult overnight and expected her life and desire  revolve around males because they are superior. 

I was excited, madden and picturing myself in another world. People were singing, dancing, enjoying, drinking, eating; all was good but what was hurtful that my friends; the rose petals with their unknow future, were not aware of what was going on, what condition were I passing through, it was amazing to see how happy they were, how excited they were. I was recalling what he looked like, those eyes dark and penetrating were in front of me, but the image was getting invisible suddenly. I was helpless in my own mold, my friends were celebrating the success of enemies and at the same time their own defeat, noticing nothing at all that they were handing over their unfortunate friend, an unmarried widow; were thinking confidently me in loving hands in fact where hell for me awaited.