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Monday, August 28, 2006
Pakistan Kills Baluchistan Rebel - why is India critical of attack on Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti OffStumped For All Things Right of Center, Bringing a Right of Centre Reality Check to Indian Politics, News Media Reporting and Opinion through Blogs and Podcasts. --- India today described the killing of a nationalist Pakistani rebel chief as a tragic loss on Monday and said peaceful negotiations rather than military force were needed to address problems in Pakistan's troubled Baloochistan province. Thus was in reaction to the Pakistan Government launching a military attack in which Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, a veteran Baloochi leader, was killed in his cave-complex hideout. In what was a stinging role reversal the Indian spokesperson remarked that Military force can never solve political problems. So why and how did India come to get itself to so vocally critical of Pakistan's heavy handedness and what does this all mean to the India Pakistan Terrorism, Peace Process, Kashmir conundrum ? First for those in India who rarely have much of an opportunity to delve into Pakistan's affairs some background on Bugti and his cause. Mr. Bugti, a former provincial governor who led his own political party, took up arms against the government of Mr. Musharraf last year, demanding a larger share of the resources of the gas-rich province and more rights for the native Baluch people in government and development. He was blamed for leading a series of attacks against Pakistan military forces and installations, resulting in a determined military campaign against him and the neighboring Marri tribe. Despite his age and failing health, Mr. Bugti had for the past seven months joined in the fighting alongside his tribesmen from the mountains of his home district, Dera Bugti. According to the Pakistani spokesperson he was killed along with seven tribesmen on Saturday morning when an army unit moved in on a cave where he had sought shelter, in a place called Tratani in the Kohlu district. So what exactly is going on Balochistan. According to the BBC Baluchistan with about six million inhabitants, is Pakistan's biggest province but has less than half the population of the port city of Karachi. In mineral resources, however, according to the BBC it is the richest province and is a major supplier of natural gas to the country. With the government now planning to construct a deep sea port at Gwadar and a road link with Afghanistan and central Asia, Balochistan has acquired a new significance - both for Pakistan and other regional players. Apparently the BBC feels that is where the problem lies. For decades, Baloch nationalists have been critical of the central government in Islamabad, accusing it of depriving the province its due. They say the government took away income from natural gas and other resources, while spending only a trivial amount on the province. Octogenarian warrior Nawab Akbar Bugti, reported killed by Pakistan in August 2006, mixed 17th century guerrilla tactics with modern weaponry to take on the might of Pakistan's security forces. That note from the BBC kind of has a familiar ring to it ! So where exactly does India come into the picture here. The BBC reports that President Musharraf refers to these tribal chiefs as anti-development. He says they oppose his projects because they will bring prosperity to the area and will end the archaic tribal system which preserves their power. Without naming any country, he also accuses the armed Baloch militants of playing into foreign hands. Senior officials in the security forces say they grew alarmed when intelligence agencies found more than one foreign country was involved in the province's affairs. The countries were said to be opposed to Gwadar becoming a major trading port for central Asian nations and China. One official said the biggest shock came when the interrogation of a group of militants revealed they had been trained in a friendly Gulf country, which allegedly feared it could lose its status as the region's biggest trading port. It is anybody's guess who that friendly Gulf country is, but Musharraf like any othe sub-continental politician seems to have learnt the art of blaming the invisible foreign hand for domestic troubles. The Pakistan army has accused India of financing and arming the Baloch rebels, while it has accused Afghan President Hamid Karzai of allowing the Baloch to train in Afghanistan. According to the BBC Pakistani officials say there is little doubt that the Indians were involved in funding the Baloch movement because of their long-standing involvement with the Baloch and the evidence that arrested Baloch rebels have provided the Pakistani intelligence services. So there you have it folks the Baluch angle to the India Pakistan connundrum. There seems to be a concerted attempt by both Pakistan and India to frame the Baluch debate along Kashmir lines. India seems to be using it to its advantage by publicly rapping Pakistan on its knuckles for the excessive use of military force to supress domestic dissidence. While Pakistan seems to be using it to its advantage to blame India of aiding and abetting the rebels. Offstumped feels that India must be extremely careful about trying to garner leverage out of this issue. Offstumped thinks it would be a big mistake for India to let itself be equated with Pakistan on this issue for the following reasons. India had gone out of its way to grant Kashmir constitutional autnonomy through Article 370. Local politics apart India has a demonstrated record of having fostered democracy in Kashmir. The Al-Qaeda nexus with the Pakistan bred Islamo-Fascist Terrorists has helped India gained tremendous credibility in turning the spotlight on Pakistan. Mushrraf's regime is feeling the heat and is perhaps on the verge of unravelling. Clearly his Military regime while serving the Army's interests while appearing steadfast in helping the Americans has done precious little to win the confidence of the provinces. The Americans with their black or white, with us or against us approach to Pakistan in all their naivette have ignored the "What after Musharraf" question. In a recent CNN interview the Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Durrani bristled at a question on the safety of Pakistan's Nuclear weapons in a scenario Musharraf's assassinated by Al-Qaeda. Mr. Durrani's only assurance was that the American's know the Military folks who run Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Offstumped Bottomline: Musharraf's Pakistan is clearly unravelling. The fascist idea of a Islamic State of Pakistan has failed. The lack of a viable democracy with federal power sharing is eating away at the very roots of Pakistan as a Nation. This insitutional vaccum whill come back to haunt the Americans and the Indians in a "what after Musharraf scenario". India must play its cards carefully here. The the temptation to score a few diplomatic points by equating Baluchistan with Kashmir must be resisted. India must focus its attention on the big picture of "What after Musharraf". India desperately needs a full time foreign minister. Blogger News Network is advertiser-supported, and your visits to our advertisers help BNN to meet its expenses. Help keep us afloat! posted by Yossarin at 6:41 AM |
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5 Comments:
We posted a condensed story about the killing at www.liftwhileclimbing.wordpress.com, discussing how it fits onto the US's Global War on Terror.
we have a piece about this killing and how it fits in with the US' Global War on Terror at www.liftwhilecliming.wordpress.com.
we have a piece about this killing and how it fits in with the US' Global War on Terror at www.liftwhilecliming.wordpress.com.
From an Indian's viewpoint I would like to say that it is such a shame that India decided to voice its concerns on the Balochistan issue.
As an India, I can't leave without independence, I can't leave without self governance, I can't leave without the freedom of expression. Give the right to the baloch as a state in a federal government. Let them decide their prospirity.
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