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Baloch freedom movement

eyes New Delhi for support

Indians are increasingly being urged to be the voice for disgraced Marri was also critical to Iran (af-
Baloch population at different forums including the United Nations, ter Pakistan) as both the Islamic coun-
tries, according to him, did not mind
reports nava thakuria their differences and were on the same
page when it came to the oppression of
ndia is slowly but steadily ap- Mir Ahmed Yar Khan, the Khan of Kalat, Baloch people. Once colonized by
proaching the Baloch people on which was later endorsed on 31 March Europeans, Balochistan is now under the
their mission to make Balochistan 1948 by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, then occupation of Pakistan and Iran, which
a sovereign nation out of Pakistan. Governor-General of Pakistan. compelled thousands of Balochis to
I From the political class to civil “But Kalat was one of a district which sacrifice their lives for a united and inde-
society groups, the message for sup- was also part of Balochistan. Khan had pendent homeland.
porting the freedom movement of simply no authority to decide on behalf But Pakistan has been especially
Balochis has grown visible and strong- of the entire Balochistan to accede to perfidious, lecturing India about Kash-
er in the recent past that inspires the Pakistan. Since then, a myth has been mir issues, while over twenty thousand
Baloch freedom fighters to express con- systematically created by Islamabad that Baloch have disappeared in the last
fidence in the Indo-Baloch relationship. Baloch wanted to join Pakistan, which is decade. Even women, children and the
The significant development started a blatant falsehood,” asserted Marri. elderly are not spared by the Pakistani
when Prime Minister Narendra Modi He stated that Noori Naseer Khan army, lamented Marri. He also added that
had mentioned Balochistan, referring to drew Balochistan’s political boundaries over 2,000 journalists, teachers, lawyers,
the relentless freedom struggle by Balo- in the mid-18th century and even before and cultural personalities were forcibly
chis since 1948 in his 2016 Independence that it was a free country, and they have abducted, tortured and even killed in
Day speech from the courtyard of his- plenty of historical records, documents, a decade.
toric Red Fort in New Delhi. It may not di- and maps to prove the case to the inter- Laying bare the double standards
rectly influence the foreign policy of New national community. of Islamabad over Kashmir even be-
Delhi towards Islamabad, but a positive Speaking about the rampant exploita- fore New Delhi’s abrogation of Article
gesture spread across the liberal Indians, tion of Balochistan’s resources like natu-
who preferred to support the Balochis, ral gas, coal, gold, copper and various
understandably secular in nature. minerals Marri highlighted that even
Balochis, who are mostly Muslim and though Balochistan has small population
presently on a warpath against the Is- (around 13 million), Baloch people are
lamic Republic of Pakistan for their lib- still deprived of regular electricity, safe
eration claimed that Baloch people got drinking water, and other civic ameni-
independence from the imperialist Brit- ties, etc, whereas its infant mortality rate
ish forces on 11 August 1947, which is be- is very high and literacy rate is too low.
fore India and Pakistan. Balochistan re-
mained a sovereign nation till 27 March Balochistan remained
1948. And since then Baloch people are
under Pakistani occupation resulting in a sovereign nation
unleashed atrocities over them. till March 27, 1948.
“After enjoying nine months of
independence, Balochistan was treach- Since then, the Baloch
erously occupied by the Pakistani forces,”
claimed Baloch nationalist leader Hyrb- population is under
yair Marri and also the president of Free Pakistani occupation
Balochistan Movement.
Speaking to Asia Sentinel recently that has reportedly
Marri added that it was done by secur- resulted in unleashed
ing the instrument of accession of Kalat
State to Pakistan signed under duress by atrocities over them

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