Khuzdar, The City Of Opportunities

It was Friday the 13th of March 2015, when in the evening after having a tiring but amazing day in university with friends, I begin chatting with my cousin in Karachi. While sitting in my peaceful living room,I was telling her about various educational programs being offered by Balochistan University of Engineering and Technology in Khuzdar. In the middle of conversation, she showed me a piece of writing, written by someone I had never heard before. Whatever was written in that article was hard to believe for a person like me, who actually belonged to Khuzdar. I began a little investigation and came across many things. I even contacted few journalists and tried to figure out things, the more I studied, the more my curiosity increased. After completing my research, I have so many things to share with all those who believe in the crap written.

            Before I come to the actual point, I would like to ask you to imagine the height of anger and frustration if you plan something for fifteen years and then that hard work goes wasted? Due to my quest as a student, I acquired some information and came to know about Operation Blue Tulsi, which was exposed by Pakistani media in 2009. Since then its planners are fuming with anger and frustration as it broke the back bone of their greater plan. A plan that is even greater then it smells to an average mind like yours and mine,as it is spread from North Waziristan to FATA, Karachi to Lahore and Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa to Balochistan. 90 out of 100 attempts of defaming the security forces and establishment got miserably failed; frustration turned into never ending revenge with sand slipping out of their dirty hands with failed cards to play around.

            When all on ground attempts of creating chaos begun to fail and rate of success stayed constantly below 2 to 3 percent only, one thing could help the enemy and that was “PROPAGANDA”. Just to make you understand the power of propaganda, I would like to quote an example here, the example of “Jakob the Liar”. A poor but clever Jewish shopkeeper, who was caught out in curfew during World War II and sent to Nazi concentration camp in Poland, where Hitler used to torture and kill Jews. Jakob begin to cook imaginary stories regarding a radio hidden in his cell and news bulletins about Allied advances against the Nazis. Jakob told prisoners that they should remain hopeful as the army of Hitler is facing savage beating in the battlefield. These lies brought humor and life among the disheartened ghetto inhabitants. Later, when prison officials discovered about Jakob’s stories and his radio news bulletins, a search operation was conducted that revealed that there was no radio found in his cell. The propaganda of Jakob succeeded, even after he was caught and killed by Germans. His propaganda did the job that no one could do at that time. The Jews still consider Jakob as a hero and believe that the Germans were liars.

            The reason why I quoted this example is to tell my readers that the same method has been applied in Pakistan since decades, where even after getting failed time, our enemy is not going on back-foot, and the reason is that the enemies within our ranks are playing the key role for their foreign masters intentionally or unintentionally. Stories of lies and deceptions are everywhere on the name of freedom of speech or journalism or whatever you may name it. They will tell you stories but will never come up with proof or even the identity of their sources is dubious. On one hand they openly accuse security forces and on the other hands claim that identity of sources cannot be disclosed due to life threats. They can tell you that they were kidnapped by security forces but then they escaped after few months. Did captors show them their identities after kidnapping? Is it possible that someone who kidnaps you, tells you that he is working for someone whom you are against and actually he (the kidnapper himself) is also against that group or specific person? Why the enemies kill your relatives instead of killing you directly? How come you are still alive? This is because they want you to defame the establishment otherwise your loved ones would have to pay the price with their blood.

            It is obvious that the writer has written the story from the angle of Baloch separatists by maligning the establishment and the people who are siding with the state. There must be some kind of real investigative journalism to find out the truth about him. Who knows that this report might be a complete fabrication of his mind because anyone can fabricate stories like these claiming to have come from anonymous sources? According to my research even if his kidnapping story is true, It’s a known fact that different groups of kidnappers who work under the orders of foreign masters tell their hostages that they are in custody of state agencies, to make them believe that state is responsible for all these atrocities. There is no way to know if he was kidnapped by Mengal or someone opposed to Mengal to malign him. Similarly, there is no way to know if the people killed were killed by one group or the other to malign each other.

            At the end of the day, the benefits of this title “Khuzdar, the city of padlocks” seems to remove all the checkpoints of law enforcement agencies, so that the foreign elements involved in terrorism do not have to face much trouble in transporting weapons into these areas? I do not consider the writer to be a true journalist, rather an novice one, who has left so many question unanswered even after writing lengthy paragraphs.

