Home | News | Articles, History, Analysis | ICJ-Related | Human Rights | Books | Treaties | Events | Baloch Sites | Audio, Doc | Development | Contact Us
  Recent News Highlights:   | Articles, Essays, Books:   | Events, Reports:
'The Baluch': a 25-minute video documentary. Please view it at blip.tv in full or in 3 parts at youtube.

For high-speed connections: at blip.tv, and here

For compressed versions at TheBaluch youtube channel: youtube.com. Please note, youtube offers a 'watch in high quality' link for high speed connections when you click on individual parts: Part I, Part II, Part III.

Interview: with Khan Suleiman Ahmadzai: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, by Balochistan TV, Sep 22, 2008

Click for coverage specific to the killing of Baloch nationalist leaders Nawab Akbar Bugti in 2006, Balach Marri in 2007, and the arrest of Balach Marri's brother political and human rights activist Herbiyar Marri and fellow activist Faiz Mohammad Baluch in London in December, 2007.

Click for videos of 2006 All-Baloch jirga (1 of 6 hour-long espisodes are uploaded, more to come)

Attendees (left to right):
Murtaza Ali, journalist for The News, Tariq Baloch, Mehrab Baloch, Ehsan Arjumandi Baloch, Peter Tatchell, Khan of Kalat Suleiman Daud Ahmadzai, Faiz Baluch, Baroness Helena Kennedy, Gareth Peirce, Hyrbair Marri, Samad Baloch, Ghulam Hussain Baloch, Marzook Ali Shah with Sahil MagZine in UK.

(click for more pics)
New: United Kingdom, May 5, 2009: CAMPACC (Campaign Against Criminializing Communities) organized and sponsored a public meeting on issues related to Balochistan in the House of Lords. The meeting was hosted and chaired by Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, one of the UK's top defence barristers. Labour Peer Lord Rea attended the meeting and said he will do his best to raise these issues with other members of the Houses of Lords. Khan of Kalat Suleiman Daud Ahmadzai was also in attendance. Apologies and messages of solidarity were sent by Dominic Grieve QC MP, Conservative Party, the Shadow Justice Secretary & Shadow Attorney-General, and Hywel Willliams MP, Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales).

Please click to read speeches delivered by Hairbyar Marri (word doc) and Faiz Baluch (word doc). Click here for full text.

Videos of the proceedings: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7
  Recent News Highlights:   | Articles, Essays, Interviews,Books:   | Events, Reports:
2006 All-Baloch Jirga video: Following the murder of Baloch tribal leader Nawab Akbar Bugti in 2006, Khan Suleiman Daud called an all-Baloch jirga. The first of six hour-long episodes is now uploaded at blip.tv. (To link to individual episodes, view from this player.) More to come.
Call for creation of Pashtoon province, by Amanullah Kasi, Jul 1, 2009: "A protest rally organized by Pashtun Quami Tehreek in Quetta for a separate Pashtoon province to be carved out of Balochistan..."
Solutions needed, dawn.com, Jun 30, 2009
Acclaim Technical Services is hiring native Baluchi speakers.
57 PAF officials arrested over links with terrorists, geo.tv., Jun 24, 2009
Modernity, by M. Sarjov, Jun 24, 2009
Balochistan's ghost schools, Dawn.com, editorial, Jun 20, 2009
Foreign investment in farming: some points to ponder, by Mahmood Hasan Khan, Jun 19, 2009
Akhtar Mengal wants UN as guarantor for talks with govt, by Amanullah Kasi, reposted at balochunity.org from Dawn.com, Jun 19, 2009
Two wounded in Quetta bomb blast, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Jun 16, 2009: "... In the meantime, the women wing of Baloch Republican Army claimed the responsiblity of the blast..."; Baloch female militants bomb Quetta shop, by Malik Siraj Akbar, Dailytimes.com.pk, Jun 17, 2009
U.S. Arms Sales Bring Bloodshed, Bankruptcy to Pakistan, by Ahmar Mustikhan, American-Reporter.com, Jun 16, 2009
Once again, the disintegration of Pakistan re-sounding, by Hafeez H.A., Baloch National Armed Struggle, Source: DailyTawar, Jun 13, 2009
Balochistan: no short cuts, by I.A. Rehman, Dawn.com, Jun 11, 2009
New port, shipyard for Balochistan proposed, by Saleem Shahid, Jun 10, 2009
BNP Spokesman Sanaullah Baloch rejects APC, NowPublic.com, Jun 6, 2009
Audio: Interview with David Kilcullen, BBC News, June 5, 2009 (on modern war and the Accidental Guerrilla)
Concerto for Baluch by Iranian Composer to be performed June 11 in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Payvand Iran News, Jun 3, 2009
Mysterious ‘chip' is CIA's latest weapon against al-Qaeda, TheNews.jang.com, Jun 2, 2009
Iran shuts its border with Pakistan, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Jun 1, 2009
Jundullah a threat to Pak-Iran ties, gas pipeline, TheNews.Jang.com, Jun 1, 2009
Violence Continues in Iranian Balochistan, South Asia Analysis Group, by B. Raman, Jun 1, 1009; 130 Security Forces And Militias Killed In Baluchistan, by Reza Hossein Borr, Balochistan Peoples Party (BPP), May 29, 2009
Jundullah faces US terrorist title, DailyTimes.com.pk, May 31, 2009; Anti Iran Militia Faces Terrorist Designation, Balochistan Peoples Party (BPP), Farah Stockman, http://www.boston.com, May 31, 2009
Interview with Dr. Wahid Baloch - Making Sense of 'Balochistan', India Under Attack and Other Musings blog, May 25, 2009
   
Letter from London: Interview with Khan of Kalat Suleiman Daud Ahmadzai, by Wajahat Ali Khan, May 23, 2009
'No evidence that India aiding Pak Baloch rebels', IndianExpress.com, May 27, 2009
Iran extends its influence in Afghanistan and Pakistan, by Reza Hossein Borr, May 27, 2009: "In another agreement that was signed between Iran and Pakistan, president Ahmadinejad committed Iran to provide free electricity to the great and new Pakistani port of Gwadar which is located in Baluchistan. The Iranian port of Chabahar is considered to be a competitor of Gwadar and yet why Iran wants to grant free electricity to it, poses a mysterious question...When the American and European analysts predicted that Pakistan may collapse in the near future, the Islamic Republic of Iran transferred and deployed its Revolutionary Guard Corp at the borders of Pakistan. Some analysts believe that the Islamic Republic of Iran was planning to occupy the mine-rich Baluchistan and Gwadar port after the collapse of Pakistan..."
National Conference demands rights for Sindh, Balochistan, by Razzak Abro, DailyTimes.com.pk, May 25, 2009
U.S. appeals to China to help stabilize Pakistan, by Paul Richter, LATimes, May 25, 2009
Pakistan, Iran finally sign gas pipeline accord, Dawn.com, May 24, 2009
French tourist kidnapped in Balochistan: police, The Nation, May 23, 2009
Pakistan nukes threatens the world; Baluch meeting in DC, By Ahmar Mustikhan, Pakistan Christian Post, May 23, 2009
Aali elected new Bugti tribe chief, Malik Siraj Akbar Writes, May 20, 2009
BNF leaders rule out talks with government By Amanullah Kasi, Dawn.com, May 20, 2009
Balochistan decides to abolish Musharraf-era police system, by Malik Siraj Akbar, DailyTimes.com, May 20, 2009
Take the War to the Drug Lords, Gretchen Peters, May 18, 2009
In a complete state of denial, by Murtaza Razvi, Dawn.com, May 12, 2009
Balochistan and the centre, editorial, Dawn.com, May 18, 2009
Gwadar likely to become Balochistan's winter capital, By Saleem Shahid, May 15, 2009
Resistance is the most effective way to achieve national liberation: Baloch Women Panel, balochwarna.org, May 15, 2009. BalochWarna has translated an interview with Baloch Women Panel's Central committee members Sajni Baloch and Mehr Jan Baloch who recently spoke with the daily Mashraq (an Urdu daily news paper)
Taliban-Style Justice Stirs Growing Anger, by Pamela Constable, Washington Post, May 10, 2009: "Islam is our identity and our system of life, but variety and choice are part of it. People should dress modestly, but women don't have to cover their faces and men don't have to grow long beards," said Khurshid Ahmad, an Islamic scholar and national legislator. "The Koran is very clear that there should be no coercion in religion. You cannot cram it down people's throats. This is where the Taliban destroyed their own case."
Hindu community opposes dam in Balochistan, by Saleem Shahid, May 11, 2009
In Pakistan, 'Great Rage, Great Fear', by Pamela Constable and Hag Nawaz Khan, Washington Post, May 7, 2009: Refugees Fleeing Swat Valley Tell of Taliban Crimes, Abuses
We are victims of war on terror: Faiz, Hyarbyar, Dawn.com, May 7, 2009
Balochistan decides to abolish district govts, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, May 5, 2009
Baloch Warnings, Dawn.com, May 4, 2009

Baloch men and women should join struggle for liberation: Brahumdagh Bugti, Balochwarna, May 4, 2009
Munir Ladha in an interview to daily times said entire Pakistan depends on Sui gas, DailyTimes.com.pk, May 3, 2009
Akbar Bugti caused the explosion that led to his death, DailyTimes.com.pk, May 3, 2009
Pakistan’s Islamic Schools Fill Void, but Fuel Militancy, by Sabrina Tavernise, NYTimes.com, May 3, 2009
"Our struggle is the continuation of Nawab Nauroz Khan's struggle": Sardar Akhtar Khan and other Baloch leaders address audiences in Gwader, Pasni and Ormara, BalochWarna.org, May 3, 2009
Pakistan in Sharia Quagmire, by Sarla Handoo, Asian Tribune, May 1, 2009, posed at intellibriefs.blogspot.com with videos (orig. article)
Raise voice against terror state, Baloch leader's call, by Ahmar Mustikhan, May 1, 2009
Kabul's new elite live high on West's largesse 'Gilded cage' lifestyle reveals the ugly truth about foreign aid in Afghanistan, by Patrick Cockburn, The Independent, May 1, 2009
Release: Copyright Infringement by a Pakistani publisher could result in Tarbela Urao, May 1, 2009
Lashkari Raisani to quit PPP office, Senate, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Apr 27, 2009
Autonomous Balochistan...united Pakistan, by Tahir Hasan Khan, The News, April 26, 2009
Afghanistan and India behind BLA: Malik, Dawn.com, Apr 23, 2009: "The prime minister's adviser on interior affairs surprised the Senate on Wednesday when he directly accused Afghanistan and India of supporting the Baloch National Army's campaign for Balochistan's secession from Pakistan and also implicated the BLA in the kidnapping of UNHCR official John Solecki... Senators from Balochistan staged a walkout in protest against Mr Malik's statement..."
Senators call for prompt resolution of Balochistan issues, Dailytimes.com.pk, Apr 21, 2009: "Senators from both sides of the aisle on Monday urged the government to take prompt steps for resolution of Balochistan issue saying the country could otherwise face a possible disintegration..."
Call for UN probe into murder of Baloch leaders, Dawn.com, Apr 13, 2009
Pakistan sells its citizens down the river: Pakistan president signs off on Islamic law deal, by Asif Shahzad, Associated Press writer, Breitbart.com, Apr 13, 2009: "...The Taliban warned before the vote that lawmakers against the deal were guilty of apostasy, or abandoning Islam, which carries the death penalty in some parts of the Muslim world..."; " "The whole nation is united in its support of the Swat regulation and wants the president to approve it," Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said at the start of parliamentary debate Monday."
Rifts in PPP and the future of Balochistan coalition, by Malik Siraj Akbar, Malik Siraj Akbar Writes, Mar 30, 2009
Balochistan’s 222 missing found: Aslam Raisani, Dawn.com, Apr 2, 2009
Proposals for Balochistan autonomy prepared, Dawn.com, Mar 30, 2009
Baloch groups reject Zardari package, Dawn.com, Mar 28, 2009
Editorial: Addressing Baloch grievances, DailyTimes.com.pk, Mar 28, 2009; letter to the editor, by Mah Rang Baloch, Quetta: "I was once again disappointed with your anti-Baloch editorial published on March 28..."
Pakistan intelligence agency elements must stop support for Taliban, al-Qaeda: US, Telegraph.co.uk, Mar 28, 2009
Afghan Strikes by Taliban Get Pakistan Help, U.S. Aides Say, By MARK MAZZETTI and ERIC SCHMITT, NYTimes.com, Mar 25, 2009
U.S. Weighs Taliban Strike Into Pakistan, by David Sanger and Eric Schmitt, NYTimes.com, Mar 17, 2009
'Terror abroad' retrial ruled out, BBC News, Mar 10, 2009: "The CPS counter-terrorism division has carefully considered the evidence against Hyrbyair Marri in light of the jury's verdicts and decided that the case no longer meets the tests set out in the code for Crown prosecutors."
Fear of death stalks women in Swat, DailyTimes.com.pk, Mar 8, 2009 (and in Mail&Guardian); Fear pervades the air, by Sadia Qasim Shah, Dawn.com, Mar 8, 2009
‘Govt accepts BLUF demands for John Solecki's release', DailyTimes.com.pk, Mar 6, 2009;
Militants bomb ancient shrine in Pakistan, AP, MSNBC.com, Mar 5, 2009
Balochistan's worsening situation, by Ahmed Rashid, BBCNews, Mar 4, 2009
Idea of Afghan Women's Rights Starts Taking Hold, by Kirk Semple, NYTimes.com, Mar 3, 2009

Brahamdagh blamed for UN official's abduction, Dawn.com, Feb 27, 2009. No evidence offered. Brahumdagh denies allegations.

