Why Balochistan annoyed with Punjab and Punjabis in Pak

Can the Pakistani government suppress the rebellion in Balochistan? Absolutely not. The fat bellied Pakistani army generals can only threaten and bully. Now, the Pakistani government and army will have to give the people of Balochistan their rights. If they fail on this front, the rebellion in Balochistan will flare up. It will then be difficult for Balochistan to remain a part of Pakistan. The rulers of Pakistan must understand this

The bloodshed of Punjabis in Pakistan continues. Yesterday, on Monday morning, at least 23 Punjabi travelers were pulled off their buses and trucks and shot dead in the Balochistan province. The heartless killers first checked the travelers’ ID cards and when they were sure that they were from Punjab, they ruthlessly killed them. The massacre of Punjabis who went to Balochistan for work has been going on for the past couple of years. The modus operandi is the same. Stop buses and trucks passing through a deserted place and kill the Punjabi passengers.

In last May, unidentified gunmen shot dead seven people from Punjab province in the coastal city of Gwadar, Pakistan. All of them were barbers by profession. This is the fourth major incident of attacks on Punjabis in Balochistan this year. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the killing of nine Punjabis in April, who were on their way from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, to Iran. The Baloch Liberation Army is deliberately targeting Punjabis. Young Punjabis are being abducted and never found. There are hundreds of such cases. Despite the efforts of the Pakistan government, the news of the massacre of Punjabis comes to the fore.

Why Punjabis Are Being Targeted

There must be a reason why Punjabis are being targeted in Balochistan? A large part of the Pakistani population hates Punjab, Punjabis, and the Punjabi-dominated Pakistani Army. They all feel that Punjab is exploiting them and suppressing their rights. Actually, for a long time, there have been allegations against the Pakistani government in Balochistan that it is exploiting the abundant natural resources of Balochistan. They say that it has ruined Balochistan. Despite being rich in natural resources, Balochistan remains the poorest province of Pakistan.

The people of Balochistan have always believed that their country's army had murdered their beloved leader Akbar Bugti. The anti-Punjabi movement in Balochistan has shaken the Pakistani government. It is natural for them to be worried about this movement. Actually, in this Balochistan province, a 790 km long Gwadar port is being built with the help of China. The Pakistan government believes that the construction of Gwadar Port will change the fate of the country. But the people of Balochistan think this is all a lie. They believe that the construction of Gwadar Port will benefit only Punjab's interests. They are being deceived.

Hollow Claims of Catching the Killers

The Pakistani government makes ritualistic promises to catch the killers of the Punjabis. But nothing happens. Lahore-based writer and linguist Prof. J. Tariq says that the Pakistani government and army are dominated by Punjabis. Therefore, non-Punjabis in Pakistan hate Punjabis. So they attack Punjabis whenever they get a chance. East Pakistan, which the world now knows as Bangladesh, had also revolted against Pakistan to break free from Punjab's dominance. The Pakistani army had unjustly treated East Pakistan. Urdu was imposed on them, Karachi was made the capital of the country instead of Dhaka, whereas Dhaka was a bigger city than Karachi in every way. The capital was later shifted from Karachi to Islamabad. There were many other reasons why East Pakistan revolted.

The idea of Pakistan

Islamic fanaticism is at its highest in Pakistan's part of Punjab. There is a race among the people to prove themselves as the biggest Muslim fanatics. It must also be remembered that Pakistani thought is promoted by Punjab. The Pakistani army is 80 per cent Punjabi, although their population in the country is around 65 per cent. This shows that the Punjabi army is the lifeblood of the Pakistani army. The Pakistani army has not spared its own people in committing carnage. This generation may not know enough about the Pakistani army's massacre in East Pakistan. The Pakistani army began persecuting its own Bengali-speaking people in 1969-71. The Pakistani army named this action Operation Searchlight. This was not a simple oppression. The army ruthlessly killed millions of people, publicly raped thousands of young women, and subjected them to all kinds of inhuman torture. The number of people killed in the Pakistani army's oppression was 3 million. The people of Balochistan believe that Punjab and Punjabis are the ones who are benefiting from their resources. This is why Punjabis are hated in Balochistan. Balochistan does not want to be a part of Pakistan. The Pakistani army's power has forced it to remain part of Pakistan. The Pakistani army uses tanks and fighter jets to suppress the rebellion in Balochistan. The whole of Baluchistan is living in the dark ages. There is no proper education system here.

Can the Pakistani government suppress the rebellion in Balochistan? Absolutely not. The fat bellied Pakistani army generals can only threaten and bully. Now, the Pakistani government and army will have to give the people of Balochistan their rights. If they fail on this front, the rebellion in Balochistan will flare up. It will then be difficult for Balochistan to remain a part of Pakistan. The rulers of Pakistan must understand this.

(The author is Delhi-based senior journalist and writer. He is author of Gandhi's Delhi which has brought to the forth many hidden facts about Mahatma Gandhi)