Balochistan - The Ground Realities!

A lot of has been said about the situation in Balochistan by the so-called "Pakistani media", most of which are complete lies. If you really want to understand about what's happening in Pakistan, TURN OFF YOUR TV!

Turn Off The News Channels

These instruments of misinformation have confused the common Pakistani to such an extent, that we can't even think for ourselves anymore. News channels always force opinions onto us, instead of giving us the facts. Shouldn't it be up to us? Who is Hamid Mir to tell us what we should think? What credibility does he even have? The media in Pakistan has crossed all boundaries imaginable - the term "journalism ethics" is absent in the vocabulary of most in our media. If you really want to know what's happening in Pakistan, here's a few things you can do:

a) GO THERE AND FIND OUT! If you have never been to Balochistan in your life, who the are you to discuss it? If you have never met a Baloch in your life, who are you to discuss their rights? 

b) READ! Newspapers, blogs, whatever - when you read about an event it's always a thousand times better than having some idiot like Hamid Mir brainwash you with lies. When you read about a situation or event, it's much easier to differentiate between facts and bias. You can easily go research online about that event or situation in particular, instead of listening to con artists on TV.

This irresponsible behaviour from the Pakistani media has led us to the situation we are in today. These so called journalists sit in there comfortable Islamabad or Karachi studios and are told what to say. I bet most of them have never stepped foot outside these cities! If so, who are they to discuss national issues? Pakistani media as lost all its credibility and shouldn't be taken seriously at all. If you want to find out what's happening in Balochistan, get up, go online, research and FIND OUT YOURSELF! Whatever conclusion you come to at the end, at least YOU made that decision yourself! 

Balochistan - The Reality & What The Media Refuses To Tell You!

Balochistan isn't going anywhere - the common Baloch is like any other Pakistani. He or she is sick and tired of corruption in the Federal and Provincial governments and wants more autonomy. Wanting more autonomy should not be confused with situations in Indian Occupied Kashmir or Indian Occupied Assam where the people are rebelling against the Indian Government and want to form a separate nation. The situation in Balochistan is no different than in any other province in Pakistan - everyone is fed up with this government! So what makes Balochistan so different then? There has been a deliberate information war started by the likes of SAFMA (South Asian Free Media Association) in Pakistan to create this hue and cry about Pakistan breaking up. Nothing could be farther from the truth...stay firm and stay united - this country is not going anywhere! If this country wanted to break up, it would have done so a VERY long time ago.

Baluchistan forms:

- 42% of Pakistan's total area

- 04% of Pakistan's total population (roughly 8 million)

Out of these 8 million, 5 million are Pashtuns, Brahwis, Makranis, Punjabis and Sindhis who have no desire whatsoever to separate from Pakistan. Within the Baloch population, a massive majority are in favour of Pakistan and are proud nationalists. The "separatists" are just a few thousand misguided men from only 4 districts out of the 30 districts of the province. These include the likes of Hyberyar Marri and Brahmadagh Bugti who are being aided from the United States to wage a war against Pakistan. The reality is, even within the Bugti and Marri tribe, there are thousands of youth who are great patriots of Pakistan and understand the sick game which is being played. 

Nawab Akbar Bugti

Nawab Akbar Bugti exiled his own Raheja, Kalpar and Messori sub-tribes into Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan for 15 years. During that period, he took over the lands of Sui and Dera Bugti. He persecuted his own Baloch people and killed his own family members for demanding rights. Hospitals, schools and roads were commonly destroyed by this man - a man who himself had an Oxford education. This is where Army intervened in 2004 to protect the Bugti Tribe from the crimes of Akbar Bugti and helped the Kalpar, Messori and Raheja Bugtis return to their native lands. Upon this, Akbar Bugti began to wage war against Pakistan where he was then chased into the surrounding hills and committed suicide. Yes, Akbar Bugti committed suicide and was NOT killed by the Army. 