Bipartisan law & order committee to be set up, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Feb 27, 2009
Envoy tells UN Pakistan will do more for the Baloch, DailyTimes.com.pk, Feb 21, 2009: "...A UN panel on racial discrimination questioned Akram on Thursday about Pakistan's treatment of the Baloch..."
Secrecy and denial as Pakistan lets CIA use airbase to strike militants, Times Online, Feb 17, 2009: "... But The Times has discovered that the CIA has been using the Shamsi airfield — originally built by Arab sheikhs for falconry expeditions in the southwestern province of Baluchistan — for at least a year. The strip, which is about 30 miles from the Afghan border, allows US forces to launch a Drone within minutes of receiving actionable intelligence as well as allowing them to attack targets further afield..."
Balochistan problems, Dawn.com editorial, Feb 16, 2009 (posted at balochunity.org)
I'm first a Baloch, then a Pakistani: Rind, by Rauf Klasra, The News, Feb 15, 2009
Raisani gets green signal to disfranchise Gwadar settlers, The News, Feb 14, 2009
Pakistan grants exploration rights in Balochistan, SteelGuru.com, Feb 14, 2009
Hyarbyar gets partial relief from UK court, Dawn.com, Feb 12, 2009
Jan Jamali wants fair resolution of Balochistan problems, by Mumtaz Alvi, The News, Feb 12, 2009
Press Release: Baloch Society of North America (BSO-NA) condemns kidnapping of John Solecki, Feb 10, 2009
US hints at more focus on ‘Quetta shura': NYTimes, Dawn.com, Feb 10, 2009
Taliban Haven in Pakistani City Raises Fears, by Eric Schmitt, Mark Mazzetti, NYTimes.com, Feb 10, 2009
Ongoing coverage related to the kidnapping of UN official John Solecki, by Malik Siraj Akbar, DailyTimes.com.pk;
BLF claim kidnap of John Solecki
, AAJ TV Online, Feb 7, 2009; New Baloch group claims abducting UNHCR head, by Malik Siraj Akbar, DailyTimes.com.pk, Feb 8, 2009; Baloch rebels claim kidnap of UN refugee official, Dawn.com, Feb 7, 2009
BLF claim kidnap of John Solecki, AAJ TV Online, Feb 7, 2009
Police ‘absolutely clueless' about UN official's abduction, by Malik Siraj Akbar, DailyTimes.com.pk, Feb 4, 2009
Over dozen suspects being quizzed in Quetta, Dawn.com, Feb 4, 2009
Four killed at wedding party in Dera Bugti, DailyTimes.com.pk, Feb 4, 2009; Firing, attacks leave 14 dead in Balochistan, by Bari Baloch, Huffingtonpost.com, Feb 4, 2009
Whole Balochistan to be ‘A’ area by June, Feb 2, 2009, posted at balochunity.org;
Gunmen kidnap UN agency official in Quetta: Driver killed in ambush, Dawn.com, Feb 2, 2009
Balochistan’s Rs17.5bn overdraft waived, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Jan 23, 2009
BRA kills four in Sui bombing, by Malik Siraj Akbar, DailyTimes, Jan 15, 2009
Shaun Randol: Censor See, Censor Do, The World Policy Blog, Jan 17, 2009
BRA kills four in Sui bombing, by Malik Siraj Akbar, DailyTimes, Jan 15, 2009
Thousands rally in Quetta over police killings, Dawn.com, Jan 14, 2009
Israel admits troops may have used phosphorus shells in Gaza: Amnesty warns Israel could be guilty of war crimes, by Peter Beaumont, The Guardian, Jan 21, 2009

'We are creating suicide bombers from the sons of the dead', by Chris McGreal, The Guardian, Jan 17, 2009: "...the [Israeli] military has preferred to pretend simply that dissenters don't exist - as hundreds of soldiers and reservists signed petitions refusing to enforce the occupation...; (repost)

UN headquarters in Gaza hit by Israeli 'white phosphorus' shells
, TimesOnline, Jan 15, 2009 (photographic evidence of American made white phosphorous shells); Grieving Over Gaza, Comment, by Anat Biletzki, TheNation.com, Jan 14, 2009; Virtually the Entire Dem-Controlled Congress Supports Israel's War Crimes in Gaza, by Stephen Zunes, AlterNet, Jan 13, 2009; Israelis Rain 'Phosphorous Bombs' Over Gaza, by Mel Frykberg, Inter Press Service, Jan 13, 2009; Israel testing nasty weapons in Gaza, claims Mads Gilbert, News.com.au, Jan 13, 2009
Tribesmen block NATO supply route at Chaman, Dawn.com, Jan 13, 2009
Balochistan cancels 63,000 acres land allotment to PAF, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Jan 10, 2009: "...The cabinet has decided to use this land for agricultural purposes to benefit the local people of the area..."
Race to the death over Kashmir waters, by Haroon Mirani, atimes.com, Jan 13, 2009
Four killed in Dera Bugti land mine blast; Motorcycle bomb leaves one dead in Khuzdar, Dawn.com, Jan 9, 2009
Panetta Is Chosen as C.I.A. Chief, in a Surprise Step, by Mark Mazzetti and Carl Hulseny, NY Times, Jan 6, 2008. "Those who support torture may believe that we can abuse captives in certain select circumstances and still be true to our values,” he [Panetta] wrote in The Washington Monthly last year. “But that is a false compromise.” He also wrote: “We cannot and we must not use torture under any circumstances. We are better than that.”
End of ceasefire raises many an eyebrow, by Malik Siraj Akbar, DailyTimes.com.pk, Jan 7, 2009: "...BLA spokesman says government did not respond positively to truce, Armed groups say they see no justification to end their operations..." (original)
Taliban consolidating grip on Quetta: Sanaullah Baloch, by Malik Siraj Akbar, DailyTimes.com.pk, Jan 5, 2009
Editorial: Baloch protest against 'Talibanisation', DailyTimes.com.pk editorial, Jan 5, 2009
Middleman in the Middle East, by James Harkin, Financial Times, Jan 2, 2009: "Sometime in the late 1980s, a British embassy vehicle was inching its way through the mountains of Balochistan in Pakistan when angry tribesmen barred its path. The tribespeople were in dispute with the government over water rights and when they caught sight in the car of what they assumed was a British diplomat – who happened to be en route to a meeting with the district commissioner – they couldn't resist the idea of seizing him as a bargaining chip. Shortly afterwards the district commissioner's office took a call. “This is Alastair Crooke. I'm afraid I might be a little late,” he apologised. “I've been kidnapped.” The district commissioner sent 12 Pakistani troops to retrieve Crooke, but they found him in no hurry to leave. He was, he said, going to stay put until something had been done about the tribesmen's complaints..."
Alienation of the Baloch, by Murtaza Razvi, Dawn.com, Jan 3, 2009
2008 most violent year in a decade for Balochistan, by Malik Siraj Akbar, DailyTimes.com.pk, Jan 3, 2009
16 injured in BRA attack on Quetta Express, DailyTimes.com.pk, Jan 3, 2009
205 officers and officials killed, hundreds wounded in Iran, by Reza Hossein Borr, Jan 1, 2009; Suicide attacker kills several Iranian troops, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Dec. 31, 2008; Iran closes border after suicide attack, by Malik Siraj Akbar, DailyTimes.com.pk, Dec. 30, 2008
Rights of Provinces, Dawn editorial, Dec 25, 2008: "...RESENTMENT grows when citizens of the state are denied the opportunity to benefit from the exploitation of local resources. Withholding this share in the collective pie does not serve the cause of harmony between the federating units as well as the centre and the provinces..."
Gwadar and the Baloch Cause, Dawn.com, Dec 24, 2008
Baloch parties for repatriation of Afghans, by Amanullah Kasi, Dawn.com, Dec 22, 2008
Raisani says Gwadar port belongs to Baloch, by Malik Siraj Akbar, DailyTimes.com.pk, Dec. 22, 2008
Govt assures justice in Akbar Bugti case: Talal, by Iftikhar A. Khan, Dawn.com, Dec. 21, 2008: "...The Government has assured a trial of former President Pervez Musharraf for killing veteran Baluch leader Akbar Bugti in a controversial military operation...He demanded that military operation in Sui, Dera Bugti and Kohlu agency be immediately stopped and the role of intelligence agencies be eliminated..."
Gwadar Port becomes fully operational, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Dec. 21, 2008: "...The Balochistan Chief Minister, Nawab Aslam Raisani, while speaking on the occasion said, ‘Gwadar port is an asset of the Baloch people and we will neither allow anyone to occupy it, nor allow converting the Baloch majority into a minority in Gwadar.' He said that the agreement signed with a Singapore company would be reviewed and subsequently it would be amended if found necessary..."
Canada ‘not onboard' with U.S. plan to arm Afghan militias, by Murray Brewster, Globe and Mail, Dec 21, 2008
Ongoing: For excellent Dawn.com coverage of Balochistan
BRA assassinates two pro-government tribal leaders, Dec 14, 2008
US, UK backing Iranian rebels: state media, Dawn.com, reposted at balochunity.org, Dec 13, 2008
CM Raisani demands rectification of contracts, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Dec. 8, 2008
Pakistan follows its own path, by Syed Saleem Shahzad, Asia Times Online, Dec. 6, 2008: "... Now the US has given the names of four former ISI officials, including Gul, to the United Nations Security Council to put them on a list of international terrorists..."
Quetta women told to observe purdah, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Dec. 4, 2008
Militants in Pakistan destroy NATO trucks, by Jane Perlez, IHT, Dec. 8, 2008: "...the third major attack by Taliban militants on NATO supplies in Pakistan in less than a month.."; Peshawar slipping into chaos, DailyTimes.com.pk, Dec 8, 2008; More than 160 trucks destroyed, by Riaz Khan, Associated Press Writer, Dec. 7, 2008
Terrorist outlaws – or a group with friends in high places?, by Kim Sengupta, The Independent, Dec. 1, 2008
An Interrogator Speaks: I'm Still Tortured by What I Saw in Iraq, By Matthew Alexander, WashingtonPost.com, Nov. 30, 2008
Nov. 27: Highly coordinated attacks in India: too early to determine which group is responsible:
Mumbai: Lessons for the Future
- International Terrorism Monitor-Paper No. 462 by B. Raman, Nov. 29, 2008;
195 killed in Mumbai attacks, Agence France-Presse, Nov. 29, 2008, reposted at The Raw Story;
Mumbai attacks: Are they British?
; Rediff.com's info on Lashkar-e-Tayiba; Group calls itself Deccan Mwjahideen: history of the Deccan Plateau; B Raman: Hindu anger vs Muslim anger, Nov 16, 2008

