بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

The Balkanization of Pakistan: Is Baluchistan the next to cede?

Recently, some senior American politicians have initiated efforts to support the separation of Baluchistan from Pakistan. Californian Republican, Dana Rohrabacher is leading the campaign for Pakistan’s dismemberment, and he has been joined in this crusade by fellow Republican Congressmen Louie Gohmert and Steve King. On February 18, 2012, the three Republican politicians tabled a bill before congress that states that Baluchistan is currently divided between Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan with no sovereign rights of its own, the resolution explains that “in Pakistan especially, the Baluchi people are subjected to violence and extrajudicial killing,” and therefore, the Baluchi people “have the right to self-determination and to their own sovereign country; and they should be afforded the opportunity to choose their own status.”

The three politicians are not alone in fomenting a new assault on Pakistan’s territorial sovereignty. Earlier, on February 8, 2012, the US subcommittee on ‘Oversight and Investigations of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs’ convened a hearing on the extrajudicial killings and human rights situation in Baluchistan. Rohrabacher who chaired the meeting invited retired Lieutenant-Colonel Ralph Peters, to testify. Lt. Col. Peters was the architect of the infamous 2006 – New Middle East map and is a passionate advocator for the disintegration of the Muslim world along sectarian and religious fault lines. His map shows a number of Muslim countries (including Pakistan) truncated. Speaking before the committee Peters said, “We need to ask honestly why Baluchis are not entitled to a Free Baluchistan, why the Pashtuns—despite their abhorrent customs—are not entitled to a Pakhtunkhwa for all Pashtuns, why forty-million Kurds aren’t entitled to a Free Kurdistan…”

The US government on the other hand was very quick to distance itself from the Congressional hearing conducted by Rohrabacher and Peters’ testimony. The spokesperson for the US State Department Victoria Nuland said, “Our view on Baluchistan has not changed. We are aware of this hearing. As you know, Congress holds hearings on many foreign affairs topics. These hearings don’t necessarily imply that the US government endorses one view or another view. I’d underscore that the State Department is not participating or involved in this hearing.” However, denials from the US government do not square well with overwhelming evidence that the US through its think tanks, non-governmental organizations, US sponsored websites and dubious Baluchi movements are instigating a domestic uprising in the Baluchistan province.

Way back in 2006, the eminent US think tank Carnegie Endowment for International Peace published a report titled, “Pakistan: The Resurgence of Baluch Nationalism”. The report highlights the rich natural resources of Baluchistan and then makes the case to use Baluchi rebels against Islamabad and Tehran. Furthermore, the US State Department-funded National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the Voice of Baluchistan (VOB) have been instrumental in fomenting dissension and nationalistic feelings. NED has been funding the Baluchistan Institute for Development (BIFD) which claims to be the leading resource on democracy, development and human rights in Baluchistan, whereas the VOB on the other hand, has been active in carrying propaganda messages on behalf of the American government. Also, there is the Baluchi Society of North America’s, which openly carries messages of support from Rohrabacher. Over the past few years, the US has also been pressing Pakistan to allow it to open a consulate in Quetta the capital of Baluchistan. No doubt the consulate is central to US plans to have eyes and ears on the ground to execute its nefarious intentions against Pakistan.

Yet despite of all these obvious signs that America has an open hand in orchestrating nationalistic sentiments in Baluchistan, the leadership (both civil and military) of the country refuses to accept this narrative and considers America its friend and continues to maintain its unstinting support to Washington.

Have these leaders forgotten that this is the same America that abandoned Pakistan during the 1971 war with India, which resulted in Pakistan’s dismemberment? And the same was repeated after the withdrawal of the Soviets from Afghanistan, which resulted in millions of displaced Afghans seeking refuge in Pakistan. This is the same America that has repeatedly invaded Pakistani sovereignty since September 2001. Not forgetting the slaughter of thousands of innocent Pakistani citizens through drone strikes, the humiliation of the army during the US Abbotabad operation, the release of Raymond Davis, the innumerable loss in economic activity and international trade are some of the ridiculous features of this lopsided relationship.

America’s relationship with Pakistan has not only weakened the country, but has strengthened its arch rival India. The plight of the Kashmiri people has all but been forgotten and Pakistani leaders are eager to strike a deal that retains India’s domination of Kashmir. Thanks to America, Pakistan now faces a hostile western border that is dotted with Indian consulates that pose impending mortal danger to Pakistan. What the Pakistani rulers will not admit to is that they have helped America transform Pakistan into the new Balkans of Asia, and they have known this all along. For instance, former Pakistan High Commissioner to UK, Wajid Shamsul Hasan admitted that Pakistan is slated to become a “failed state” by 2015, “as it would be affected by civil war, complete Talibanisation and struggle for control of its nuclear weapons”.

Rather than opposing this trend the rulers of Pakistan are complicit with America in Balkanizing the country. They have surrendered Pakistan and its provinces to the Americans. Allah says in the Quran:

وَلَنْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلًا

“And never will Allah grant to the unbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers” [An Nisa, 4:141]

They have lost their moral compass, betrayed the Pakistani people and have chosen a path to please America. Surely they lead a life of misery.

وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنْكًا

“But whosoever turns away from My Message, verily for him is a very distressful life.” [Taha, 20:124]

The only way for the Pakistani people to keep Pakistan’s integrity intact and away from the evil intentions of America and other major powers is to forge their unity on the basis of the Quran and Sunnah alone. Allah says:

وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا

“And hold fast, all of you together, to the cable of Allah, and do not separate.” [Al-Imran, 3:103]

The practical way to accomplish political unity is by working for the establishment of the Caliphate. Only then will the people of Pakistan find unity and peace, and will be in a position to permanently reverse America’s hegemony in the region.

28 Jumada I 1433

20 April 2012