Mir Ahmadan Bugti

Today, the Dera Bugti MNA is Mir Ahmadan Bugti, a patriotic Raheja Baloch. He was the first cousin of Akbar Bugti, who was exiled with over a 100,000 Baloch by Akbar Bugti. The Army brought him back and has been elected MNA by the entire Bugti tribe. He defends Pakistan against the terrorists of Brahmadagh Bugti, who are funded by the United States. You commonly hear the interviews of Brahmadagh Bugti in this SAFMA controlled media but you never hear the voice of Mir Ahmadan Bugti. Why is that have you ever wondered? This is how media manipulates the truth. Go and ask Mir Ahmadan Bugti about the truth of Bugtis being against Pakistan and he will tell you quite a different story - most Baloch stand by Pakistan, but they DO not support this government at all. 

Army vs Media

Had the Pakistan Army not attacked the TTP & BLA terrorists (same people with different uniforms) the country would have been completely destroyed by now. This is why you see all this fake propaganda against the "missing persons" and Army atrocities against the Baloch. In reality, the FC and Pakistan Army are defending Pakistan against CIA backed insurgencies. The media wants to continually brainwash you into hating the military, so when the real time comes to support the Army, none of you will. This is how psychological warfare works!

BLA vs BRA

There is a massive infighting between the BRA (Balochistan Republican Army) and BLA (Balochistan Liberation Army). Both groups regularly kill each other for weapons, money and lands. Many times it's one or the other who kill each other and they both at the end blame the Army. Many have gone to Afghanistan for CIA training and their families register them as missing persons - this is how the media manipulates and twists the truth. This is all part of the war against the Pakistan Army.

What Do The Americans Want? 

The Americans essentially want to create a post on the Gulf to tackle not only Afghanistan, but China, Pakistan and Iran as well. The recent resolution in the US Congress has encouraged exiled separatists to encourage the CIA for a Libyan style invasion, but that won't happen as long Pakistan has NATO by it's testicles. The US do not have the resources, weapons or courage in making a landing at Gwadar or at any point along the Makran coastline. 

What Do The Balochis Want? 

The Baloch are not happy - there is no question or doubt in anyone's mind that they have been the most unfairly treated people in Pakistan. The CIA did not create all these problems, we did - the CIA has now only been recently exploiting the situation. The Balochis want there fair share - there lands are amongst Pakistan's most richest in terms of oil, gas and minerals yet the Baloch people do not get any royalties for it. Today, Balochistan should be amongst all other provinces in developmental indicators but it's not. Why? There are many reasons - the first has been our corrupt and horrible governments which have ignored Balochistan for decades. Quite literally there are still parts of the Balochstan with NO gas - this is quite sad because most if not all of the gas in Pakistan comes from Balochistan! There is no question that Central government needs to take the complaints of the Baloch people seriously. It's quite obvious they are upset, and the longer you ignore there cries for help, the more serious this issue will become! The second has been how the Sardar's have prevented any development from occurring in the province - for them any sign of education is a threat to there power. The longer the average Baloch is uneducated, the more powerful the Sardar gets as he can manipulate and control the common people. Once again, the Government failed in stopping these people - all of the problems in Balochistan (and the rest of Pakistan for that matter) arise from corruption - the more corrupt leaders we elect and support, the more we destroy our own country.

Balochistan is not East Pakistan

This common perception fueled by the media that the situation in Baluchistan is like East Pakistan - wrong. East Pakistan may have left Pakistan, but in reality Bhutto did not want it anymore. It was not in the interest of West Pakistan to hold a wing thousands of kilometers away, surrounded by an enemy with 45% of it's landmass at or below sea level. East Pakistan was quite frankly a disaster waiting to happen. Balochistan is within Pakistan - it's not surrounded by an enemy and it's quite clear the people of Balochistan are upset at this government, and not Pakistan. One could argue the same thing for East Pakistan - in fact, many prior to 1971 were calling for East Pakistan to become an autonomous state within Pakistan. It would legally be still apart of Pakistan, but would control it's own affairs like language, health, education while Pakistan would provide military and diplomatic support. Also many Baloch are in power throughout Pakistan today, from the Governor to Chief Minister to Ministers, all are Baloch in the government. The President of Pakistan is also a Baluch. Farooq Leghari was a Baluch also. Mazari was the Prime Minister and was a Baluch also. Jamali was the PM and was a Baluch also. Baluchi Pakistanis from Baluchistan have reached the highest offices of this country. If Baluchistan has not seen received developments, it's because of those people like Akbar Bugti who refuse to allow the common Baloch to rise. It's not the fault of the Army or the ISI that development is not occurring - when terrorists from the BLA destroy schools, hospitals and kidnap construction workers, how do you expect any development to occur? The whole country is suffering today, not just Baluchistan. 