Photo: dawn.com
Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Raisani
Gwadar will remain a Baloch majority area
, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, 29 Nov, 2008
Royal Balochistan leader makes asylum case, Western Mail, Nov 29 2008
Balochistan sends missing persons' list to army, Interior Ministry, DailyTimes.com.pk, Nov 21, 2008
Security forces, militants clash in Dera Bugti, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Nov. 25, 2008
‘Armed resistance is the only way': Baloch leaders, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Thursday, 20 Nov, 2008
Baloch leader released after eight years, DailyTimes.com.pk, Nov 21, 2008
Multiple attacks by militants hit Balochistan, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Nov 20, 2008
BLA attacks Kalat Scouts convoy, by Malik Siraj Akbar, DailyTimes.com.pk, Nov 17, 2008; BLA claim killing security personnel, by Salim Shahid, Dawn.com, Nov 17, 2008
US supply line threatened by Pakistan truck halt, Nov 17, 2008
Forty per cent of NHA budget for Balochistan, by Bakhtawar Mian, Dawn.com, Nov 16, 2008
'Govt to probe Bugti killing if FIR mentions Musharraf', Dawn.com, Nov 12, 2008
Obama to Explore New Approach in Afghanistan War, by Karen DeYoung, Washington Post, Nov 11, 2008
Documents linking Iran to nuclear weapons push may have been fabricated, by Gareth Porter, TheRawStory, Nov 10, 2008
Documents linking Iran to nuclear weapons push may have been fabricated, by Gareth Porter, TheRawStory, Nov 10, 2008
Pakistanis Mired in Brutal Battle to Oust Taliban, by Jane Perlez and Pir Zubair Shah, NYTimes.com, Nov 10, 2008: "...'The enemy had a lot of advantage,' Colonel Baluch said. 'They knew the area completely. We were told we would meet foreign fighters and local fighters supporting them. The resistance unfolded differently.'..."
Obama's South Asia challenges, by Ahmed Rashid, BBCNews, Nov 10, 2008
Govt reveals six Pakistanis incarcerated at Gitmo, by Syed Irfan Raza, Dawn.com, Nov 11, 2008: "...Six Pakistani nationals are languishing in the Guantanamo Bay...According to the information provided to the National Assembly, so far only Ammar Al Baluchi is put up for trial by the US military commission...".
Conflict with Taliban good for Balochistan: Mengal, by Amanullah Kasi, Dawn.com, Nov 11, 2008: "...BNP-M leader said that Balochistan issue was very simple ‘Give us authority on our resources and coast, wherein the centre should retain currency, foreign affairs and defense portfolios and remaining subjects should be transferred to the federating units, he added..."
Tension grips Lyari as BSO leaders Soyem held, by Shamim Bano, balochunity.org, Nov 5, 2008; BNP City Chief among Six Shot Dead in Karachi, by Rehan Siddiqui, Khaleej Times, Nov 3, 2008
Hundreds of acres of Army land given as bribe to JUI, The News, Nov 2, 2008
Rally in support of Baloch freedom fighters, at 'Quetta, Baloch, Balochistan and Others' blog, Nov 2, 2008
Zardari approves 3-R strategy for Balochistan, by Inamullah Khattak, Dawn.com, Oct 27, 2008; Editorial: A strategy for Balochistan, Editorial, DailyTimes.com.pk, Oct 27, 2008
Release, WASHINGTON DC: U.S. urged to help stop nuclear tests in Baluchistan, by Shehmir Gorgej, Oct 27, 2008
UN should hold Syria to account, An Open Letter to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, the Hon. António Guterres, and to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Hon. Ban Ki-moon, (Word doc; download pdf)
Balochistan crying out for disaster strategy: experts, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Oct 11, 2008
In America: Is Posse Comitatus Dead? US Troops on US Streets, Democracy Now, Oct 7, 2008
Missing persons issue raised with Nawaz, by Ahmed Hassan, Dawn.com, Oct 11, 2008
Pakistan's role in regional strife: Why the Neo-Taliban is Winning, by Syed Saleem Shahzad, counterpunch.org, Oct 11-12, 2008; Taliban leader killed by SAS was Pakistan officer, by Christina Lamb in Kabul, Oct 12, 2008: "...British officials covered up evidence that a Taliban commander killed by special forces in Helmand last year was in fact a Pakistani military officer, according to highly placed Afghan officials..."
Comment: Exposing the Un-Democratic Face of Capitalism, by Noam Chomsky
Pakistani army soldiers killed and 7 injured in a landmine blast, balochwarna.org, Sep 30, 2008; For ongoing coverage of conflict see balochwarna.org and balochvoice.org
Press Release: Pashtuns want peace not war and support Joe Biden to pacify over 700 mudrassas in Pukhtunkwa!: PPF reminds the international community to consider the plea of Democratic VP candidate Joe Biden to take care of the over 700 mudrassas (religious schools). PPF propose that these madrassas should be converted to the ‘Bacha Khan Peace Schools' to avoid war and bring sustainable peace.
Pakistan Deploying Nuclear Weapons in Balochistan, By Archen Baloch, Sep 29, 2008
Balochistan govt drops 8 cases against Khair Baksh Marri, Sep 29, 2008 (orig. post)
Eleven injured in Quetta blasts, DailyTimes.com.pk, Sep 29, 2008: "...According to the shopkeepers, Lashkar-e-Islam had warned owners of music shops to close their businesses..."
FC-tribesmen clash leaves nine dead, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Sep 28, 2008: "...Fresh clashes between Baloch militants and security forces were reported 25 days after three Baloch militant organiations announced their joint unilateral ceasefire on Sept 1..."
In the USA: A bailout and a new world, by Pepe Escobar, atimes.com, Sep 26, 2008: "...Sarkozy described speculators as "the new terrorists". US Republicans of course call Sarkozy's plan socialism - as if the Ben Bernanke-Hank Paulson bailout scheme was not no-holds-barred socialism for the wealthy...[Morales] stressed there was not a single word of condemnation by the US of relentless right-wing terrorism in Bolivia, unlike all the nations of South America talking with one voice via UNASUR..."; Noam Chomsky's view, BBCNews.com, Sep 2008; Wasilla Watch: Sarah Palin and the Rape Kits, by Dorothy Samuels, NYTimes.com, Sep 25, 2008
Heavy Shelling in Zain-koh, Woman and infant killed. Many Injured, Abducted Livestock & Crops Destroyed, DailyTawar.com (orig. text), Sep 27, 2008
Pakistan and Iran make significant progress on gas pipeline, by Khalid Hasan, Sep 24, 2008 [Note: the pipeline will pass through Baloch land]
UN refugee agency seeks $17m for displaced Pakistanis, DailyTimes.com.pk, Sep 24, 2008
Bramdagh vows to continue armed struggle for rights, by Amanullah Kasi, Dawn.com, Sep 23, 2008
In America: Hundreds of thousands of Democrats being removed from voting rolls: RFK Jr. "Votes are being stolen, now, by hundreds of thousands", Will be denied right to vote in Nov. election, interview with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., reposted at dailykos.com, Sep 23, 2008
On the American 'Stick-up': The Way Forward, by Stirling Newberg, Sep 21, 2008. On the financial coup d'etat. And: Wall Street bailout plan explained, universally reviled
At Least 40 Are Killed in Blast at Pakistan Hotel, by Carlotta Gall, NYTimes.com, Sep 20, 2008: "...A huge truck bomb exploded at the gateway of the five-star Marriott Hotel in Islamabad on Saturday evening, just a few hundred yards from the prime minister's house, where all the leaders of government were dining after the president's address to Parliament..."
Pakistan's 'bleakest moment', by Ahmed Rashid, BBCNews.com, Sep 19, 2008
CDA ignoring Balochs in appointments, balochunity.org, reposted from thepost.com.pk, Sep 19, 2008
Iranian general dies in clashes with rebels, Dawn.com, Sep 20, 2008
Women rights groups seek independent probe: Burying alive of women in Balochistan, Sher Baz Khan, Dawn.com, Sep 19, 2008
Pakistan army is rogue, terrorist, by Ahmar Mustikhan, Sep 17, 2008
US revokes visa for Amina Janjua: "...The United States has revoked the travel visa of a Pakistani human rights defender ahead of her trip to Washington, human rights group Amnesty International said Saturday...", DailyTimes.com.pk, Sep 15, 2008
UK-based Baloch Human Rights Council has written a letter to the newly elected president of Pakistan Asif Zardari (right click to download Word doc);
NP leader calls for dialogue on Balochistan, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Sep 15, 2008
Peace For Who?, by Che Mureed Baloch, balochunity.org, Sep 11, 2008
Tehran targets journalists: The Iranian authorities are cracking down on media freedom, especially reporters who dare to cover the persecution of ethnic minorities, by Peter Tatchell, The Guardian Comment, Sep 11, 2008. (You can help save Iran's jailed journalists. Email your appeals to addresses in article.)
IDEAS - Magazine of Pashtun Peace Forum, Canada - September/October, 2008 - Vol. 1, No. 3 (right-click to download magazine)
Interview: Afghanistan's intelligence chief Amrullah Saleh, age 36, IntelliBriefs.com, Sep 14, 2008
US, Pakistan blamed for failure to help British prosecutors: Plot to blow up airliners, Dawn.com, Sep 10, 2008
Pakistan: Persecution of Minority Ahmadiyya Muslims, intellibriefs.blogspot.com, Sep 10, 2008;
American Physician Murdered in Pakistan, intellibriefs.blogspot.com, Sep 15, 2008: Murder follows hate program targeting Ahmadi Muslims on GEO TV 'Aalim Online'
PAF jets in flights over North Waziristan, Dawn.com, Sep 14, 2008
HEC overlooks Baloch students for scholarships, BalochUnity.org, Sep 10, 2008: "...It was informed during Question Hour in the National Assembly that no scholarship has been awarded to a Balochistan's student since 2006..."; from before: World Bank mission assesses Balochistan education support programme, May 2008: "... eight of the ten most deprived districts in Pakistan are located in Balochistan. While there has been some improvement in the enrolment rates in recent years, Balochistan continues to lag behind other provinces in education service delivery.."; Balochistan students protest against admission policy, by Malik Siraj Akbar, Malik Siraj Akbar writes, Jul 18, 2008
Political prisoners to be freed, Dawn.com, Sep 7, 2008: "... The provincial government has decided to release all political prisoners and drop cases against Bugti tribesmen languishing in different jails in Balochistan..."
Editorial: Baloch ceasefire is welcome,(and here), DailyTimes.com.pk, Sep 5, 2008
Ground assault by US-led forces: Women, children among 20 killed in Waziristan, Dawn.com, Sep 4, 2008
BLA, BRA, BLF announce cease-fire, AAJ TV Online, Sep 2, 2008: "...Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Balochistan Republican Army (BRA), and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) announced cease-fire for indefinite period, Aaj TV reported..."
Minister hails Balochistan militants’ move, Dawn.com, Sep 4, 2008
Frontier Corps comes under fire in Balochistan Assembly, by Malik Siraj Akbar, DailyTimes.com.pk, Aug 31, 2008
Balochistan Demands Share for IPI Gas Transit, Fars News Agency, Aug 30, 2008
Dutch sabotage agent recalled from Iran over “impending” US attack - report, Debka.com, Aug 30, 2008
Sindh CM in Quetta for Asif's campaign, Dawn.com, Aug 30, 2008
Pakistani city of Peshawar could fall to Taliban as fear and attacks grow, by Nick Meo, Daily Telegraph, Aug 30, 2008
Most FC posts in Balochistan to be abolished: Baloch leaders to be released, cases to be withdrawn, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Aug 29, 2008
BHRC strongly condemns the Killing of unarmed Baloch civilians in Turbat By Pakistani security forces, BalochWarna.org, Aug 28, 2008
Over 1,100 people missing in Balochistan, says Malik, by Saleem Shahid & Syed Irfan Raza, Dawn.com, Aug 28, 2008
Bombing at Baluchistan rally, Al Jazeera, Aug 26, 2008
Balochistan senators warn of country's disintegration, Dawn.com, Aug 26, 2008
Release: New group formed to unite Baluch diaspora, By Ahmar Mustikhan, Aug 23, 2008
Balochistan simmers, Dawn.com, Aug 22, 2008
London: Baloch diaspora to form HR body in London, Aug 21, 2008, dawn.com, Aug 22, 2008
Confirmed: Nicholas Schmidle is safe: Aug 21, 2008; American journalist missing in Karachi, DailyTimes.com.pk, Aug 21, 2008
Governor Magsi resigns, Dawn.com, Aug 21, 2008
BNP-M links talks with halt to army operation, by Amanullah Kasi, Dawn.com, Aug 20, 2008
Baloch militants kill five govt officials: police, DailyTimes.com.pk, Aug 20, 2008; Bodies of five kidnapped govt employees found, by Salim Shahid, Dawn.com, Aug 20, 2008
Balochistan to be consulted over IPI gasline, DailyTimes.com.pk, Aug 19, 2008
Bugti’s son wants murder case lodged, by Salim Shahid, Dawn.com, Aug 19, 2008
Six pro-govt tribesmen killed in Dera Bugti, Dawn.com, Aug 15, 2008
Raisani blames use of brute force for unrest, Dawn.com, Aug 15, 2008
New al-Qaeda focus on NATO supplies, by Syed Saleem Shahzad, atimes.com, Aug 12, 2008: From this teeming financial center [Karachi], 80% of the goods go to Torkham in Khyber Agency on their way to the Afghan capital of Kabul. About 10% go to Chaman, then on to the northern Afghan city of Kandahar... Several al-Qaeda cells have apparently been activated in Karachi to monitor the movement of NATO supply convoys.
Balochistan coalition readies draft resolution against Musharraf, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Aug 12, 2008
Gloom sets over Gwadar? by Zed Aye, BalochUnity.com, Aug 8, 2008
Explosions destroy police station's arsenal in Quetta, Dawn.com, Aug 11, 2008
Charges should include killing of Bugti, Balaach’, Dawn.com, Aug. 11, 2008; Balochistan militants urged to join talks, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Aug 11, 2008
Government to form committee to resolve Balochistan issues, DailyTimes.com.pk, Aug 9, 2008
Girls' school set on fire in Quetta, DailyTimes, Aug 4, 2008: "...It is the first time that a girls' school has come under attack in the city. No group has so far claimed responsibility..."; Fighters killed in Pakistan clash, Al Jazeera, Aug 2: "...Five girls' schools [in Swatt] were set on fire early on Sunday morning in the latest assault..."
Balkanization to rid world of ISI threats, by Ahmar Mustikhan, Pakistan Christian Post, Aug 4, 2008
Phosphorous bombs allegedly used in Baluchistan, by Shehmir Gorgej, Aug 2nd, 2008
Pakistanis Aided Attack in Kabul, U.S. Officials Say, by Mark Mazzetti and Eric Schmitt, NY Times, Aug 1, 2008
CIA outlines Pakistan links with militants, by Mark Mazzetti and Eric Schmitt, IHT, Jul 30, 2008
Pakistan's Prime Minister U.S. Debut Is A Rocky One, by Ahmar Mustikhan, American Reporter, Jul 28, 2008
Baluchistan worse than Darfur, ICC at Hague told, Jul 29, 2008: "Two Baluch organizations have approached the International Criminal Court at the Hague and appealed to it to bring the Pakistan army generals to justice for the on-going ethnic cleansing in Baluchistan..."
Balochistan told to trace missing people, by Nasir Iqbal, Dawn.com, Jul 26, 2008
Pak accuses India of supporting Baloch nationalists, ZeeNews.com, Jul 25, 2008: "... Pakistan has accused New Delhi of supporting Baloch nationalists demanding greater autonomy in the resources-rich southwestern Balochistan province..."
Don't mention the Afghan–Pakistan war, by Fraser Nelson, Jul 23, 2008: Weapons, men and suicide bombers are flooding in from Pakistan every day. Like it or not, war is being waged on Afghanistan from Pakistan.
150MW power station for Balochistan soon: Wapda chairman, Dawn.com, Jul 27, 2008
Anti-democratic forces active in Balochistan, says PPP leader, Dawn.com, Jul 27, 2008
15 killed in Dera Bugti clashes, Dawn.com, Jul 27, 2008; Two security men killed in Balochistan, Jul 27, 2008
Pakistan responsible for killing, says Khan of Kalat: LONDON, JULY 17: The De Jure Ruler of Baluchistan, the Khan of Kalat Mir Suleman Daud Ahmedzai, has blamed the Pakistani establishment for killing his close relative at his hometown of Kalat on Tuesday in the smokescreen of aerial firing...(photos from graveside)
Baloch students on hunger strike: Three students' conditions worsen...Balochistan students protest against admission policy, by Malik Siraj Akbar, Jul 18, 2008: "...The students, led by Qambar Baloch and joined by pupils from other educational institutions, are demanding that the admission policy at BUITMS should be reviewed and the merit system be devolved at district level. Currently, 70 percent merit-based seats are fixed for the entire province, but the Baloch students argue that the largest beneficiaries of such a system are the non-Baloch students living in the urban parts of the province. They are demanding that admissions should be granted on a district-based merit system..."
(click for more pictures)

