By Dr. Jumma Khan Marri

On 4th August 1947, a tripartite agreement was signed between Pakistan, the British and Balochistan called The Standstill Agreement in which the sovereign status of Balochistan was accepted. The Khan declared Balochistan independent on 12th August 1947, two days before the independence of Pakistan. The Khan affirmed his intention to build Balochistan as a prosperous sovereign country in which Baloch could retain their identity and live in accordance with their traditions and establish relations through treaties of friendship with neighboring states of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan as well as with India and outside world.

Balochistan yesterday

On 4th August 1947, a tripartite agreement was signed between Pakistan, the British and Balochistan called The Standstill Agreement in which the sovereign status of Balochistan was accepted. The Khan declared Balochistan independent on 12th August 1947, two days before the independence of Pakistan. The Khan affirmed his intention to build Balochistan as a prosperous sovereign country in which Baloch could retain their identity and live in accordance with their traditions and establish relations through treaties of friendship with neighboring states of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan as well as with India and outside world.

Soon after the independence elections were held to Diwan, Balochistan's bi-cameral legislature and a period of tranquility and peace was ensured in the country. The Assembly held sessions in September and December 1947 and most favoured alliance and not accession with Pakistan. On December 14th 1947 Ghaus Baksh Bizenjo made a landmark speech and it is still considered as a valid argument for independence of Balochistan.

He said, "We have a distinct civilization and a separate culture like that of Iran and Afghanistan. We are Muslims but it is not necessary that by virtue of being Muslims we should lose our freedom and merge with others. If the mere fact that we are Muslims requires us to join Pakistan then Afghanistan and Iran, both Muslim countries, should also amalgamate with Pakistan.

We were never a part of India before the British rule. Pakistan's unpleasant and loathsome desire that our national homeland, Balochistan should merge with it is impossible to consider. We are ready to have friendship with that country on the basis of sovereign equality but by no means ready to merge with Pakistan. We can survive without Pakistan. But the question is what Pakistan would be without us?

I do not propose to create hurdles for the newly created Pakistan in the matters of defense and external communication. But we want an honorable relationship not a humiliating one. If Pakistan wants to treat us as a sovereign people, we are ready to extend the hand of friendship and cooperation. If Pakistan does not agree to do so, flying in the face of democratic principles, such an attitude will be totally unacceptable to us, and if we are forced to accept this fate then every Baloch son will sacrifice his life in defense of his national freedom."

His speech moved the Baloch and strengthened their desire for Independence and their will to maintain their new found independence. But in the mean time Pakistan began to pressurize the newly independent Kalat State to join Pakistan and an uneasy calm appeared in relations between Kalat and Pakistan. Talks between Pakistan and Kalat dragged on. Pakistan continued to harass the Khan and Baloch State machinery on various pretexts and was engaged in conspiracies and underhand tactics to compel the Khan to join Pakistan.

In June 1947 the British Government announced plans for Partition of India. British Afghanistan and Baloch Tribal areas which included Marri-Bugti, Khetran and Baloch Tribal areas of Dera Ghazi Khan fate was to be decided by a referendum. It was decided to hold the Jirga on the 30th of June but was deviously held on the 29th without informing all the members. With this referendum as its basis the British Balochistan including the leased and tribal areas which were constitutionally part of the Khanate were quite illegally acceded to Pakistan on 15th August 1947.

It is interesting to note that after partition the Chiefs of Derajat were given the choice to relinquish their privileges by joining Balochistan or retaining them by joining Punjab. This British Administered Balochistan area of DG Khan was misappropriated by Punjab in 1950. The Tumandars signed the agreement under threat of forsaking their large land holdings if they didn't opt for Punjab. A monument to that injustice stands at Fort Munro, 6470 feet above sea level.

When Pakistan was convinced that the Khan would not accede, separate instruments of Accession by the states of Lasbela and Kharan, which were feudatories of the Khan, and of Makran which was never more than a district of the State of Kalat, were announced on March 18th. Accession of Makran, Kharan and Lasbela robbed Kalat of more than half its territory and its access to the sea.

