The Economic Corridor: A Hurdle for the ‘Enemies’ – I

Aasef Chauhdry 

Approximately about four years back, an article under the title ‘A Discreet Conflict’ written by one Matt McCullough was published in an online journal ‘The Majallah’. It would have been comparatively a sensible article, written by any western writer, had few queries been answered logically. For example, without having any love lost for the armed forces and much talked ISI, one is always astonished that why only these two organisations which are supposed to look after the state’s interest are always blamed and targeted and why not the discreet stakeholders like the Americans, Russians, Indians and some of the European countries aren’t blamed, who have a visible nefarious agenda? The American, Russian and above all the Indians interest and concern in the region are well known especially when the then American ambassador visited Quetta unannounced. So, why to blame these two forces without any concrete proof and not to doubt even those who were and who are manipulating the game? Very strangely, on 14 August 2011, the Independence Day was celebrated by handful insurgents as Black Day and so called Baloch rebels happily killed their countrymen Punjabis and trusted friend China’s technical experts, while the Americans and the other western high profile dignitaries were roaming freely in the province and were not touched even?

Amazingly the nationalists display anger, for the deprivation, against the Punjabis and the armed forces who are the major contributors for the development in the province but those Sardars who sucked the Poor’s blood and kept them uneducated for decades, are still regarded as heroes? Can anyone deny that the Army has constructed the maximum roads, schools and hospitals in the Province? Will any Sardar claim that the light and gas in the province is his achievement? Fully agreed that there is 30 percent unemployment and 75 percent illiteracy but do the Nationalists have some character and morality to admit that this all is because of their Sardars, like Bugti, Mari and Mengal? No, they will not because these Sardars with the help of their Western Masters are pulling the strings of these puppets popularly known as The Nationalists.

As the writer aptly said that, “the Balochistan is important to US interests beyond pumping gas and blocking Iran and China from doing the same”, so very simple and easy to understand that who is calling the shots in Balochistan? Now when the drama of Balochistan liberation is seeing its drop scene, the cunning stakeholders are surfacing with the real motives.

The real motive is to prevent the founding of China-Pakistan Economic Cor­­ridor (CPEC). The enemies are again awakening and have started giving jolts to their puppets. Nawabzada Braham Dagh Bugti, the separatist leader of the outlawed Baloch Republican Party (BRP), has criticised the China-Pakistan Economic Cor­­ridor (CPEC) and Gwadar port projects and called for a UN-sponsored referendum in Balochistan to decide its future. Braham Dagh, now living lavishly in Europe while posing as in self-imposed exile, said that the Baloch did not accept Chinese intervention and its ‘designs’ to exploit the land and resources of Balochistan without their consent. He was addressing through Skype a conference of his party in Frankfurt. The conference was organised by the German chapter of the BRP to highlight human rights situation in Balochistan. The party’s spokesman, Sher Mohammad Bugti, said in a statement in Frankfurt that the conference was attended by leaders and workers from different parts of Europe and German politicians, businessmen and human rights activists. He alleged that military equipment and funds obtai­ned by Pakistan from the US and other western countries for combating terrorists and extremist groups were being used also against the democratic and political struggle of the Baloch people.

Everyone knows about the significance of a conference that is held through Skype or other such social media means. The people of Balochistan know very well about the character of these so called leaders who spent their summers in Swiss resorts and winters on Hawaiian beach. None of them has ever picked the courage to come back and fight beside those innocent people whom they are befooling since long. Those who have a cause; whether right or wrong don’t care and lead their followers from front. What a funny liberation moment is this which is being fought through internet.  This is the only reason that the people have realised and have refused to become puppets anymore. Even a layman can conveniently understand that how productive this economic corridor is for Balochistan’s prosperity and how useful it would be for the Baloch who are still living in the Stone Age through the kind courtesy of their cunning Sardars. Those who were blindly following these so called leaders; the foreign agents have started lying down their arms and are being welcomed by the authorities who have promised their economic and financial rehabilitation.