BUITMS students for change in admission policy, by Malik Siraj Akbar, Jul 13, 2008
Powerful blast hits football stadium, Dawn.com, Jul 25, 2008
>> MORE IN NEWS ARCHIVE...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
New: Miners bank $3bn on Baloch project, by Syed Fazl-e-Haider, atimes.com, Jul 3, 2009: "...Critics say that the government in Islamabad blundered by selling what may be the world's biggest untapped copper and gold deposits, worth over $100 billion, to foreign mining firms at a throwaway price, to the disservice of the people of the country's most backward province and economy..."

photo by Malik Siraj Akbar, IDP camp, Jaffarabad

Until lions have their own 'story tellers,' tales of a lion hunt will always glorify the hunter." - African proverb, quoted in Hastings Center article below.
In the Kidney Trade: Seller Beware, by Denise Grady, NYTimes, June 30, 2009: "...But who sells their kidneys, and what becomes of these people afterwards? The article, by two doctors and a psychologist from Karachi, paints an ugly picture of the kidney business and challenges the argument made by some that selling organs is a great financial boon to the poor and that they are grateful for the chance to do it..." (original research here, log in to read for free: Conversations with Kidney Vendors in Pakistan: An Ethnographic Study, The Hastings Center, May-June, 2009.
New: An unfair deal, by Sanaullah Baloch, Dawn.com, Jun 29, 2009
"...No doubt Pakistan’s civilian establishment has made a historic blunder by signing such a costly gas purchase accord. The price formula and the gas deal with Tehran indicate a great level of injustice as well as the inability of the political and official leadership of the country to negotiate a reasonable price formula with Iran; a country faced with immense global and economic pressures caused by international sanctions..."
Iran-Pakistan pipeline not a done deal, by Robert M Cutler, atimes.com, Jun 26, 2009
Special Report-Separate Ways: The separatist movement in Balochistan dates back to the beginning of Pakistan itself, by Yasir Babbar, Newsline.com.pk, Jun 2009
Iran's streets are lost, but hope returns, by Pepe Escobar, atimes.com, Jun 25, 2009
Iran's enemies are circling, by Syed Saleem Shahzad, atimes.com, Jun 17, 2009
Pakistan on the Brink, by Ahmed Rashid, NY Review of Books, Jun 11, 2009
The shadow war in Balochistan, by Pepe Escobar, atimes.com, Jun 4, 2009
'...Philip Alston of the United Nations Human Rights Council has been an almost isolated voice denouncing US shadow, "targeted assassination" teams working out of Afghan bases in Kandahar and Nangarhar, and allied with wily, local militias. The victims are mostly Afghan civilians. In Balochistan, the available "local militia" will always be Jundallah. The base will be in the Afghan "desert of death". In the absence of Taliban or al-Qaeda, victims of "decapitation" are plenty of Iranians across the border.

How better to apply Petraeus' tactics than to expand these teams into destabilizing Iran and preventing Iran and Pakistan from closer integration via a key Pipelineistan node - an integration that also benefits China?

That is achievable with a Balochistan mired in chaos. From the Pentagon's point of view, China profiting from the Baloch port of Gwadar to be supplied with Iranian gas is anathema. Islamabad may not be allowed by Washington to take out Jundallah after all. Shadowplay rules.'
Pakistan’s Fatal Shore, by Robert Kaplan, The Atlantic Monthly, May 2009: "...With its “Islamic” nuclear bomb, Taliban- and al-Qaeda-infested borderlands, dysfunctional cities, and feuding ethnic groups, Pakistan may well be the world’s most dangerous country, a nuclear Yugoslavia-in-the-making. One key to its fate is the future of Gwadar, a strategic port whose development will either unlock the riches of Central Asia, or plunge Pakistan into a savage, and potentially terminal, civil war..."


Photo: American Friends of Baluchistan presiding council member Mohammed Ali Baloch [extreme right] with Fauzia Deeba, Sharif Behruzand Dr. Karim Abdian

Nuclear Tests in Baluchistan: Political and Environmental Impacts, by Ahmar Mustikhan, Jun 1, 2009
Inside Kalat, Reviewed by Farhan Siddiqi, Dawn.com, May 31, 2009: "NOT two, rather three political units proclaimed independence in the middle of August 1947: Pakistan on August 14, India and the Khanate of Kalat on August 15. By virtue of Kalat's independence, Pakistan became a unique state in more ways than one..."
Blueprint for Baloch Nationalism, by Ahmad Marri, May 30, 2009 (word doc)
Pipelineistan goes Iran-Pak, by Pepe Escobar, atimes.com, May 29, 2009

"...Islamabad has promised an all-parties conference "within days" to seriously deal with Balochistan. No one is holding their breath. Over a year ago, Balochistan was promised greater control over its immense natural resources - the undisputed, number-one Baloch grievance - and a massive aid package. Not much has happened.

Punjabis derisively refer to Balochistan's "backwardness". But the heart of the matter is systematic, hardcore pillage by Islamabad - combined with hardcore repression and serial Latin America-in-the-1970s-style "disappearances" of political activists and senior Baloch nationalists. Not to mention virtually no investment in health, education and job creation. This Third World dictatorship catalogue of disasters fuels Baloch nationalism and separatism...

For the moment, Iran, Pakistan, China and Russia win. The SCO wins. Washington and NATO lose, not to mention Afghanistan (no transit fees). But will Balochistan also win? If not, all hell will break loose, from desperate Balochis sabotaging IP to "foreign interference" manipulating them into creating an even greater, regional, ball of fire."
Obama And Counter-Insurgency in Chinese Colours, International Terrorism Monitor -- Paper No.527, by B. Raman, May 27, 2009: "I did not know whether to laugh or cry when I read that the Obama Administration believed that "China is skilled in counter-insurgency", that it acquired its skills during its "war of liberation" against the KMT troops and that it can teach Pakistan "a more sophisticated strategy than Pakistan's current heavy-handed approach."...
Slouching towards balkanization, by Pepe Escobar, atimes.com, May 21, 2009: Meanwhile, Balochistan, the biggest prize in the region (see Balochistan is the ultimate prize, Asia Times Online, May 9, 2009) remains totally under the radar of the frenetic US news cycle.
From before: Balochistan’s Unaddressed Grievances, by Rahil Yasin, countercurrents.org, Apr 19, 2009: "...Balochistan is a transit site for major proposed natural gas pipelines that would carry gas from either Iran or Turkmenistan to Pakistan and from there potentially to India. One of many obstacles to the implementation of these pipeline projects has been the threat of Baloch militant attacks to disrupt gas supplies...Baloch nationalists have complained that the government has developed the port and corridor without consultation with, involvement of, or benefit to the Baloch people. The anger of Baloch nationalists has sometimes been directed against China, whose investment in the Gwadar project and in other Balochistan-based ventures has been substantial..."
Islamabad's divide and rule game in Balochistan, by Malik Siraj Akbar, Malik Siraj Akbar writes, May 18, 2009
Rebranding the Long War, Part 1: Obama Does his Bush Impression, by Pepe Escobar, May 8, 2009

(Pepe Escobar's Part 1 provides good context for reading this type of article: Shaky Pakistan Is Seen as a Target of Plots by Al Qaeda, by Mark Mazzetti and Eric Schmitt, May 10, 2009)

Part 2: Balochistan-the ultimate prize: "Balochistan is totally under the radar of Western corporate media. But not the Pentagon's... How crucial Balochistan is to Washington can be assessed by the study "Baloch Nationalism and the Politics of Energy Resources: the Changing Context of Separatism in Pakistan" by Robert Wirsing of the US Army think-tank Strategic Studies Institute. Predictably, it all revolves around Pipelineistan...There's fear in Islamabad that the government has taken its eye off the Balochistan ball - and that the BLA may be effectively used by the US for balkanization purposes. But Islamabad still seems not to have listened to the key Baloch grievance: we want to profit from our natural wealth, and we want autonomy. So what's gonna be the future of "Dubai" Gwadar? IPI or TAPI? The die is cast. Under the radar of the Obama/Karzai/Zardari photo-op in Washington, all's still to play in this crucial front in the New Great Game in Eurasia."

Washington's Imperial Attitude: We Talk About Countries Like We Own Them, by Tom Engelhardt, Tomdispatch.com. May 9, 2009: ...Keep in mind a certain irony here: We essentially know what those crisis meetings will result in. After all, the U.S. government has been embroiled with Pakistan for at least 40 years and for just that long, its top officials have regularly come to the same policy conclusions -- to support Pakistani military dictatorships or, in periods when civilian rule returns, pour yet more money (and support) into the Pakistani military. That military has long been a power unto itself in the country, a state within a state. And in moments like this, part of our weird extremism is that, having spent decades undermining Pakistani democracy, we bemoan its "fragility" in the face of threats and proceed to put even more of our hopes and dollars into its military. (As Strobel and Landy report, "Some U.S. officials say Pakistan's only hope, and Washington's, too, at this stage may be the country's army. That, another senior official acknowledged Wednesday, 'means another coup.'")...
As one unnamed expert commented recently in the insider Washington newsletter, the Nelson Report , "I find it troubling that we are hyping the 'security situation' in Pakistan. Pakistan is not being taken over, the FATA [Federally Administered Tribal Areas] is. This has been happening since 2004."...
By the way, for all our kindly talk about how the poor Pakistanis just can't get it together democracy-wise, the U.S. has a terrible record when it comes not just to promoting democracy in that country, but to really giving much of a damn about its people. In fact, not to put too kindly a point on things, Washington has, over the past decades, done few favors for ordinary Pakistanis. Having played our version of the imperial Great Game first vis-à-vis the Soviets and, more recently, a bunch of jihadist warriors, we are now waging a most unpopular and destabilizing air war without mercy in parts of that country, and another deeply unpopular war just across its mountainous, porous border...
Pakistan's British-Drawn Borders, by Robert Mackey, May 5, 2009, New York Times News Blog
Pakistan - The State of the Union, by Selig S. Harrison, Special Report, Center for International Policy, April, 2009; Dr. Wahid Baloch dissents, May 5, 2009
Pakistan is facing galloping Talibanisation: Ahmed Rashid, Dawn.com blog, May 4, 2009: "I no longer say that there's a creeping Talibanisation in Pakistan, it's a galloping Talibanisation."; Pakistan is on the brink of chaos, by Ahmed Rashid, Washingtonpost.com, May 5, 2009
Exile Voices, The News, Apr 26, 2009 (orig post):

"We are only against Punjabi-military elite"
, Murtaza Ali Shah talks to Hyrbyair Marri;

"Our Demand: Greater Baluchistan"
, Murtaza Ali Shah talks to Noordin Mengal;

"It is Not A Regional Problem"
, M. Ali. Shah talks to Khan of Kalat Suleiman Daud Khan;

"The Baloch youth is infuriated"
, Waqar Gillani talks to Rauf Khan Sassoli
Calls for policy review, by Anwar Syed, Dawn.com, Apr 26, 2009: "...Some of Pakistan's problems may be complex and the ways of resolving them difficult to figure out. But there is nothing complicated about the disaffection and unrest in Balochistan. They are as old as Pakistan itself. Balochistan is the largest and also the most neglected of its provinces. It has suffered deprivation all along in that its mineral resources have been exploited and taken out for the benefit of others; its gas fields have provided fuel to furnaces and kitchens all over the country. Any compensation it gets has never reached its people. They remain unspeakably poor..."
The Baloch Question, by Umer A. Chaudhry, MRzine.monthlyreview.org, Apr 25, 2009: "...We in Pakistan -- and particularly those of us in Punjab -- love to externalize the roots of problems that irritate our sensibility. Therefore, fingers were immediately pointed at foreign involvements [in the murder of three Baloch nationalist leaders], scarcely any thought given to our own attitude towards one of the largest provinces of our country. The deliberate lack of introspection combined with the respect that wild conspiracy theories continue to enjoy renders it very much necessary to take a dip into the history of Balochistan, for that is where the roots of the question lie..."

Face Down Pakistani Army, By Selig S. Harrison, Apr 26, 2009

"...In his new book, The Inheritance, New York Times correspondent David Sanger reveals that "several" key U.S. intelligence officials told him of National Security Agency telephone intercepts in which Pakistan's army chief of staff, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, referred to a key Taliban warlord, Jalaluddin Haqqani, as a "strategic asset." According to Sanger, another Pakistani general, in a meeting with the visiting U.S. director of national intelligence, Mike McConnell, explained that "we must sustain contact with the Taliban and support them" to make sure that in the future, the Afghan government "is a government friendly to Pakistan..."

