BALOCHISTAN STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AMIN

DEC 6 2015
Sunday, December 6, 2015
http://csi-ops.blogspot.com/2015/12/why-brahamdagh-bugti-is-irrelevant.html
WHY BRAHAMDAGH BUGTI IS IRRELEVANT, AGHA H AMIN , Major (Retired)

The Balochistan Liberation Army (also Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA) is a militant organization
[6][7][8]
based in Balochistan, a mountainous region of western Pakistan. The Baloch Liberation Army
became publicly known during the summer of 2000, after it claimed credit for a series of bombing
attacks on Pakistani authorities. The group is currently headed by Hyrbyair Marri and has an
estimated strength of 10,000 members. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balochistan_Liberation_Army
The Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) is a political front and militant group founded by Jumma Khan
Marri in 1964 in Damascus, and played an important role in the 1968-1980 insurgency in Pakistani
Balochistan and Iranian Balochistan. The group deny any type of collaboration with Jundullah,
because of their religious extremism. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baluch_Liberation_Front.
The Balochistan Republican Army (BRA), not to be confused with the Balochistan Republican Army
Azad, is an ethno-nationalist separatist militant organization fighting against the Pakistani
government for an independent Balochi state. Most members of the BRA are members of the Bugti
tribe and young student political activists in Balochistan. The group was founded in 2006, in response
to a growing resentment in Balochistan over what they felt was was increasing Pakistani central
government control and monopolization of Balochi resources. The organization is against any foreign
investment and any future foreign intervention in Balochistan. The BRA has targeted Pakistani
security forces and manufacturing infrastructure to try and take back its provinces resources for the

people of Balochistan. The BRA has also targeted public transportation and threatened to continue to
attack civilians if the Pakistani government does not withdraw troops from the region.
https://web.stanford.edu/group/mappingmilitants/cgi-bin/groups/view/571
Jundallah, or Jondollah ( , lit. "Soldiers of God"), also known as People's Resistance
Movement of Iran (PRMI),*[5] is a terrorist militant organization based in Balochistan, an unstable
province in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, that claim to be fighting for "Equal rights of Sunni
Muslims in Iran". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jundallah_(Iran)
About the Author
Agha H. Amin , Retired Tank corps major who served in five tank regiments and commanded an
independent tank squadron and served in various staff , instructional and research assignments.
Presently heads think tank Centre for Study of Intelligence Operations. Editor in Chief of monthly
Intelligence Review and monthly Military and Security Review. In his Pakistan Army tenure he wrote
three original tactical papers on Reconnaissance Troops Tactical handling, Reconnaissance support
group , and RFS Concept. His writings were published in Pakistan Armys prime journals , Pakistan
Army Journal and Citadel Journal of Command and Staff College Quetta. His recommendations
regarding bifurcation of officer corps into command and staff cadre advanced in 1998 were later
accepted. In addition his recommendation of grouping various corps into army commands advanced
in an article published in Citadel Journal in 1998 were accepted in 2005 or so. Wrote Pakistan Armys
first tactical paper on Tactical handling of Reconnaissance Troop in 1986 which is now being
incorporated in Pakistan Armys most important general staff publication "The Armored Regiment in
Battle". Wrote The Essential Clausewitz in 1993, Sepoy Rebellion of 1857-59 in 1998 , Pakistan Army
till 1965 in 1999 ,Development of Taliban Factions in Afghanistan and Pakistan (2010) ,Taliban War in
Afghanistan (2009). Served as Assistant Editor of Defence Journal ,Executive Editor of globe and
Founder Editor of Journal of Afghanistan Studies . An associate of the think tanks ORBAT and
Alexandrian Defense Group. Expert in social impact and environmental assessment carried out
various LARP surveys for Asian Bank and World Bank projects. He has lectured at various think tanks
and organisations worldwide and shares his knowledge without any honorarium and at zero financial
benefits. Carried out various oil and gas and power transmission line surveys in West Asia. One time
Assistant Editor Defence Journal , Executive Editor Globe, Editor Journal of Afghanistan Studies
Feedback is welcome at e mail address L19aircraft@gmail.com
BACKGROUND
The essential issue in history has been control and manipulation of resources.
The state is an abstract conception hijacked by a clique or a class and manipulated for their narrow
personal or class agendas. This may be a narrow conception in many cases but in case of Pakistan it
is exact. The idea is as following.
Pakistan was a British creation. It was dominated by classes from Punjab province and migrs from
Urdu speaking Muslim minority provinces of British India from 1947. These classes claim to
domination rested on services they had performed with British colonial masters of India as civilian,
military or professional class members. This Pakistani elite or establishment that controlled the
Pakistani state started seeking new geopolitical patrons as soon as Pakistan was created.
Britain was too war exhausted to support these ambitious and crafty clowns. So they turned to USA.
After much wooing and apple polishing and sinking to lowest depths of servitude and sycophancy, US
support was won by these social climbers of Pakistan. US support as described by veteran Pakistani
ICS/Foreign service officer Saad Rashidul Khairi was seen as a tool of advancing ones career and
political ambitions in Pakistan. Thus Pakistani army chief Ayub Khan saw himself as champion master
of Pakistan since he fervently believed that it was he who managed to convince the USA to furnish
Pakistan with military financial and technical aid.
Using this unfair advantage gained in foreign policy this Punjabi-Pashtun-migr Urdu speaking elite
blackmailed and coerced Pakistans numerical majority province East Pakistan into surrendering their
54% majority and accepting a 50% parity in votes with Pakistans west wing known as West Pakistan.