The following day the Khan of Kalat issued a statement refusing to believe that Pakistan as champion of Muslim rights in the world would infringe the rights of small Muslim neighbours, pointing out that Makran as a district of Kalat, had no separate status and that the foreign policy of Lasbela and Kharan was placed under Kalat by Standstill agreement.

On 26th March 1948 Pakistan army was ordered to move into Baloch coastal region of Pasni, Jiwani, and Turbat. This was the first act of aggression prior to the march on Capital Kalat by Pakistani military detachment on 1st April 1948. The Khan capitulated on March 27th after the Army moved in to coastal region and it was announced in Karachi that Khan of Kalat has agreed to merge his State with Pakistan. Under the constitution of Kalat, the Khan was not authorized to take such a basic decision. The Balochistan assembly had already rejected any suggestion of forfeiting the independence of Balochistan on any pretext. The sovereign Baloch State after British withdrawal from India lasted only 227 days.

Kalat State's forced merger with Pakistan ended three hundred years of independent and semi-independent Baloch State. The sovereignty and will of people of Balochistan was temporarily subverted. It was an epoch making event in the history of the Baloch people. Colonialism, be it of Iran, Afghanistan, Britain or Pakistan, has played the most important role in molding the national consciousness which had been present in formative shape all through their history but had remained latent and therefore unable to push their struggle forward in the manner that they are doing now. This consciousness acquired at a bitter price is now becoming the determining factor in their struggle to be the masters of their destiny.

Not willing to allow the Baloch a chance to recuperate and reorganize the second equally unjust and illegal assault on Kalat was carried out on 6th of October 1958, once again on false pretences and premises. Nawab Nauroz Khan Zarakzai, a septuagenarian, took up arms and led the Baloch resistance. As in 1948 a wave of repression and reign of terror was let loose all over Balochistan. Political leaders and activists were incarcerated in the notorious "˜Kulli camps' in the Quetta Cantonment. The suppression of rights by force created abiding antagonism and animosity.

On 19th of May 1959 Nawab Nauroz Khan along with his fighters surrendered near Anari Mountain after authorities promised acceptance of their demands on Quran. Instead they were shifted to the Quetta cantonment and tried by a special military court and sentenced on July 7th 1960. The death sentences were carried out simultaneously on the 15th July 1960 at Sukkur and Hyderabad Central Jails.

The death sentences were carried out on the 15th of July 1960 at Sukkur and Hyderabad Central Jails simultaneously. Nawab's eldest son Battay Khan Zarakzai, along with Sabzal Khan Zarakzai and Ghulam Rasool Nechari were hanged at Sukkur while Jam Jamal Khan Zehri, Masti Khan Musiyani, Wali Mohammad Zarakzai, and Bahawal Khan Musiyani were hanged at Hyderabad. The transportation to Balochistan of those martyred at Hyderabad was arranged Mir Rasool Baksh Talpur, a Baloch tribe in Sindh, that too at the time when Ayub Khan and his Martial Law had sown fear in peoples' hearts. Nawab Nauroz and his minor son Mir Jalal Khan were imprisoned for life. Nawab himself died in prison on December 25th 1965.

For the Baloch, Nawab Nauroz Khan and the seven martyrs symbolize the determination to not to bow to unjust and brutal assaults on their freedom and to resist regardless of the price that has to be paid for this honourable path. Emulating them is the dream of every politically conscious Baloch.

The 60s decade saw sporadic Baloch resistance led by Mir Sher Mohammad Marri, Ali Mohammad Mengal and others. The dissolution of One-Unit and 1970 elections gave a glimmer of hope that the Baloch would get a chance of restricted self-rule. But the subsequent illegal and unjust dismissal of Ataullah Mengal Government in February 1973 and incarceration of Baloch leaders by the Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto led PPP government shattered those hopes.

This injustice naturally led to resistance by Baloch and full scale military invasion and operations against were launched on 21st May 1973 with Mawand in Marri area being occupied. The 80000 thousand strong Pakistani army surrounded whole Marri area with full force, which included Tanks air force and regular army troops, which was duly assisted by both Iran and US. It was at this critical juncture of Baloch history that Mir Hazar Khan had to shoulder the grand responsibility of conducting and leading the Baloch freedom fighters into highly skilful guerrilla warfare against 80 thousand regular Army troops. The 1973-77 conflict resulted in enormous sufferings of Baloch population in the province; forcing thousands of Marris and other Baloch to seek shelter in Afghanistan. It was during this period that the steel of Baloch mettle was really tempered and for the first time they felt confident that they could take on the might of the State and survive to fight another day. This struggle blazed a path for the future generations and without it probably the flame of Baloch struggle may have been extinguished forever.