Understanding Balochistan, by Qurat ul ain Siddiqui, Dawn.com, Apr 23, 2009

"As tensions flare in Balochistan and the government alleges foreign involvement in the nationalist movement there, Dawn.com talks to Sanaullah Baloch, the Central Secretary Information of the Balochistan National Party – Mengal..."; Sana Baloch: "According to one study, rural poverty in Balochistan increased 15 percent between 1999 and 2005.  The only ‘development' Balochistan has witnessed during Musharraf's rule is the 62 percent increase in police stations..."
From before: Baloch Nationalism and the Geopolitics of Energy Resources, The Changing Context of Separtism in Pakistan, by Robert G. Wirsing: "In Afghanistan's Shadow, a book published in 1981 by well-known author Selig S. Harrison, examined that era's threat of Soviet expansionism in the light of Baloch nationalism... “A glance at the map,” Harrison wrote at the outset of his book, “quickly explains why strategically located Balochistan and the five million Baloch tribesmen who live there could easily become the focal point of superpower conflict.” Over a quarter-century has passed since Harrison made that observation. Baloch nationalism is again on the rise, and Balochistan is again the scene of violent encounters between Baloch militants and Pakistani security forces. Not surprisingly, in comparing today's insurgency with its 1970s forerunner, we find numerous continuities. Conspicuous among them are the government's persistent refusal to concede any legitimacy to Baloch nationalism or to engage the Baloch nationalists in serious political negotiations. These refusals run in company with its parallel tendency to secure its aims in Balochistan mainly by military means..."
Open Veins of Latin America, review by Isabel Allende. TheBaluch.com is starting a new section on the subject of development. This is its first entry.
Pakistan's Fatal Shore, by Robert D. Kaplan, The Atlantic, May 2009: With its “Islamic” nuclear bomb, Taliban- and al-Qaeda-infested borderlands, dysfunctional cities, and feuding ethnic groups, Pakistan may well be the world's most dangerous country, a nuclear Yugoslavia-in-the-making. One key to its fate is the future of Gwadar, a strategic port whose development will either unlock the riches of Central Asia, or plunge Pakistan into a savage, and potentially terminal, civil war. (pdf)
The Mother of all cockfights, by Pepe Escobar, atimes.com, Apr 17, 2009
An open letter to Gen Kayani, View from the other side, by Col (r) Harish Puri, The News, Apr, 14, 2009
Militants Threaten Pakistan's Populous Heart, by Sabrina Tavernise, Richard A. Oppel Jr. and Eric Schmitt, NYTimes.com, Apr 13, 2009: "Taliban insurgents are teaming up with local militant groups to make inroads in Punjab..."
Security and development in the region: the new US strategy for Pakistan and Afghanistan (Word doc), AIRRA (Aryana Institute for Regional Research & Advocacy) Special Edition, Apr 1, 2009 (download pdf): "...One is tempted to point out a few missing links in the newly announced US policy for Pakistan and Afghanistan. Though religious militancy in Pakistan is a threat to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Europe and the US, those who bear the major brunt of this insurgency are the people living in FATA, NWFP and Northern Baluchistan besides Southern and Eastern Afghanistan. The newly announced US strategy is silent on the issue of how much these people can help make the new strategy succeed or fail. There is no provision in the new strategy or any other strategy developed by Pakistan and Afghanistan to take these people into confidence. The provincial government of NWFP, the cultural organizations in the Pashtun belt and the civil society within the Pashtun belt have to be engaged in a ‘strategic communication system’ and in the regional consultations on the implementation of the newly announced policy..."
Pakistan's way out: Euthanasia, by C N Anand, Media with Conscience, Apr 11, 2009: "Euthanasia has very few supporters no matter how excruciating the pain is for the terminally ill. Unfortunately, this humanitarianism extends to nations, even when the writing on the wall screams that the failing state must be put out of its misery for the sake of giving its citizens a second chance..."
Balochistan breaking point?, by Yasir Babbar, Himal SouthAsian mag, Apr, 2009
A Cry For Justice From Swat, by Fatima Ahmed, Apr 4, 2009, Pashtun Peace Forum
The Pakistan government and military abandon its citizens in Swat Valley to the brutal 'justice' of the Taliban. Warning: This mobile phone video contains graphic violence. Man who made Swat flogging video speaks to Dawn News, Dawn.com, Apr 4, 2009: "...Shaukat said the people in Swat are so scared that no one has the courage to stand up and speak out against the Taliban and their verdicts."
Video of girl's flogging as Taliban hand out justice, by Declan Walsh, The Guardian, Apr 2, 2009; Pakistan region in grip of fear as leader begins to implement sharia law, by Saeed Shah, The Guardian, Apr 3, 2009; New: Smoker's corner: The creeping malaise, by Nadeem F. Paracha, dawn.com, Apr 19, 2009
Can Pakistan Be Governed, by James Traub, NYTimes.com, Mar 31, 2009

John Solecki
Solecki’s captors issue yet another warning, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Apr 3, 2009

Friends await Solecki's safe return, by Malik Siraj Akbar, Malik Siraj Akbar Writes, Mar 30, 2009
John Solecki: a victim of apathy?, by Malik Siraj Akbar, Dailytimes.com.pk, Mar 19, 2009

Scroll down for more coverage...
Baloch voice by Rahimullah Yusufzai, posted at Malik Siraj Akbar Writes, Mar 30, 2009
Obama's Afghan Spaghetti Western, by Pepe Escobar, atimes.com, Mar 28, 2009
How the West lost its way in the East, by Patrick Cockburn, The Independent Mar 27, 2009
Liquid War: Postcard From Pipelineistan, by Pepe Escobar, posted at truthout.org, Mar 24, 2009, orig at tomdispatch.com
A Conversation With David Kilcullen, by Carlos Lozada, The Washington Post, Mar 22, 2009
From Pakistan to Cardiff: The King of Kalat, The Independent, Mar 16, 2009
Webster Brooks interview with Shuja Nawaz: Obama's Response to Pakistan's Long March. Shujah Nawaz is longtime Pakistani analyst, scholar and Director of the new South Asia Center at the Atlantic Council of the United States.

Mullah Muhammad Omar in undated picture
Threat to secular Balochistan?, by Malik Siraj Akbar, reposted at balochunity.org, Mar 9, 2009, (reposted balochunity.org)

Balochistan's worsening situation, by Ahmed Rashid, BBCNews, Mar 4, 2009
Meet Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, by Peter Lee, counterpunch.org, Mar 9, 2009
Foreign firm to invest $1bn in copper, gold mining in Balochistan, DailyTimes.com.pk, Mar 8, 2009. Controversy: Wikipedia history of Reko Diq; Pakistan's Copper and Gold Reserves Sold in Pennies, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jul 21, 2008; google map of Reko Dik;
players: Tethayan Copper company publication: Reko Diq Exploration and Discovery, Antofogasta and Barrick Gold (Barrick's Dirty Secrets, An Alternative Annual Report, May 2007); Antofagasta, Tracking the positive and negative impacts of over 4000 companies worldwide Business and Human rights Resource Centre
Ataullah Mengal, photo: BBC Urdu.com
From before: Independent Baluchistan?, Ataullah Mengal's 'Declaration of Independence' by Lawrence Lifschultz, Economic and Political Weekly, May, 1983
Please Recognize Balochistan as an Independent Sovereign Baloch National State, by Archen Baloch Kaleer, BalochUnity.org, Mar 9, 2009
Baloch Nationalism as a Forestaller for Talibanization, By Divya Kumar Soti, Mar 4, 2009
Lyari and Malir see revival of interest in Baloch culture, by Latif Baloch, Dawn.com, Mar 3, 2009
Curse of the Khyber Pass, by Milton Bearden, National Interest Online, Mar 2, 2009
Balochistan: a broken promise?, by Malik Siraj Akbar, Dawn.com, Mar 2, 2009
Pakistan: Resolve Hundreds Of Baluch 'Disappearances'," Says Amnesty International, Feb 26, 2009
HRCP wants probe into Balochistan disappearances, Dawn.com, Feb 21, 2009
Mother "Language And Land" Are Precious, by Juma Baloch, Articlesbase, Feb 20, 2009

John Solecki
UN official's captors issue final deadline By Saleem Shahid, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Mar 2, 2009

Al Qaeda & Balochistan: Kidnapping of US National, by B. Raman, posted at intellibriefs.com, Mar 16, 2009

BLUF rejects UN appeal for direct contact, Malik Siraj Akbar Writes, Feb 18, 2009

Interview on VoA, Malik Siraj Akbar Writes, Feb 17, 2009

John Solecki and Qambar Baloch—A reminder to the people of the USA and UN, Malik Siraj Akbar Writes, Feb 15, 2009

Appeals for the release of John Solecki:

From Reza AHossein Borr: An appeal to the holders of John Solecki, UN Official, Feb 23, 2009

From thebaluch.com: Appeal for the release of Mr. John Solecki

Interview with Nawab Baksh Marri, BBC Urdu (in Urdu), Feb 17, 2009

From: Baloch Human Rights Council: Baloch Human Rights Council strongly condemns the abduction of Mr John Solecki, (full letter)

From Noordin Mengal, Baloch Representative to the UN in NY and UNHRC: Appeal for the release of Mr. John Solecki, (full letter); at UNPO; in Urdu

From Malik Siraj Akbar Writes: read article

From BalochPeople.org: Urgent Appeal For Undelayed And Unconditional Release Of John Solecki, The U. N. Official And Worker, BalochPeople.org, Feb 15, 2009

From Balochwarna.org: appeal

From: Malik Siraj Akbar writes:
An appeal for John Solecki's release, by Malik Siraj Akbar, Feb 12, 2009

From: Baloch Society of North America (BSO-NA):
Baloch Society of North America (BSO-NA) condemns kidnapping of John Solecki, Feb 10, 2009

Raisani confirms FBI probing Solecki's case, DailyTimes.com, Feb 16, 2009

Authorities step up efforts to free UN hostage, Dawn.com, Feb 14, 2009

Baloch Issue and the Obligation of International Human Rights Organizations, by Munir Mengal, Feb 14, 2009 (orig post), at balochunity.org

Kidnappers Threaten to Kill U.N. Official Abducted in Pakistan, Associated Press, Feb 13, 2009

John Solecki video released, by Malik Siraj Akbar, Feb 13, 2009

Balochistan history in brief:
* Pakistan's Baluch Insurgency by Selig Harrison, Le Monde Diplomatique, Oct. 2006; For other articles and book by Selig Harrison
* For perspective by Ahmed Rashid (author of 'Taliban' and 'Descent into Chaos'): Frontier Years Give Might to Ex-Guerrilla's Words, by Jane Perlez, NY Times, Jul 5, 2008
* Interview with Ahmed Rashid by Munizae Jahangir from her documentary 'The Baloch Battlefield.'
* Waiting for the Worst: Baluchistan, 2006, by Nicholas Schmidle, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Spring 2007
* Balochis of Pakistan: On the Margins of History (right click to download pdf) by Foreign Policy Centre, London, Nov. 2006
* Back to the Future-The Khanate of Kalat and the Genesis of Baloch Nationalism 1915-1955, by Martin Axmann, Oxford University Press
* Baloch Nationalism: Its Origin and Development, by Taj Mohammad Breseeg, 2004; for pdf
Baloch demands still unmet, by Sanaullah Baloch, Dawn.com, Feb 19, 2009, at dawn.com
Balochi Nationalists Intensify Violent Rebellion in Iran, by Chris Zambelis, The Jamestown Foundation, Feb 9, 2009 (post at balochunity.org)
UK plans anti-extremism ad drive for Pakistani, Dawn.com, Feb 11, 2009 (comment)
Brahamdagh threatens to ‘repay' PPP, by Malik Siraj Akbar , DailyTimes.com.pk, Feb 10, 2009: "...hundreds of supporters of the BRP protested on Monday in front of the Quetta Press Club against the disappearance of their central secretary general and Chakar Qambarani, a member of the BRP Central Committee... Baloch and Qambarani are the first important Baloch leaders to go ‘missing' since the restoration of democracy in the country and the ouster of former president Pervez Musharraf..."
Musharraf still pulls the strings, by Peter Tatchell, The Guardian, Feb 9, 2009: The government of Pakistan says it wants peace in Baluchistan but supporters of the ousted dictator hold the real power
Where has all the money gone? Despite billions of dollars in U.S. military aid to Pakistan over the past years, the Pakistan military can't (or won't?) prevent the Taliban from destroying schools in Swat Valley: Diary of a Pakistani schoolgirl (ii) and (part i).
From before, Apr 2007: Dams, Rivers & People, The Pakistan Page, Mega Water Projects in Baluchistan: Claims and the Reality, edited from Mega Projects in Balochistan dated March 2007 by Azmat Budhani and Hussain Bux Mallah (extracted from here): "...The aim of this paper is to examine govt claims about the financial outlay on Mega Projects in Balochistan and its supposed benefits for the people of the province."
Graveyard of analogies by Ahmed Rashid, The National, Abu Dhabi, Jan 30, 2009; No Quick Fix for FATA, by Robert Dreyfuss, TheNation.com, Feb 3, 2009
SAWATization of our lovely Quetta city, by Malik Siraj Akbar, 'Malik Siraj Akbar Writes', Jan 25, 2009

