by SALEEM SHAHID in Dawn, November 16, 2015
QUETTA: Nawab Brahamdagh Bugti, President of the Baloch Republican Party (BRP), has invited various parties, including the outlawed Baloch pro-independence groups, and their leaders for negotiations to sort out their differences.
In a statement received here from Geneva on Sunday, he said unity was the only way to guarantee resolution of issues.
Mr Bugti suggested that the meeting of the parties and leaders should be held in Switzerland, but could also be held in any other European country where BRP delegates would participate and he would talk through video link because he lacked documents required to travel outside Switzerland.
“I request all Baloch leaders to put their differences and other matters aside and gather in Switzerland within a month to sort out all differences.”
He said there could be differences on many issues but they could be resolved by the majority. If any party or leader does not accept the majority’s decision, the Baloch nation will decide who is responsible for disunity in ‘our ranks’.
“After achieving national unity, the BRP will accept the majority’s decision on all issues, including negotiations with the state,” he said, adding that ‘state atrocities’ could be defeated only through unity.
Balochistan government officials have remained in contact with separatist leaders in recent months and even the chief minister has met Mr Bugti, raising hopes for a possible reconciliation.
“I request all pro-independence parties and leaders, including the BNM, BRSO, BSO-A, Nawabzada Hairbyar Marri, Nawab Mehran Marri, Sardar Bakhtiyar Domki and Mir Javed Mengal, to play their role for national unity, despite all the differences, for the sake of the Baloch nation and the sacrifices of martyrs.”
He said the BRP was a political and a democratic organisation which believed in peaceful struggle.
“The BRP has been trying to resolve the Balochistan issue through political and peaceful means, but the Pakistani establishment and its security forces have always tried to suppress the Baloch movement at gunpoint,” he said.
About recent reports regarding negotiations with the state, he said every movement had to come to the negotiating table at some point to achieve its goals and the BRP possessed the authority to represent the cause of the Baloch through peaceful, political means.
“[Chief Minister] Dr Malik Baloch previously made several requests for a meeting but they were rejected because he has no authority to take any decision on the contentious matters and he himself conceded in recent meetings that his role was only that of a messenger.”
Referring to his meeting with the chief minister held in Switzerland, he said he had made it clear to the state’s representatives that negotiations were not possible as long as the atrocities in Balochistan continued.
Mr Bugti said it was not the first time that the state had sought negotiations or the Baloch leaders had held meetings with the government’s representatives.
“Before this, Nawabzada Hairbyar held meetings with interior minister Rehman Malik during the PPP’s government and Dr Allah Nazar had also been in contact with the current CM,” he said.
He said the BRP respected the decision of those leaders to contact the state authorities and in spite of being unaware of their agenda, had not criticised the moves with the hope that the Baloch national interest would be the priority in those communications.
Recounting events surrounding the formation of the Baloch National Front and the BRP quitting it later, as well as meetings for unity held in Geneva last year, he said “criticising each other about past mistakes would only worsen the situation”.
Mr Bugti said the main reason behind frustrations among the Baloch was not the state atrocities but the disunity among their leaders.
“Suppose Balochistan gets independence (which is very difficult if this crisis continues); then how would these leaders and parties lead the nation while fighting each other, as various international players will try to dominate the newborn state or its policies for their interests.
“A glimpse of such a horrible scene has been witnessed recently as a result of a conflict between two organisations.”
It is only possible through national unity to obtain maximum international support and recognition, he added.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1220036/brahamdagh-invites-all-insurgent-groups-for-talks
Baloch fortunes: edit in The News, Nov 16, 2015
At a time when leaders in Balochistan continue to seek greater autonomy – a right written into a plan drafted for the province under the previous government – a drastic new decision may hand over the mining of Balochistan’s minerals and other natural resources to a powerful executive forum, unofficially if not formally controlled by the centre. Undoubtedly, such a decision would create major waves in the province with the Reko Diq and Saindak projects included in the plan. According to information gathered by this newspaper, a move has been made to set up a Mineral Resources Development Board headed by the chief minister of the province. It will include one other minister, but all the other seven members will be top bureaucrats, one of whom will be directly representing the federal government. The decision has already been notified by the governor of Balochistan with the tasks given. But modalities of how the board will work are to be decided later. The main issue, however, is that the decision takes exclusive power away from the province and hands it over to a broad-based group in which others will also have a say.
There is widespread belief that the security and military establishment may be interested in these developments. It is argued by military officials who have formerly headed giant projects in Balochistan that this could improve the efficiency with which mineral development is handled. It has also been said that Reko Diq and some other mines contain sensitive nuclear materials which come directly in the federal domain. However, there is also the argument that making rules on mining and issuing permits for this are powers allocated to the provincial government by the constitution. There is certainly going to be a legal debate over the whole issue with the local mining industry in Balochistan already greatly concerned over what is happening. The matter goes a little beyond the mere issue of mining gold, copper or other precious resources. Since 1947 the question of who controls Balochistan’s considerable assets – from Sui gas to Reko Diq – has been an acrimonious one. It has led to fierce debate between the centre and the province and is a key factor in the perception of unfairness with the Baloch people. The decision then is not just a matter of efficiently mining resources or handing out permits without nepotism or corruption, it may enter the potentially shaky grounds of politics. We already have a great deal of unrest in Balochistan, though efforts are being made to bring the Baloch nationalist groups to the negotiation table. The situation that may be created by the setting up of the development board could raise more questions and the higher courts may get involved as well. Yes, we need to solve the issues of Balochistan but while doing so we must ensure that new, even bigger, problems are not created in the province.http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-8-351506-Baloch-fortunes
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