Baluchis Are Being Taken for a Ride
By Dr Moeed Pirzada
Editor World Affairs
ARY One World Europe
London, UK

We are all condemning army's killing of Nawab Bugti for different reasons: some of us are condemning it as a violation of civil and human rights, others as a cruel way of dealing with the minorities, yet others as a strategy that will surely backfire in the long run.
Though Pakistani state has definitely put itself in a difficult spot with this and similar actions, we also need to understand that Nawab Bugti, in his struggle against the State, was no Jerry Adams. The norms of struggle in this country are different. Even in its hey days of so-called terrorism or overt violence, IRA will not pick state targets with the impunity Baluch nationalists did in the last few years. Pakistani state lead by its unwise army has abandoned the path of political negotiations but even the Baluch nationalists - clearly encouraged by foreign elements - have followed a path that could only lead to greater disaster. Violence begets violence.
What is tragic in this conflict for all of us (Pakistanis, Punjabis, Muslims, Baluchs etc. however we may define ourselves) is that both sides - Pakistani establishment and Baluch nationalists - are allowing foreign interests to pursue strategies that wont lead anywhere except greater bloodshed and instability. Many in the West talking of Baluch rights are only interested in using "instability" in that important corridor to pressurize Pakistani state to make more concessions in South Asia, or to stop the balancing effects of China in the region. What Baluch nationalists - because of their inability to understand the current of International politics have been made to believe - will never be possible for it is beyond the ability of the West to grant it to them. Geography and demography militate against any plans for a Free or Greater Baluchistan. Any one who doubts only need to look at Iraq. Baluchis are being taken for a ride - like the Iraqi dissidents - and they just don't get it.

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