“Energy Security In Exchange For Independence”

By Dr. Jumma Khan Marri

The idea of the concept of “energy Security in Exchange for Independence”, containing some evaluations of the nature of the Baloch Resistance and the goals of national strategy to end this stale mate and revival of the Baloch Nations state hood, has been prepared by (The Baloch unities National Center for Strategic Research and Political Technologies, Dr Jumma Khan Marri, Democratic Republic of Balochistan) to put this idea among Baloch nation to discuss and give their feedback so that we could sit and write the concept of Baloch national dream of state hood and self determination and move forwards to build international consensus.

The geo-strategic position of Balochistan is its fortune as well as misfortune because it is willy nilly an object of interest for the super powers, regional powers and neighbours. Its long coastline commands the shipping lane through which passes the oil from Gulf. It is neighbours to Afghanistan and Iran which in turn are neighbours to the Central Asian Republics, some of which have known and potential energy reserves which need marketing. Iran’s energy reserves also need to be marketed but at present it is under West’s opprobrium because of its nuclear policy.

The recently signed pipeline deal between Pakistan and Iran is still a long way from being implemented because Pakistan can at any time wilt under USA’s pressure and back out of the deal. This pipeline should be discounted until the gas from it starts flowing and is used in the markets it is intended for. India had backed out of initially agreeing because US offered it a nuclear deal. This pipeline faces threats from the Baloch insurgents who are demanding independence and have the ability to carry out attacks against security forces in the cities. This pipeline would be very vulnerable to their attacks.

The Iran-Pakistan pipeline or any other envisaged pipeline which will have to transverse Balochistan to make it to the market would have been the most economical option for all concerned countries had the Baloch people been a submissive lot ready to negotiate their rights for a few measly dollars. The Baloch has for all the 63 years of Pakistan’s existence resisted subjugation in spite of overwhelming odds. They did it even when there was no indication of the importance that its territory would have for the marketing of energy sources in its neighborhood, so now when the Baloch know that the stakes are high in this energy-starved world they will never submit easily and even a once in a while disruption of the pipelines would create enough headaches for the suppliers and users to refrain from using Balochistan as an option.

Sooner or later the world will have to recognize the legitimate right of the Baloch people to independence for without giving Baloch their due rights hope for peace in the areas inhabited by Baloch in Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. The powers that have the clout to persuade these countries to give rights to Baloch should start using their influence if they want and desire stability and peace in this strategically important region. It should be understood that though the Baloch may not be powerful enough to wrest independence today but the increasing politicization of Baloch people is currently underway as much due to efforts of independence seeking groups as to the constant repression and denial of rights by the concerned countries. If the world wants peaceful passage for the energy resources to reach the markets they will have to agree to the demands of Baloch people.

The goal of this publication is an attempt to offer the Baloch viewpoint on the ongoing events in Balochistan for the Pakistani and international community to judge. It is also an attempt to offer a possible way out of the tragic deadlock that the Islamabad regime and irresponsible games that the international community has been playing with the Pakistani regime have driven the peoples of Balochistan and Pakistani establishment into fatal embrace in that way put the entire region into future instability which can trigger international peace at risk.

The authors of the concept of «energy Security in Exchange for Independence” is expressing hope that this publication will be viewed by the apologists with due considerations no prejudice or hostility, which unfortunately became a logic manifestation of unprecedented anti-Baloch moods (like Balochphobia) in the Pakistani establishment and army.

This particular point of view does not claim to be logical completeness of the Balochistan issue widely discussed ideas on the solution of the Baloch-Pakistan conflict, but it has the full right to have the large public get to know about it.

In spite of the fact that hypocrisy became a “business card” in international relations long time ago, we are hereby stating that hypocrisy in politics is counterproductive. Relations between states and nations, as well as between people, are subject to the same law: the law of logic and experience.