Curbs on women in militancy-hit areas spreading to Quetta
, by Malik Siraj Akbar, DailyTimes.com.pk, Jan 25, 2009: QUETTA: An increasing number of restaurants in Quetta have stopped serving women apparently after being pressured by religious elements, and the practice is being seen as a spill-over of the Swat problem to the rest of Pakistan.
Pakistan in Peril, by William Dalrymple, Descent into Chaos: The United States and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia by Ahmed Rashid, Jan 15, 2009 (re-post):
"...The night I arrived I went to see Najam Sethi and his wife Jugnu, editors of the English-language Daily Times and Friday Times newspapers, who now found themselves directly in the Taliban's crosshairs. Three weeks earlier they had begun to receive faxes threatening them with violence if they didn't stop attacking Islamist interests in their columns..."
Self-serving and self-defeating American aid: Why the U.S. has already lost in Afghanistan: Rampant corruption by U.S. contractors has left the country in shambles, by Ann Jones, Salon.com, Jan 15, 2009 (original post at salon.com);
Hail to the Chief, by Alexander Cockburn, Counterpunch.org, Jan 16-18, 2009
State of the Press freedom in Balochistan in 2008, by Malik Siraj Akbar, Jan 8, 2009: "Four months after his release from a nine-month long official detention, twenty-one-year old journalist Javid Lehri travels on every fortnight from his native Khuzdar district to Karachi for his medical treatment. Lehri had been whisked away by masked officials of a shadowy force from room No. 2 of Bugti block at a college hostel, where he was staying, at around 21:00pm on November 29 th , 2007 and released on August 22, 2008..."
Pakistan's government and military fail to protect its citizens in Swat from the Taliban: From Swat – with no love, by Zubair Torwali, The News, January 08, 2009 (orig.; Taliban Destroy Girls' Education, Pakistan Is Powerless, IPSNews.com, Jan 28, 2009

Balochistan next? Taliban consolidating grip on Quetta: Sanaullah Baluch, by Malik Siraj Akbar, DailyTimes.com.pk, Jan 5, 2009; Editorial: Baloch protest against 'Talibanisation', DailyTimes.com.pk editorial, Jan 5, 2009; also see letters to the editor: "Quetta Under Threat" by Chashman Khan, Quetta

New book: Back to the Future-The Khanate of Kalat and the Genesis of Baloch Nationalism 1915-1955, by Martin Axmann, Oxford University Press

The study investigates the genesis of Baloch nationalism during the first half of the twentieth century, analyses the emergence of a Baloch national movement, and sets it into relation to therise of an Indian and Muslim Indian national movement in British India during that time. The study portrays the decline and disintegration of the Baloch khanate of Kalat during the last decades of British rule and summarizes the colonial legacy of Balochistan in respect of its political, administrative, and constitutional development.
Walking on fire to prove innocence continues in Balochistan, by Malik Siraj Akbar, DailyTimes.com.pk, Jan 7, 2009: Scholar says practice becoming urbanised is the biggest concern, Balochistan minister for human rights says practice a part of local traditions, government cannot eliminate it..." (original)

Insight: Balochistan needs a rethink, by Ejaz Haider, DailyTimes.com.pk, Jan 7, 2009: "... The province’s leaders, for all the clamouring about rights etcetera, have woefully fallen short of reforming their social structures. The late Akbar Khan Bugti not only ruled his area like a medieval tyrant, Dera Bugti even today has the worst human development indices in Pakistan..."

Note from thebaluch editors: We are told that in the Mekran region, Panjgur district to be precise, there has not been a Sardari system for decades. The district does still not have good hospitals, schools and basic amenities of life.

Letters to editor: (read letters in full) from Kanwal Gichki, Turbat: "...The so-called tyrant sardars of Balochistan have not been demanding powers for themselves or legitimacy for their hold on their respective tribes. They have been seeking constitutional reforms. They have their political parties, abided by the Constitution of Pakistan and always respected the political process against the popular insurgency. All they are asking for is complete provincial autonomy, not only for the Baloch sardars but for the Sindhis, Pashtoons and the Punjabis living in the remaining three provinces of Pakistan...

New: Taliban consolidating grip on Quetta: Sanaullah Baluch, by Malik Siraj Akbar, DailyTimes.com.pk, Jan 5, 2009, posted at balochunity.org, (orig publ.)
"QUETTA: Balochistan National Party (BNP) Information Secretary and former senator Sanaullah Baloch has disclosed that the supporters of Taliban have captured land worth Rs 2 billion in the eastern and western parts of Quetta with the covert support of the ‘establishment' in order to undermine the Baloch nationalist movement and promote Talibanisation in Balochistan..."
New book: The Baloch and Others: Linguistic, historical and socio-political perspectives on pluralism in Balochistan, to be published 2009 by Reichert Verlag, editors: by Carina Jahani, Agnes Korn, Paul Titus
No Time to Waste, Dawn.com, Jan 5, 2009
As good a resolve as any, by Jawed Naqvi, Dawn.com, Jan 1, 2009
From before: Balochistan tourism industry shattered by insecurity, DailyTimes.com.pk, Feb 15, 2007
Issues related to development in Balochistan, Pakistan:
Balochistan's Thirst, Frontline, Volume 18 - Issue 08, Apr. 14 - 27, 2001; Mega Water Projects in Baluchistan: Claims and the Reality; Pakistan National Human Development Report 2003, with highlight on climate change; UN Report on Pakistan: Poverty Growth and Governance, by Akmal Hussain, with Inputs from A.R. Kemal, A.I. Hamid, Imran Ali, Khawar Mumtaz, Ayub Qutub. United Nations Development Programme, 2003: analysis of water crisis begins on page 7 of pdf.
The Other Front, by Sarah Chayes, The Washington Post, Dec. 14, 2008: "... We and our friends in Kandahar are thunderstruck at recent suggestions that the solution to the hair-raising situation in this country must include a political settlement with "relevant parties" -- read, the Taliban. Negotiating with them wouldn't solve Afghanistan's problems; it would only exacerbate them. Ask any Afghan what's really needed, what would render the Taliban irrelevant, and they'll tell you: improving the behavior of the officials whom the United States and its allies ushered into power after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks..."
Tackling terrorism head-on, Dawn.com editorial, Dec. 8, 2008: "...For myriad reasons, the legacy of the Afghan ‘jihad', the rising wave of Talibanisation, unemployment, poverty, illiteracy and ignorance, US foreign policy, our tribal areas have become a breeding ground for militancy and terrorism..."
New: Balochistan: The Unheard Cries of An Unknown People, by Ibrahim Lone, Islam-watch.org, Dec 7, 2008
Development: A possibility for the Gwadar area?
Ocean currents can power the world, say scientists, by Jasper Copping, Daily Telegraph, Nov. 29, 2008
A revolutionary device that can harness energy from slow-moving rivers and ocean currents could provide enough power for the entire world, scientists claim.
Perspectives: Floating the idea of confederation: A South Asian Confederation by 2020?, by Dinanath Mishra


An inspiring story of development: From hunters to conservationists, Dawn.com, Nov 23, 2008: The remote region of Torghar in Balochistan's north-eastern district of Qilla Saifullah is the unlikely setting for a pioneering project that combines innovative environmental conservation methods with the principles of sustainable development.
Central Asia’s Seaport: Gwadar or Chahbahar? by easterncampaign.wordpress.com, Nov 25, 2008, posted at balochunity.org
Tariq Ali praises Taliban and Hezbollah, mocks Baloch and Sindhi national movements, reposted from balochunity.org, Nov 23, 2008
New in fiction: 'Tarbela Damned--Pakistan Tamed,' by CN Anand, amazon.com: "Big ideas, interesting characters, rich detail...', "A page-turner, a spy story about the un-making of Pakistan by blowing up its major dam."; Review at MWCNews; Reviews at Indialog; Eastern Book Corp
Getting away with murder, by Mahir Ali Dawn.com, Wednesday, 19 Nov, 2008
Radicalised Balochi culture in the wake of conflict, by Malik Siraj Akbar, Nov 12, 2008
The Balochistan imbroglio, by Munir Ahmed Jan, Nov 13, 2008 balochunity.org and in Pakistan Observer
From Great Game to Grand Bargain, Ending Chaos in Afghanistan and Pakistan, by Barnett R. Rubin and Ahmed Rashid, Foreign Affairs, Nov/Dec 2008
Uplift and peace matter, not the federation, by Gloria Caleb, Dawn.com, Nov 4, 2008 (reposted at balochunity.org)
Harnessing water in Balochistan’s dry lands, by Dr Zafar Altaf, Dawn.com, Nov 3, 2008
KARACHI: Provincial autonomy termed only way to save federation: Seminar on Pakistan Resolution, by Latif Baloch, Nov 1, 2008 (reposted with commentary at balochunity.org)
Balochistan: myth of development, by Sanaullah Baloch, Dawn.com, Nov 2, 2008
Why the Fight in Balochistan Matters, by Saba Jamal, Middle East Times, Oct 30, 2008: "...Balochistan is a strategically important region bordering Iran and Afghanistan. Left unchecked, this conflict between the Baloch people and the Pakistani government over the province's resources – combined with the increasing Talibanisation of the northern parts of Pakistan – could wreak havoc on the country by propelling it into a state of instability..."

How Talibanization has already affected a once peaceful region of Pakistan: Unfolding tragedy in Swat Valley: PAKISTAN: Swat on the verge of civil war, by Kurshid Khan, intellibriefs.blogspot.com, Oct 31, 2008
Zardari via Nationalists via Baluch populace, by Ahmad Marri, analyst, London, Oct 27, 2008
A Lesson to be Learnt: the Baloch Perspective, by Juma Baloch, Oct 23, 2008: "...The solution to Baloch national question can not be found confined to the administrative boundaries defined by Pakistan. Baloch nation historically never accepted the Goldsmith Line (1871) nor has it ever recognized the Durand Line (1893), commissioned by the British Raj to stop the Russian influence in the region. These artificial boundaries may have divided the Baloch into separate states but could not stop them from considering themselves a single nation. Today nobody can deny the strategic location of the Baloch land for peace and economic stability in the region...", articlebase.com, Oct 20, 2008
Two new blogs on regional issues by B. Raman: Raman's Strategic Analysis and Raman's Terrorism Analysis. Taliban's Shadow Over Zardari's China Visit, Oct 14, 2008
Requiem for Reko Diq, by Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur, Sep 30, 2008: "...There is a saying in Balochistan that a Baloch child may be without socks, but when he grows up every step he takes will be on gold. Reko Diq, Saindak, Sui all prove that the barefooted Baloch do tread on gold. That this wealth hasn't benefited them isn't accidental..."


Brahamdagh Bugti: Latest Interview with Pakistan Herald, conducted via satellite phone by Moosa Kaleem (Herald, October 2008)

Parliamentary politics waste of time: Brahmdagh Bugti, reposted at balochwarna.org, Oct 12, 2008

Interviews by Balochistan TV with Khan Suleiman Ahmadzai: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Sep 22, 2008
Opinion: The Baluch people must have a right to make Baluchi law, by M. Sarvoj, Sep 24, 2008: "...In the current situation the Baluch people have no power to amend their tradition, customary law...Solution is that by giving the Baluch people the right to make Baluchi law, as well as to follow it, and to ensure that this process of making law publically debated and reflects the views of all members of the community, not just self appointed guardian of Baluch tradition..."
From before: VIEW: Evictions in Karachi, by Fatima Bhutto, DailyTimes.com.pk, Jan 24, 2006
The case against Musharraf, by Sanaullah Baloch, Dawn.com, Sep 22, 2008
Balochistan's sorry fate, by Yaqoob Bangash, Balochunity.org, Sep 15, 2008, and here
Thesis paper: Pakistan's Hidden War: Post-Colonial Baluchistan?, by Ahmed Marri, Royal Holloway University of London, Department of Politics and International Relations, 2008 (right-click to download Word doc)

Peter Tatchell
Pakistan burns prisoners alive: Despite the election of a democratic government in Islamabad, Pakistan continues to abuse human rights in Balochistan.
Additional note: Peter Tatchell: "...This article has apparently infuriated the Pakistan government. Through the Pakistani High Commissioner in London, they have demanded that The Guardian remove it from this website or publish an apology and correction...But The Guardian is, thankfully, standing firm and refusing to bow to their bullying...Interestingly, the Pakistani government did not object to my report about its army burning alive four prisoners. It does not dispute any of the allegations about army atrocities in Balochistan in this article...What the government of Pakistan objects to, and wants censored, are my statements about Pakistan invading, annexing and occupying Balochistan in 1948...(read full letter).
By Dr Amjad Parvez: Inside Balochistan by Professor Dr Mahmood Ali Shah
What's the difference between Palin and Muslim fundamentalists? Lipstick: A theocrat is a theocrat, whether Muslim or Christian, by Juan Cole, Salon.com, Sep 9, 2008
Opinion: Six Pakistani women, by Rafia Zakari, DailyTimes.com.pk, Sep 6, 2008
Right at the Edge, by Dexter Filkins, NYTimes, Sep 5, 2008: Whose side is Pakistan really on?
After Baloch militancy, Dawn editorial, Sep 4, 2008
Noam Chomsky: Britain has failed US detainees, by Robert Verkaik, The Independent, Aug 30, 2008
'Piles and Piles of Evidence' that Pakistan Is Responsible for Insurgency, Spiegel Online interview with Amrullah Saleh, Aug 12, 2008
Great game in Balochistan, by Munir Ahmed Baluch, The Post.com.pk, Aug 30, 2008 (reposted here)

Nicholas Schmidle
From before: Waiting for the Worst: Baluchistan, 2006, by Nicholas Schmidle, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Spring 2007
from before: Pakistan Kicked Me Out. Others Were Less Lucky., By Nicholas Schmidle, Washingtonpost.com, Feb 3, 2008

Nicholas Schmidle website
From before: Frontier Years Give Might to Ex-Guerrilla's Words, by Jane Perlez, NY Times, Jul 5, 2008: "... Fresh out of Cambridge University in the late 1960s, and steeped in the era's favorites — Marx, Mao and Che — Ahmed Rashid took off for the hills of Baluchistan, a dry, tough patch of western Pakistan. He stayed for 10 years."
From the New York Times, 1947:

Related articles from the NY Times
From Before : Crisis in Baluchistan: A Historical Analysis of the Baluch Nationalist Movement in Pakistan, by Justin S. Dunne, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey CA

From before: Balochistan, The Invisible War, Politics, natural resources and war in remote Pakistan, by Merrill Findlay
From 1838: thank you to the University of Texas for this magnificent map of "Beloochistan," published by "The Society for the diffusion of Useful Knowledge," August 15th, 1838. Note the population of Curachee 15,000 (yes thousand) and Kelat 20,000 and Kwettah 400.

