Timely Reminder

 

EVEN as United States President Mr. Donald Trump launches his visit to the United Kingdom, a law-maker there, Mr. John McDonnell, has raised the issue of Balochistan where common people are engaged in a struggle for freedom from Pakistan’s illegal occupation. Mr. McDonnell has insisted that it was time to support the Baloch freedom struggle and bring to end massive human rights abuse by Pakistani authorities and the Army. This appeal by the British law-maker right when US President is on a visit to the UK, has a special importance. For, the US and Pakistan are entering a reported agreement for American usage of natural resources from Balochistan and that the US has often harboured a soft corner for Pakistan -- no matter its terrible record on human rights. It is most unfortunate that the US is known to side with many wrongdoings not only in Pakistan but also elsewhere -- much against its avowed principles of democracy and human rights concerns.

 

Even when India launched “Operation Sindoor” to avenge the terror killings at Pahalgam, the US was offering support -- stated or unstated -- to Pakistan. Playing such political games, the US does not feel the prick of conscience, but is all ready to preach the world high moral values. This duplicity of the American political method automatically gets exposed with the pro-Baloch appeal by Mr. John McDonnell. In fact, time really has come for the whole world to support the cause of Balochistan freedom from Pakistan’s illegal and immoral clutches. Enough evidence is available to prove that Pakistan played dirty games with the Baloch people around the time of its formation in August 1947 -- and annexed the Baloch country by deception and brute force against which the then Baloch resistance did not succeed. Since that time, the Pakistani authorities have always treated Balochistan and its people in the most obnoxious manner. The Baloch people never accepted the Pakistani control and kept fighting for their freedom right from start. In the past some years, their freedom struggle has reached a new peak -- making it impossible for the world to ignore the reality of the Baloch situation.

 

When their early attempts to wriggle out of the Pakistani grip in a peaceful manner did not succeed, the Baloch people resorted to armed struggle. This armed uprising has troubled the Pakistani Armed Forces beyond expected levels -- so much so that the Pakistani Army officers are reluctant to accept postings in that area (for fear of the Baloch backlash). Factually, Balochistan has seen sudden disappearance of thousands of people engaged in protests of any kind against Pakistani authorities or Forces.

 

The Pakistanis arrest those people -- men and women and even children. In time, many, many of those people just vanish into thin air -- giving rise to a very strong suspicion that the Pakistanis have killed them. The Pakistanis are tight-lipped about those mysterious disappearances numbering in thousands over decades. There are many other ways too by way of which the Pakistanis heap torture and trauma on the Baloch people. Mr. John McDonnell has raised such issues even as Britain was expected President Mr. Trump’s visit. It is obvious that the Baloch freedom struggle is attracting global attention and Mr. John McDonnell’s demand represents the growing unease in the world about the human rights abuses in Balochistan. In due time, the entire world would try to push Pakistan to stop human rights abuses and hand over the country back to the Baloch people. For the US also, Mr. John McDonnell’s demand is a hard pinch. The US did not want India to buy Russian oil since that money was being used in war against Ukraine. By the same token, the US also should mend its ways so that it does not support the Pakistani atrocities in Balochistan.