In 1960s Pakistani elite discovered a second husband in China , being masters of polyandry in foreign
policy. After 1965 once USA cold shouldered Pakistan , the Pakistani establishment turned to USSR
and China.
USSR was too much for USA so USA manipulated a dirty Byzantine maneuver through which
Pakistani army chief ousted Pakistans military usurper Ayub Khan.
So between 1966 and 1977 China became Pakistans geopolitical father.
USA stepped in again between 1978 and 1989 as Pakistans geopolitical husband and father
combined as Soviets stumbled into Afghanistan.
After October 1999 when Pakistani military once again usurped power the military usurper Musharraf
finding USA snubbing Pakistan turned towards China and concluded an agreement to build a port at
the Baloch coastal town of Gwadar. The Gwadar port project was perceived as a demographic attack
by Baluchistans ethnic Baloch population whose numbers are too fragile and any mega project in
Balochistan could transform Baluchistans demography within a decade turning these Baloch into a
20% minority in their own province as compared to their 55% existing majority. Pakistani sources
reveal that usurper Musharraf was deeply impressed by Chinese strategy of demographic change in
Chinas Singkiang where China was transforming this provinces Muslim majority into a minority by
creating a special economic zone here.
Balochistan had been peaceful since its third insurgency against Pakistans federal state had
collapsed in 1976. Gwadar was perceived as an existential threat by Baloch race and a resistance
against Pakistani federal state commenced from 2002 as China commenced construction of Gwadar
Port. An indigenous ethnic movement based on genuine fears and a genuine threat perception had
commenced in Baluchistan.
The insurgency escalated and Nawab Akbar Bugti chief of Bugti tribe of Baloch who had ironically
been Pakistani federal states most servile collaborator in crushing Balochistan insurgency of 1973-76
became one of the key leaders of this insurgency. Bugti was killed in mysterious circumstances in
August 2006.As per insiders mines triggered accidentally in his hideout and he died.
Pakistani military usurper Musharraf foolishly saw it as an opportunity to gain political mileage and
bragged that Bugti was killed by Pakistani state.
Instantly Nawab Akbar Bugti previously seen as an opportunist who would sell himself to the highest
bidder in Pakistans capital Islamabad became a hero of Baloch national resistance. Bugtis grandson
Brahamdagh Bugti fled to neighbouring Afghanistan now under US occupation and announced a
declaration to secede from Pakistan and a war of liberation of Baloch race against Pakistani federal
state. Other leaders of this Baloch movement included Balach Marri son of Marri tribes head Nawab
Khair Baksh Marri and many others. Another key figure, a middle class doctor Allah Nazar Baloch
emerged in Balochistans southwest part.
Pakistani state response was to go for physical elimination of Baloch leaders in exile in Afghanistan.
A contract was concluded to physically eliminate Balach Marri and Brahamdagh Bugti seen as key
part of the problem in 2007. Balach was as a matter of fact killed under this contract in November
December 2007 but Brahamdagh survived and finally sought political asylum in Switzerland.
Dr Allah Nazar emerged as the most successful Baloch secessionist leader and carved a huge
empire for his group known as Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) in southwest Balochistan.