From before: Balochistan: missing the point, by Ayaz Amir, Dawn.com, Mar 25, 2005

From before:
Balochistan, A Backgrounder, by Priyashree Andley, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, Special Report, Oct 2006
Click for stunning photo of Balochistan landscape; for other photos by Kamran Safdar, click here
>> MORE in ARTICLES ARCHIVE...
Treaties, agreements and letters exchanged with the British govt. and/or Pakistan:
(right click to download pdfs; 14 relates to accession agreement)
From "Inside Baluchistan": Appendices 1-5, 6-13, 14, 15-19; All: 1-19
Books:
In Afghanistan's Shadow: Baluch Nationalism and Soviet Temptations. Selig S. Harrison. New York and Washington: Carnegie Endowment, 1981
BOOK: The Baloch and Their Neighbours: Ethnic and Linguistic Contact in Balochistan in Historical and Modern Times, Carina Jahani, Agnes Korn (eds.), Sep 28, 2007
Of global importance: The Shock Doctrine, by Naomi Klein, The Telegraph, Sept 22, 2007: "A new gangster class capitalises on conflicts . . ."; in Truthout.org: "The Shock Doctrine" is a powerful tour de force . . . In an age of corporatism partnered with corrupted political elites, it's must reading . . ."; Interview
Baloch Nationalism: Its Origin and Development by Taj Mohammad Breseeg, 2004. To download a pdf of Mr. Breseeg's dissertation, click here.
Inside Baluchistan, Political Autobiography of Khan-e-Azam Mir Ahmed Yar Khan Baluch, Ex-Ruler of Kalat State. Ahmed Yar Khan, Royal Book Company, 1975
Geography
http://www.transpakistan.com.pk/balochistan.htm
Map of Baluchistan through the ages, click for larger version; purchase book at amazon.

New: TheBaluch.com joins a long list of Baloch political and cultural websites blocked by Pakistani authorities: Several Baloch websites blocked in Pakistan including official websites of student and political parties, balochwarna.org, Jul 3, 2009

Hasan Janan Badini Released: Balochwarna.org reports that after 275 days of imprisonment, Professor Hasan Janan Badini was released, without any charges, on Jun 27, 2009.

Professor Hasan Janan Badini: “I did not commit any crime but I performed my National duty...Writers should bring a change in the society with the power of their pen..."

From before:

Hassan Janan Badini, a lecturer in the Balochi department at the University of Balochistan, was detained by Pakistani forces on 26-08-2008. More info. Allegations. Update: Persecution of a lecturer, by Chaker Haider Baloch; Appeal to Ambassador Hussain Haqqani

New: Dr Deen Mohammad Baloch of BNM reported abducted by Pakistani intelligence agencies, BalochWarna.org, Jun 30, 2009
American Friends of Balochistan Release: June 24, 2009

WASHINGTON DC: Former speaker of the Baluchistan assembly, Waheed Baloch, will preside over a talk on the repercussions of the Iranian elections on the struggle of the persecuted ethnic groups in Iran in Washington DC on Saturday.

In the aftermath of Iran's stolen elections, ethnic groups including the Baluch who have been at the receiving end of the Iranian theocracy for three decades now are fearing further aggravation of their plight.

Join the Baluch, Kurds, Ahwazis, and others from Iran and Pakistan for a frank and open debate on Iran.

What: Iran elections and persecuted nationalities

Who: The talk over coffee will be presided over by the Waheed Baloch, former speaker of the Baluchistan assembly and president of the Baloch International League.

Other attendees include Dr. Morteza Esfandiari, a Kurdish intellectual; Dr. Karim Abdian, executive director of the Ahwaz Human Rights Organization; Sharif Behruz, US Representative of Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran; Dr. M. Hosseinbor, a Baluch lawyer and professor; Nabi Baloch, presiding council member of the American Friends of Baluchistan.

Where: Mayorga Coffee Factory
8040 Georgia Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20910

Tel: 301.562.9090

[The Mayorga Coffee Factory on Georgia Avenue and 13th Street northwest  is a couple of blocks, or 15 minutes walk, from the Silver Spring Metro on the Red Line. If you are driving from DC you have to go under the overpass and make a U-turn. Free valet parking].

When: Saturday, June 27, 2009 at 3.30 p.m.

The event will be moderated by Baluch journalist Ahmar Mustikhan.
RSVP: ahmar_scribe@yahoo.com


June 26 International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, poster by Baloch Vanguards
Confidential report from Iran by Reza Hossain Borr, Jun 24, 2009
Mureed's murder, Jang.com, Jun 24, 2009: "Another Baloch nationalist leader has died mysteriously. Mureed Bugti, a close aide of Brahamdagh Bugti and a member of the Central Executive Committee of the fiercely nationalist Baloch Republican Party, was killed, along with his host, at a village near Hala in Sindh..." (reposted at balochunity)
A Baloch mother threatens to go on hunger strike till death if her son is not released, Balochwarna.org, Jun 20, 2009
photos from Iran at pahra.blogsky.com; http://pahra.blogsky.com/print/post-10759/; http://pahra.blogsky.com/category/cat-28/

The Baluch will resist until Baluchistan is liberated:
Noordin Mengal

Reports and addresses from the 11th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva (UNHRC) and special conference on Balochistan: The Key To Regional Security, Palais Des Nations, Geneva, June 8, 2009


UNPO conference review, Jun 14, 2009

Presentation at UNPO conference, (ppt) by Munir Mengal, Jun 11, 2009

The Baloch right of self determination and the global peace, by Samad Baloch (word doc)

Intervention, by Mehran Baloch, Interfaith International Human Rights Council 11th Session Item Agenda: 4, General Debate


Khan of Kalat Suleman Daud Baluch: Any resolution without the Baluch is no resolution at all. The Baluch should sit at the same table as all other participants in the struggle for peace and freedom.

Full statement by Khan of Kalat, (pdf), June 8, 2009

...The Baluch have long been treated as the sand in the engine of the region. Prosperity for the region will only come about when it is accepted that the Baluch Nation, it's people and resources are the lubricant in an
otherwise diverse, multi ethnic, religious and socioeconomic land...

New: Asian Human Rights Commission-Urgent Appeal: PAKISTAN: A student leader goes missing after his alleged arrest by state agents; a female student demonstrator is sentenced to three years in jail, Jun 10, 2009;


Mr. Zakir Majeed


Ms. Karima Baloch

Additional Detail:
Vice chairperson of BSO (azaad) and two others awarded three year sentence by a Pakistani court, BalochWarna.com, Jun 2, 2009

New: Balochistan: Wheel jam and shutter down protest against abduction of Zakir Majeed Baloch, BalochWarna.com, Jun 10, 2009
New: Baloch rally against Iran, by Malik Siraj Akbar, DailyTimes.com, Jun 8, 2009: "...The protest was organised by the Baloch Women's Panel and the Baloch Students Organisation (BSO-Azad), and was led by University of Balochistan Professor Dr Saba Dashtiyari..."; New: List of Iranian Baloch hanged 2004 - 2009, RadioBaloch.org, Jun 2009
New: The Bahraini Authorities Recruit of Mercenaries from Makran Town, Pakistan, Jun 6, 2009: "...The Bahrain Center for Human Rights believes that the recruitment taking place in Makran aims to bring in more Baluch soldiers to join the Bahraini National Guard as well as the Special Forces that belong to the National Security apparatus. Both of these groups are made up of mostly foreign mercenaries, and used to suppress local movements petitioning for greater rights..."
New: Rising Above I.Q., by Nicholas D. Kristof, NYTimes.com, Jun 6, 2009: "...the most decisive weapons in the war on poverty aren't transfer payments but education, education, education..."
New: Barrick Gold colonel invites Baluch ire, by Ahmar Mustikhan, Newsvine.com, Jun 5, 2009; Additional info on Barrick Gold at http://protestbarrick.net/. The site is a portal for groups researching mining issues and is concerned with communities negatively impacted by Barrick's (and other mining) operations.
RELEASE: Balochistan: The Key To Regional Security, June 8, 2009, Palais Des Nations, Geneva (download pdf)

Event scheduled to coincide with 11th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva (UNHRC) and will address human rights violations and propose solutions to simmering tension and conflict in key region straddling Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.

Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) in partnership with Interfaith International and Baloch representative Mr. Noordin Mengal, will host an event to discuss the deteriorating human rights violations in Baluchistan during the 11th Session of the UNHRC in Geneva on Monday, June 8 from 16h00 (TBC).

Balochistan is a region that makes up 44% of Pakistan’s territory but also straddles Iran and Afghanistan. The region is exceptionally rich in natural resources which has encouraged exploitative domestic and external intervention.

Speakers at the event will include influential Baloch leaders, security and human rights experts and representatives of Permanent Missions to the UN, each of whom will contribute to discussions of the present situation in the region and possible solutions. The session, entitled
Self-Determination in Baluchistan-its Relation to Regional and Global Security will discuss the repeated human rights violations of the Baloch, a minority community who have been politically and economically marginalized by the Pakistan government.

These violations include indiscriminate use of force against civilians, targeted killings and the disappearance of political activists and journalists. Hundreds of thousands of civilians are said to have been displaced across province boundaries into Sindh and Punjab and state boundaries into Afghanistan, underlining the regional and international nature of the problem. The kidnapping of American citizen and head of the UNHCR in Balochistan, Mr. John Solecki in February of this year brought the attention of the international community to this region, but the subsequent killing of three men who were members of the committee that secured his release is evidence that international attention must now turn to international action.

This event will allow assembled leaders, experts, and decision-makers to discuss the current situation, raise awareness of the complexity to the problem, and begin to develop possible solutions to the existing regional turmoil and instability.

For more information on please contact:
Ms. Maggie Murphy
UNPO Project Coordinator
P.O. Box 85878,
2508 CN The Hague, The Netherlands
unpo@unpo.org,
mmurphy@unpo.org
Tel: +31 (0) 70 36 46 504
Cell: +31 (0) 649 864 340

Dr. Charles Graves
Interfaith International Secretary General
P.O. Box 32,
1246 Corsier, Geneva, Switzerland
charlesgraves@interfaithonline.org
Tel: 0041 22 751 23 45
Fax: 0041 22 751 23 48
View: '"Torturing Democracy" relies on the documentary record to connect the dots in an investigation of harsh interrogations of prisoners in U.S. custody - and points straight to the top. Timely and powerful, at its heart the film is about the rule of law - and how the government pushed it aside despite the fierce resistance of many on the inside...'
Stop Pak from conducting nuke tests in Balochistan: Baluch group, ZeeNews.com, Jun 1, 2009: " Asserting that testing of nuclear weapons is the worst harm Pakistani occupation inflicted on Baluchistan, a Baluch group in the United States has asked the UN to take steps to stop Islamabad from conducting further nuclear tests on their land..."
Law graduate goes missing, Father clings to hope for ‘abducted' son's return, by Malik Siraj Akbar, DailyTimes.com.pk, May 31, 2009
In the region : UN chief knew Tamil civilian toll had reached 20,000, by Catherine Philp, TimesOnline.com, May 30, 2009: “The 20,000 figure has also been obtained by Le Monde, the French daily newspaper, which quoted UN sources as saying that the figure had not been made public to avoid a diplomatic storm. The figure of 7,000 deaths until the end of April, which was based on individually documented deaths and not estimates, was leaked by UN sources in Sri Lanka this month after internal anger over the secrecy surrounding them. UN satellite images documenting the bombing of medical facilities were also leaked from New York...The Human Rights Council's decision not to call for specific measures to protect Sri Lankans made a mockery of the council, but it does not mean the end of the international community's responsibility to respond to this continuing crisis..."; Calls for war crimes inquiry over 20,000 civilian deaths in Sri Lanka, by Jeremy Page, TimesOnline, May 29, 2009: "...Backed by China, Russia and other allies, Sri Lanka also easily defeated a proposal for a war crimes inquiry at a special session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday and Wednesday..."
Up to 40pc children out of school: report, Dawn.com, May 28, 2009: "The report quoted World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness 2008-09 that ranked Pakistan 117 out of 134 countries in terms of quality of primary education...the report highlighted that education was most under threat in two major provinces – NWFP and Balochistan – both riddled with internal conflicts.
Release: Washington DC.
What: Nuclear Tests in Baluchistan: Political and Environmental Impacts
When: May 29, 2009 at 12 noon sharp
Where: 276 Carroll Street, DC NW 20012
RSVP: 301-957-0008

On May 29, a number of distinguished scholars and activists will talk about the nuclear tests in Baluchistan and their impacts on the politics and environment of southwest Asia and the world at large.

The DC-based education and advocacy organization, American Friends of Baluchistan, has organized the meeting in Washington DC to commemorate the 11th anniversary of Pakistan's nuclear tests in Baluchistan.