Balochistan today

Balochistan bleeds: During the musical chairs democracy period the main players were too busy undermining each other and Baloch were left alone. Then Musharraf unleashed a war of terror against Baloch which resulted in death of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, Nawabzada Balach Khan Marri and hundreds of other innocent people. The plague of missing persons was once again visited upon the people with a vengeance. Recently mass unmarked graves of victims of Indian atrocities were discovered in Kashmir. One wonders if ever such graves, for they certainly exist, will be found here. His era was the era of pseudo mega-projects, brutal mega-operations and super mega sufferings for Baloch people. The present irreconcilable antagonisms are the result of the protracted and indiscriminate use of force against Baloch.

The PPP Government has been long on promises and short on positive action. The brutal murders of the Baloch National Movement (BNM) chairman, Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Lala Muneer Baloch and Sher Mohammad Baloch of the Baloch Republican Party in Turbat in April and then that of Rasool Baksh Mengal ask the party in power that are murders of leaders a part of their services rendered to Baloch which they crow about incessantly. The latest atrocity was committed in Khuzdar and there seems to be no end to this gory saga.

Establishment's anti-Baloch policy is too entrenched, too consolidated and too committed to allow far-reaching measures to be endorsed and implemented; measures which may bring some relief for the people. Because those who have been calling the shots here, call them the anti-Baloch clique or the Establishment, will not consent to even the most basic justified demands of return of missing people, stopping construction of cantonments, military airports and naval ports, withdrawal of Army, a halt to operations, rights over resources and the reining in of the FC because their financial, commercial and imaginary strategic interests will be sorely hurt by any such roll back in Balochistan.

To present the grim reality of economic deprivation and poverty I quote credible experts and reports. Syed Fazl-e-Haider, a respected developmental analyst, says, "Poverty is a multi-dimensional concept rather than simple income (consumption) deprivation. Any single measure of poverty, such as head-count ratio based on specific "˜poverty line' does not fully capture all its dimensions and does not reflect the real causes of wider human sufferings. "˜Poverty of opportunity' index, a composite of deprivation in three vital dimensions"” health, education and income"” is quite useful in this regard. In case of Balochistan, any single measure indicates that it is the poorest province."

Further highlighting the neglect he says, "Balochistan remains almost voiceless, having no say in the decision- making process at the centre. Over 50 per cent its population subsists below the poverty line. Income-based inequities in human development need to be addressed. During FY 2000-2001, only 9.2 per cent of the total Khushhal Pakistan programme budget had been allocated to the province compared to 16.2 per cent for the NWFP, 19.7 per cent for Sindh, and 48.9 per cent for Punjab. During the first year of the programme, utilization as a percentage of the budgeted amount was the lowest for the province at 2.8 per cent compared to 7.7 per cent in NWFP, 8.2 per cent in Sindh, and 19 per cent in Punjab.

In the FY 2004, the federal contribution to the provincial development programmes was 56 per cent for NWFP, 28 per cent for Punjab, 19 per cent for Sindh and only eight per cent for Balochistan. The share allocated in foreign project assistance (FPA) to Punjab was 53 per cent, NWFP 29 per cent, Sindh 12 per cent and again only six per cent for Balochistan".

The table of "DISTRICTS SHOWING DECLINE IN INDEX OF MULTIPLE DEPRIVATION OF MORE THAN 10 POINTS" in Research Report No.72 by SPDC for comparing1998 to 2005 tells that there was not a single district from Balochistan showing decline while there were 3 from Punjab, 5 from Sindh and 7 from the NWFP.