PAKISTANI STATE RESPONSE

In usurper Musharrafs era from 1999 to 2008 Pakistani state response was relatively measured and
rational. Baloch activists were arrested but released after interrogation/harassment.

However this also was a inhuman and questionable modus operandi. Yusuf marri son of famous
Baloch guerrilla commander General Sheroff Marri or Sher Mohammad Marri was picked by up by ISI
soon after Musharraf usurped power. Yusufs house in Shahwani Killi Quetta city was searched and all
his family albums containing photographs and many household items were taken away. Yusuf was
interrogated and bounded in ropes for three days and released after three days without being
charged.Items like his marriage documents etc were taken away.

With Mir Yusuf Marri at lunch hosted by Agha H Amin (right) at Quetta Serena Hotel, October
2012
To Yusuf Marri this harassment was inexplicable but an ISI officer described it to this scribe as an
exercise in psychological warfare and to spread a message that Pakistani state could arrest anyone.
To me it was hilarious as Yusuf Marri was literally penniless and living in a house whose lease
instalments he was still paying in 2012 and in 2013 when I met him.
Yusuf described many ISI and MI Punjabi officers as excellent human beings like one Colonel
Warraich heading a military intelligence battalion in Quetta and later an instructor at School of Military
Intelligence. The fault as per Yusuf lay in a corrupt and malfunctional Pakistani establishment whose
sole ideology was corruption and loot.
Kiani Approach
Under Musharrafs successor General Kiani and ISI boss Shuja Pasha the Pakistani approach
became more brutal. Baloch were picked by intelligence and tortured with drills and killed and
dumped in faraway places in Balochistan. This approach was perfected when ISI Balochistan was
headed by Major General Asif Khattak in 2010-2012. To Khattak it was excellent and worked.
An ISI civilian who I met in December 2011 was more skeptical. He summed it up as below :- we can kill the Baloch but we have been unable to kill the idea of freedom
instilled and ingrained deep inside their hearts and souls.
Extra judicial killings continued in Baloch parts of Balochistan between 2008 and to date.
Raheel Sharif
GeneraL Raheel Sharif who succeeded as army chief in December 2013 continued the same
approach. Raheel Sharif sees himself as Pakistans future president. He sees Pakistan China corridor

as one tool in his march towards power. With no war record and limited intellectual achievements
Raheel Sharif lives under the shadow of a highly decorated war hero brother and wants to surpass his
brothers achievements.

So Balochistan is one special place where Raheel Sharif wants to prove his virility and martial might .
Thus accelerated extra judicial killings.
Pakistans Punjabi establishment sees being Chinese vassals as an essential tool to dominate all
other ethnic groups in Pakistan. Because it was by being British vassals from 1849 to 1947 that this
Punjabi establishment achieved its undue dominance in Pakistans politics.
China Pakistan corridor would mean following things for Pakistans Baloch :-

Transformation into a demographic minority of 20 % or less in their own province by 2030.

Losing Balochistans minerals and agricultural land to a significant extent.

Death of Dr Allah Nazar and Change of posture of Brahamdagh Bugti

In 2015 two events have aroused great jubilation in Pakistani establishment.
Viz death of Dr Allah Nazar and declaration of Brahamdagh Bugti that he has given up his demand for
Balochistans independence and that now his objective is a limited autonomy under the existing
umbrella of Pakistani state.
Death of Dr Allah Nazar
It has been speculated that Allah Nazar has died of wounds sustained in an air raid or artillery fire.
As far as our assessments go death of Allah Nazar will not change anything. He heads a political
party and an armed group with an established chain of command and a succession structure.
Brahamdagh Bugti
It is reported that Pakistani establishment made some offers involving huge monetary sums to
Brahamdagh and he was bought and converted. Brahamdagh heads a small group in war of Baloch
secession and his conversion will not change anything.

International scenario
As US china rivalry intensifies and US retains a key central position in Afghanistan, Baloch war of
secession will have no dearth of external state backers - USA in lead followed by India and possibly
Oman, Iran, etc.
For Baloch race, it is a matter of existence and it is highly unlikely that they will accept Pakistani
states China Corridor plan which aims to turn them into a puny ethnic minority in their own province.