It is stupid and amoral for a Baloch to be expressing hypocritically to much pro-western positions in order to gain favor from the “international community” in confrontation with Pakistan. It is just as stupid and totally useless from Pakistani side telling and assuring the world community that Baloch freedom fighters, who took up arms and who are fighting for freedom is an aggression from foreign paid agencies, is surely wrong and Baloch national struggle is purely the results inhuman condition which Baloch are forced to live in with , Baloch people whose lands are full of wealth while they can barely feed their kids leave alone rest human needs, but the politics in the world must be “smarter and more artful”. According to this new logic, the Baloch struggle is supposed to be somewhat underground, so that, God forbid, Washington or Islamabad do not find out about it.

But in reality it makes no sense and it is counterproductive to be trying to delude somebody or to delude your own self. The point is not to conceal the obvious, but to show the interested countries that the Baloch freedom struggle poses no threat to the world and that it is a natural reaction to foreign aggression and to the attempt to physically exterminate the Baloch ethnos. And for Baloch the international Law is a condition of vital importance for national survival and for preservation of their territorial, ethnic identity and independence.

Baloch freedom struggle is not at war with the Western alliance, even though the Western alliance headed by the US has always been helping Pakistan to murder innocent Baloch women and children and to occupy democratic Republic of Balochistan (DRB) and is directly responsible for the crimes against humanity committed by the Islamabad regime.

Baloch side is defining its goals plainly and clearly and is trying to explain them to the world in an intelligible way that is easy to understand. Proceeding from these goals and these tasks, the Baloch side is searching for common ground with the Western alliance, as well as the common ground with the other friendly countries in region, which is totally dependent on the Western alliance.

Once the priorities are highlighted, the Baloch side offers the specific plan of “political trade operation” (“Security in exchange for Independence”), where all sides, including the Western alliance, are offered to see their own interests in it. At the same time the Baloch side defends its own interests and its own position, proceeding from the powers and capabilities that it already has, and is stating that it is willing to show responsibility to its partners.

The result can be achieved not by humiliating the Islamabad’s dignity and betraying the principles, but by clear and unambiguous indication of the Baloch national goal, which must show the “international community and Islamabad” the responsibility of the Baloch people and of their leaders just as clearly and unambiguously.

The boundaries, which the Baloch side will never cross under any circumstances, must be clearly pointed out as well. It does not mean that one must adhere to strict political constructions without considering the objective reality. However, any construction has its foundation that can never be broken, otherwise the very subject as the opposing side disappears. As a result, everything will tumble down and only fragments will remain, which will be thrown out to the dustbin of history.

If the Baloch Resistance relies on its traditional ideology, which for is a natural and necessary form of national self-defense and ethnic survival in the national and state system, then it must be said openly, and explanations must be made about why struggle is the ideology of Every Baloch Armed Resistance groups to the Pakistani aggression, and why the independent national state based on the principal of international Law is the goal.

Western alliance must also be clearly shown that by supporting the genocide of the Baloch people it thus becomes the Islamabad’s accomplice in these crimes, — instead of making excuses before false and politically-biased accusations that the Baloch people allegedly have something to do with the so-called “international terrorism” or that the Baloch State is unsustainable is “unfair and dangerous”.

If the so-called “international community” and the Islamabad regime really are interested in stability and security of not only Afghanistan and Pakistan, then the goal of the Baloch leadership is to show their understanding of that interest and readiness of the Baloch State to show responsibility coming from the will of the Baloch nation to unconditionally defend its national and state independence and its territorial and ethnic identity.

But if these assurances are just another manifestation of hypocrisy, and if they prefer maintaining instability in the Afghanistan and region while fearing independence of the Baloch State, it can never do any harm to the Baloch side. Because throughout the history of its just cause in the fight for freedom and independence, the Baloch nation has been relying on the fundamental precept justice live and let live.

(Dr. Jumma Khan Marri a Moscow-based Baloch leader and intellectual who runs a website  www.balochunity.org)