How To Resolve The Issue --- VOTE!

The resolution is simple - THIS GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO GO. As long as these American stooges are in power, nothing will change. Regardless of what part of the country you are in, there is one common consensus - THIS GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO GO NOW! You can do this very easily, by voting in the next election. The situation in Balochistan needs to be looked at thoroughly and fairly. Yes the Baloch people have been unfairly represented and treated over the years - many of the resources in Balochistan are unfairly distributed within the country and a serious resolution should be made so the people of Balochistan benefit from the development, instead of corrupt politicians. This situation is no different than in any other province today.

Stop believing the garbage the media is feeding you - they are mouthpieces of the United States! Turn off that garbage and if you ever want to know the reality of any situation, GO THERE YOURSELF and find out. Stop letting the media tell you how you should think! 

About Balochistan

The province of Balochistan (or Baluchistan) in Pakistan contains most of historical Balochistan and is named after the Baloch. Neighbouring regions are Iranian Balochistan to the west, Afghanistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas to the north and Punjaband Sindh to the east. To the south is the Arabian Sea. The principal languages in the province are Baluchi, Pashto, Brahui, and Persian. The capital and largest city is Quetta.

Geography

Balochistan is located at the eastern edge of the Iranian plateau and in the difficult to define border region between Southwest, Central, and South Asia. It is geographically the largest of the four provinces at 347,190 km² and composes 42% of the total land area of Pakistan. The population density is very low due to the mountainous terrain and scarcity of water. The southern region is known as Makran. A region in the centre of the province is known as Kalat.

The Sulaiman Mountains dominate the northeast corner and the Bolan Pass is a natural route into Afghanistan towards Kandahar. Much of the province south of the Quetta region is sparse desert terrain with pockets of inhabitable towns mostly near rivers and streams.

The capital city is Quetta, located in the most densely populated district in the northeast of the province. Quetta is situated in a river valley near the border with Afghanistan, with a road to Kandahar in the northwest.

At Gwadar on the coast the Pakistani government is currently undertaking a large project with Chinese help to build a large port. This is being done partially to provide the Pakistan Navy with another base, and to reduce Pakistan's reliance on Karachi and Port Qasim, which are currently the only major ports.

Climate

The climate of the upper highlands is characterized by very cold winters and warm summers. Winters of the lower highlands vary from extremely cold in the northern districts to mild conditions closer to the Makran coast. Summers are hot and dry. The arid zones of Chaghi and Kharan districts are extremely hot in summer. The plain areas are also very hot in summer with temperatures rising as high as 120 degrees F (50 degrees C). Winters are mild on the plains with the temperature, never falling below the freezing point. The desert climate is characterized by hot and very arid conditions. Occasionally strong windstorms make these areas very inhospitable.

Administrative division

There are 26 districts in Balochistan.

Awaran Barkhan Bolan Chagai Dera Bugti Gwadar Jafarabad Jhal Magsi Kalat Kharan Kohlu Khuzdar Qilla Abdullah

Qilla Saifullah Lasbela Loralai Mastung Musakhel Nasirabad Panjgur Pishin Quetta Sibi Turbat or Kech Zhob Ziarat

Economy

The economy of the province is largely based upon the production of natural gas, coal and minerals. The province's natural resources significantly help to meet the energy needs ofPakistan as a whole. Infrastructure outside of Quetta is still in development as is the province as a whole. Limited farming in the east as well as fishing along the Arabian Seacoastline are other forms of income and sustenance for the local populations.

Due to the tribal lifestyle of many Baluch and Brahui, animal husbandry is important as are trading bazaars found throughout the province.