The seminar comes in the wake of recent reports that Pakistan army is feverishly multiplying its nuclear warheads. (read more)
Tensions brew in Balochistan as countless missing, by Qurat ul ain Siddiqui, Dawn.com, May 25, 2009
Balochistan APC, Dawn editorial, Dawn.com, May 23, 2009: "...Balochistan is poor when it should be rich. It has a relatively small population and vast reserves of fossil fuels and precious metals such as gold and copper. The province has been exploited ruthlessly, if not pillaged, by the centre. It has been on the receiving end of brutal military crackdowns, torture and forced ‘disappearances.' The anger felt by the Baloch is understandable, as is their sense of alienation from the centre. Those who take up arms in the fight against injustice, or seek a separate homeland, will continue to find adherents to their cause if the centre fails to invest in Balochistan and award it control over its riches. Conversely, the insurgents will find few takers when there are enough schools, hospitals and job opportunities in the province..."
From before: Pakistan refuses aid to displaced Baloch: Pakistan's Other War, by Ziad Zafar, Newsline, Jun 14, 2007: "...For several months now, aid agencies have been desperate to gain access to the parts of Balochistan where villagers are caught in the crossfire between rebel tribesmen and government forces, but their efforts have been consistently blocked. "We have tried everything to get aid across but all our attempts have been systematically undermined," said Ronald Van Dijk, head of the UNICEF mission in Pakistan. "Meanwhile, surplus supplies of medicine and food are lying in warehouses in Quetta. "I even know of aid groups that tried to deliver relief without permits, but they got turned back on the road." Officially, the UN cannot deliver aid without formal permission from the host nation, something the agency has been desperately seeking for the last nine months..."
Photos published by Radio Balochi FM (News Agency of "Balochistan Human Rights Activists Association").
Abdul Wahid Qamber Baloch's life is in danger, family announces hunger strike beginning May 20 in front of the Karachi Press Club. Wahid Qamber's and Fazal Kareem's sister and nieces are on strike at Turbat Press Club from May 19 (today). Translated from Daily Tawar by BalochWarna.org
New in US: Abuse Photos Include Images Of Rape And Sexual Assault: Report, Huffingtonpost.com, May 27, 2009; Torture memos and historical amnesia, by Noam Chomsky, atimes.com, May 21, 2009; U.S. Captain Hears Pleas for Afghan Detainee, By Richard A. Oppel, Jr., NYTimes.com, May 24, 2009; Why Closing Gitmo Starts in Indiana: Obama, Torture and John Walker Lindh, by MICHAEL TEITELMAN, Counterpunch.org, May 22-24, 2009; How Long Does It Take?, by ALEXANDER COCKBURN, counterpunch.org, May 23, 2009
New in US: Little Known Military Thug Squad Still Brutalizing Prisoners at Gitmo Under Obama, by Jeremy Scahill, AlterNet.org, May 15, 2009: "As the Obama administration continues to fight the release of some 2,000 photos that graphically document U.S. military abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan, an ongoing Spanish investigation is adding harrowing details to the ever-emerging portrait of the torture inside and outside Guantánamo..."
Rally: On May 6, 2009, Baloch and Sindhi human rights supporters gathered outside the White House to protest Pakistani govt. policies in Balochistan and Sindh during Pakistan's president Zardari's meeting with US President Obama.

Memorandum for the President of the United States and the President of Pakistan, by Baloch International League for Peace and Freedom and the Balochi Sindhi Front of the USA.

Video of Pres. Zardari's motorcade arrival at the White House and protest rally on May 6, 2009

The DC-based American Friends of Baluchistan has congratulated the brotherly Baloch International League for the rally in front of the White House on Wednesday to expose Pakistan army brutalities against Baluchistan.
London, Public Meeting:
The Baluch-Invisible Victims of the ‘War on Terror’

Tuesday, 5 May, 2009, 7pm Committee Room 4a,
House of Lords, Hosted and chaired by Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, "...Countless violations of international law largely go unnoticed by political leaders in the democracies of the West because they are keen to maintain their close strategic alliance with Pakistan. It is time that these policies were changed and that the Baluch were granted the legitimate rights enjoyed by the peoples of the world. These countless violations of international law largely go unnoticed by political leaders in the democracies of the West because they are keen to maintain their close strategic alliance with Pakistan. It is time that these policies were changed and that the Baluch were granted the legitimate rights enjoyed by the peoples of the world..." (read in full)
NYTimes Editorial: The Torturers' Manifesto, Apr 18, 2009; Bush Administration Terrorism Memos, posted at NYTimes.com; NYT Calls for Impeachment of Torture Memo Author, Huffingtonpost.com, Apr 19, 2009

Release: On Apr 23, 2009, the Vancouver Chapter of BHRC (Canada) is holding a peaceful rally to protest the brutal murders of Baloch political activists and leaders. BHRC, Vancouver, will highlight Pakistani military crimes against citizens of Balochistan in an effort to help Canadians understand the ground reality in Balochistan. All defenders of human rights and peace loving citizens are invited to attend.
Location: in front of Vancouver Central Public Library,
350 West Georgia Street, next to Canadian Broadcasting Corporations (CBC) building.

Release: A protest demonstration was held in front of Bush House (BBC World service office in London) on 19 April 2009. The protest demonstration was organized by Baloch Human Rights Council in collaboration with the World Sindhi Congress and Sindhi Baloch Forum. (read full report, letter to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown appealing for British intervention in Balochistan), letter to UN Sec. Gen. Mr. Ban Ki Moon; video of London protest (by Balochinews.com) including statements by Hairbyar Marri and Akbar Barakzai. Photos.

Photos provided by BHRC (Canada)

Release: Toronto, April 17, 2009 – Baloch Human Rights Council (Canada) held a protest rally in Toronto to express their shock and concern over the abduction, torture, and extra judicial killings of the three Baloch leaders, Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Lala Munir, and Sher Mohammad Baloch by the Pakistani military intelligence agencies. The rally was attended by Baloch community of Toronto, World Sindhi Institute, Canadian Kashmiri Association, and Pakhtunkhwa Peace Forum...(for detail, for pictures)
Release, Apr 17, 2009: A highly successful protest rally in front of the Pakistan Embassy in Washington DC demanded complete pullout of Pakistani troops and intelligence services from Baluchistan and granting the blood-torn region their right to self determination. The rally organized by Baluch human rights activist Maqbool Aliani and American Friends of Baluchistan (AFB) leaders Nabi Baloch, Laurie Deamer and Mohammed Ali Baloch condemned Pakistan for genocide and state terrorism in Baluchistan...(more) (video) coverage in Hindustan Times, Apr 18, 2009: Baluchis hold demonstratioon in front o Pak Embassy

Dawn.com/File photo

BHC issues notices in missing people cases, Dawn.com, Apr 18, 2009
Interview with Hairbyar Marri (in Urdu), Live with Talat on AAJTV, Apr 17, 2009
Interview with Brahamdagh Bugti (in Urdu), Live with Talat on AAJTV, Apr 15, 2009; Baloch leader urges India, US to help attain freedom from Pakistan, Thaindian.com, Apr 16, 2009
International Blasphemy: The Free World Bars Free Speech, by Jonathan Turley, JonathanTurley.org, Apr 12, 2009
A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission: PAKISTAN: Fingers point at state intelligence agencies in the killings of three Baloch nationalist leaders
The Killing Fields of Inequality, by Göran Therborn, reposted at CommonDreams.org, Apr 7, 2009: "...But the recurrent success of the Nordic welfare-states - with Finland ranked sixth and oil-Norway sixteenth out of 131 countries on a list of the most successful capitalist economies - indicates that generous, relatively egalitarian welfare-states are neither utopias nor protected enclaves, but highly competitive participants in the world market. In other words, even within the parameters of global capitalism there are many degrees of freedom for radical social alternatives. The lethal effects of inequality make the search for them imperative..."
Baloch students organization and other students of Islamabad held a protest against the brutal murder of chairman BNM Gulam Muhammad Baloch, Lala Munir baloch and Shair Muhad Baloch in front of Islamabad Press Club, photo by Sami Baloch, Apr 13, 2009

K. Ali Baloch: Another endangered Baloch leader, Malik Siraj Akbar writes, Apr 13, 2009, and Washin Wajahan…Goda Khuda Hafiz, Apr 10, 2009
US condemns Baloch leaders' killing, DailyTimes.com.pk, Apr 11, 2009

APP/file photo from dawn.com

April 9, 2009: Top Baloch Leaders Assassinated
Baloch nationalist leaders Baloch National Movement President Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Lala Munir and Sher Mohammad Baloch were found dead in a rural mountainous region near Turbat, police reported. One policeman killed as riots break out in Balochistan, Dawn.com, Apr 9, 2009
Riots as Baloch chiefs found dead, BBCNews, Apr 9, 2009: "...The BBC's Azizullah Khan in Quetta says Ghullam Muhammad Baloch was a leader of his own faction of the Balochistan National Movement and a key member of the committee set up to try to secure the release of abducted UN worker John Solecki, who was freed last Saturday. Sher Muhammad Bugti was a leader of the Balochistan Republican Party..."

Baloch leaders killing; Violence erupt in Karachi, Balochistan, Aaj TV, Apr 9, 2009

Release: Balochi Human Rights Council (BHRC) strongly condemns the cold blooded murders of Baloch political activists Waja Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Waja Sher Mohammad Baloch and Lala Muneer Baloch, Apr 9, 2009
CIA medics joined in Guantánamo torture sessions, says Red Cross, by Mark Tran, The Guardian, Apr 7, 2009
NEW: JOHN SOLECKI RELEASED! Aaj TV Online, Apr 4, 2009; Abducted UN official John Solecki released, ARY OneWorld, Apr 4, 2009
Baloch leaders allegedly arrested by agencies, Dawn.com, Apr 4, 2009
New: UN suspends relief operations in Balochistan, by Saleem Shahid, Dawn.com, Apr 1, 2009

Nawab Khair Baksh Marri
Nawab Khair Baksh Marri photographed by Aziz Sanghur in Karachi.

Aziz Sanghur is a Baloch journalist based in Karachi working at News One TV, Karachi, in the Feature Department as producer, director and writer.

More photos
Geneva conference on Balochistan: Former Senator Sanaullah Baloch's statement on Balochistan in UN Human Rights Council 23 March 2009; Photos

The Human Rights Situation in Baluchistan - Pattern of Repression: Conference Details
On March 20, 2009 foreign observers and members of the Baluch community attended a conference organized by Noordin Mengal titled "The Human Rights Situation in Baluchistan - Pattern of Repression" at Palais Des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland. The conference followed a demonstration held at "The Broken Chair", also at the Palais des Nations. Click for full account; click for photos
The International Community Must Act Now to Save the Baloch from Extinction, letter to President of the United Nations Human Rights Council by Interfaith International, UNPO Secretariat, Baloch Human Rights Council, Sindhi Baloch Forum
ALRC (The Asian Legal Resource Centre) Statement: ASIA: Interactive dialogue with the Special Procedures on torture and forced disappearancesment, Mar 12, 2009
Baloch leader demands the end of the Pakistani and Iranian occupation of Balochistan, BSO-na.org, Mar 12, 2009: "Dr. Wahid Baloch, President of the Baloch Society of North America, has demanded that the United Nations help end the Pakistani and Iranian occupation of Balochistan..."

BSO (M) 'Balochistan Protection Rally' attended by estimated 20,000 people. Speakers Waja Mohid ul Din Baloch and Secretary General Javed Baloch addressed the issue of independence for the province of Balochistan. Mar 28, 2009
Shahzeb Baloch goes missing, by Malik Siraj Akbar, Malik Siraj Akbar Writes, Mar 27, 2009
Royal asylum seeker's Welsh home, by Carl Roberts, The Poitics Show, Wales, BBC News, Mar 22, 2009:

Khan of Kalat: "The only people who are secular in that region are the Baloch, and if you (the UK Government) want to lose your last ally on the ground... that is your choice."

Additional audio: Royal's fight for justice: audio only
Release!

10th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, March 20

Please attend the Baluch Demonstration at the:

Broken Chair
20th March 2009
9am - 12pm
Palais des Nations,
Geneva, Switzerland
The Conference on Human Rights of the Baluch is scheduled for: 3 pm-5 pm, 20th March 2009, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland.

Amnesty International has called on the UN to raise the issue of enforced disappearances in Pakistan at this 10th session of the HRC.

Note: The Broken Chair "represents a giant chair with a broken leg and stands on the Place des Nations, in Geneva. It symbolises opposition to land mines and cluster bombs, and acts as a reminder to politicians visiting Geneva."
Pakistan fails to come clean on secret detentions, Amnesty International, Feb 25, 2009
We all love Jan Dashti, by Malik Siraj Akbar, Malik Siraj Akbar Writes, Feb 23, 2009, word doc; letter to UN by BHRC, Feb 23, 2009; Attack on Dashti Widely Condemned, The Frontier Post, Feb 23, 2009; Joint press release, by Baloch and Sindhi human rights advocacy organizations, Feb 25, 2009
UK agents 'colluded with torture in Pakistan': Intelligence sources 'confirm abuse', Extent of Mohamed injuries revealed" by Mark Townsend, The Observer, Feb 22, 2009: "...Last week HRW submitted evidence to parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights. The committee is to question Miliband and Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, over a legal loophole which appears to offer British intelligence officers immunity in the UK for any crimes committed overseas..."; UK ministers asked to appear before human rights panel, Dawn.com, Feb 12, 2009
'No US rights' for Bagram inmates, BBC News, Feb 21, 2009: '...The justice department ruled that some 600 so-called enemy combatants at Bagram have no constitutional rights...Prof Olshansky said the conditions at the Bagram facility, which is near the Afghan capital, Kabul, were worse than those at Guantanamo Bay, adding that there was a lack of due process available to detainees. "The situation in Bagram is so far from anything like meeting the laws of war or the human rights treaties that we're bound to," she told the BBC. "There are no military hearings where the detainees can present evidence," she added. "Torture has led to homicides there that have been admitted by the US." "It's quite a severe situation, and yet the US is planning a $60m new prison to hold 1,100 more people there." The US military considers Bagram detainees unlawful combatants who can be detained for as long as they are deemed a threat to Afghan national security.'
>> more in events or human rights archive