Quetta [Pakistan], February 21 (ANI): A representative of the Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) stated that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman has been repeatedly speaking on the progress of the Baloch freedom movement in Balochistan and his statements reflect the failure of the narrative presented by the Pakistani military and signal the conclusion of its violent aggression towards the Baloch people.
FBM representative urged the UN to take action in Balochistan by establishing United Nations Mission in Balochistan (UNMIB) and forcing the Pakistani occupying forces to retreat. Additionally, the FBM representative expressed their intent to raise awareness among the international community regarding the fact that Balochistan has been embroiled in conflict for the past 70 years.
The FBM representative accused China of backing Pakistan’s “occupying military” in its extensive military operations across Balochistan to facilitate its large-scale exploitation projects linked to China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), including initiatives in the coastal regions of Gwadar.
In Balochistan, Pakistan’s ground and air forces are indiscriminately attacking Baloch civilians, with Pakistan’s Air Force actively involved in aerial bombings and these airstrikes have resulted in a humanitarian crisis in several areas of Balochistan, according to FBM representative. The FBM representative said that hundreds of thousands of Baloch individuals have been forced to flee their ancestral homes, and thousands have disappeared against their will. Furthermore, despite its limited resources, Pakistan has budgeted billions of rupees to intensify its military actions in Balochistan. The Baloch nation remains resolute, fiercely defending its national dignity, identity, and homeland.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman remarked during a session of the Pakistani National Assembly that the Baloch have reached a point where, if they choose to announce independence, the public would be likely to back them.
In his address, he illustrated the governmental oppression faced in Balochistan, asserting: “Five to seven districts of Balochistan are now positioned such that if they declare independence today, the United Nations would recognize their request the following day, and Pakistan would be perceived as partitioned.”
The FBM further asserted that an independent Balochistan is essential for the development, prosperity, and peace of the region. Acknowledging Balochistan’s independence as the most effective way to curtail Pakistan’s extremist tendencies and imperial ambitions and to prevent further violence and instability in the area.
The spokesperson stated that the United Nations and the entire international community have a primary obligation to intervene, similar to how the United Nations assisted East Timor in achieving independence, reconstructing the nation, and establishing a governance framework under UNTAET (United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor), leading to East Timor’s independence in 2002.
The spokesperson also mentioned that during the 1990s, the independence movement in Kosovo gained traction, leading to NATO’s intervention in 1999, which compelled Serbian forces to withdraw. Following this, the United Nations took on its responsibilities by managing the region under UNMIK (United Nations Mission in Kosovo) and alleviating the humanitarian crisis. South Sudan achieved independence in 2011, with a significant role played by the United Nations in that process as well.
The FBM representative said that UNMISS (United Nations Mission in South Sudan) was established to maintain peace and stability in the country. In 1990, Namibia secured independence from foreign occupation, facilitated by UN intervention which led to the formation of UNTAG (United Nations Transition Assistance Group). Likewise, in 1993, Eritrea became independent from Ethiopia, with the United Nations playing a critical role in ensuring its liberation.
The conditions in Balochistan are comparable to those in Eritrea, South Sudan, Kosovo, or East Timor. The representative called on the UN to take action in Balochistan by establishing UNMIB (United Nations Mission in Balochistan) and compelling the Pakistani occupying forces to retreat, which would enable the Baloch people to regain sovereignty over their independent state, which is their fundamental, moral, political, and historical right. (ANI)