Moreover in the table "THE TEN HIGHEST DEPRIVED DISTRICTS OF PAKISTAN" nine were from Balochistan and it emerges as the most deprived province with over 91 percent of population residing in high deprived districts during 2005. It shows that in 1998 the percentage of population living in a high degree of deprivation was 25 per cent in Punjab, 23 per cent in urban Sindh, 49 per cent in rural Sindh, 51 per cent in the NWFP, and 88 per cent in Balochistan. In 2005 the figures were, Punjab 28, Sindh 35, NWFP 35 and Balochistan 91 showing that Balochistan is in a consistent nose-dive.

The report adds, per annum declining rate of deprivation is the lowest in Balochistan; it has the weakest long-term growth performance. From 1972/73 to 2004/05, the economy expanded 2.7 times in Balochistan, 3.6 times in NWFP and Sindh, and 4.0 times in Punjab. The growth divergence has widened historic income differences and Balochistan's per capita income level of $400 in 2004 was only two-third of Pakistan's level. Perhaps with the sole exception of the area in and around Quetta, social deprivation is widespread in all districts of Balochistan. As expected, in terms of level of deprivation during 2005, Punjab possesses the lowest, while Balochistan has the highest magnitude of Index of Multiple Deprivation.

A horrific picture emerges if one surveys the maternal mortality rate which is 650 per 100,000 births in Balochistan while it is 281in Karachi. This is double the national average. Infant mortality in Balochistan is 158 deaths per 1,000 live births even Democratic Republic of Congo's average of 126 is lower while Pakistan's national average of 70 is less than half.

Similarly, Balochistan accounted for 7 out of the 9 districts with the lowest full immunization rate, including the four districts with the worst record. Balochistan's performance would look even worse without the exclusion of Dera Bugti and Kohlu in the PSLM sample due to security reasons. Only 20 per cent of its people have an access to safe drinking water compared to 86 per cent in the rest of Pakistan. Village electrification is only 25 per cent compared to 75 per cent in the rest of the country.

The education sector figures are depressing. Access to education is also far below the ratio of other provinces. Over three-fourths of women and two-thirds of population above ten are illiterate. The conditions in affected Marri-Bugti areas and among the IDPs are much worse. With regard to net primary enrolment, 11 out of the 16 district, including the four districts with the worst record, in 2004/05 belonged to Balochistan.

These figures prove that Balochistan has perpetually suffered from absolute neglect and willful attempts to keep it in a state of deprivation. Blaming Sardars of obstructing development cuts no ice because the areas under government's writ haven't prospered either. Take example of Bugti area, though gas was discovered in Sui in 1951 and meets approximately 45 per cent of the total needs and is worth Rs85 billion annually and yet what Dera Bugti receives in return for the wealth it generates is evident from the UNDP Human Development Report 2003, which ranked Dera Bugti last among the 91 districts on the Human Development Index.

The Baloch have a bitter past experience of accepting amnesties. Soon after Kalat was forcibly annexed to Pakistan in March 1948 Shahzada Abdul Karim with companions went into the mountains to resist this injustice. He went to Afghanistan but disappointed at lack of support returned to continue the resistance. He was then offered amnesty with the assurances that their demands would be met but was then bundled off to jail along with many of his comrades and languished there for years.

The Zia amnesty too needs to be touched upon because it followed a sustained and brutal campaign against Baloch unleashed by Z.A. Bhutto in 1973-1977 forcing people to seek safety in Afghanistan. Most of the leaders there i.e. Meherullah Mengal, Aslam Gichki, Khair Jan and others opted to avail the opportunity.

Mir Hazar Khan Marri, the educated cadre and tribesmen unanimously decided not to return. It was decided not to accept the offer because the situation hadn't changed in spite of all the sacrifices and it would have been pointless to return without achieving significant rights. It should be remembered that the tribes and fighters of the leaders who opted to return were not in Afghanistan while hundreds of Marri families had taken refuge in Kandahar and Zabul provinces during the fighting in Balochistan.

There is almost pathological distrust of the intentions of the government among common people which has progressively increased and is not without a reason; Nawab Akbar Bugti was relentlessly hounded and killed, Nawabzada Balach was martyred and then they saw Baloch National Movement (BNM) chairman, Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Lala Muneer Baloch and Sher Mohammad Baloch of the Baloch Republican Party brutally murdered in Turbat in April and after them Rasool Baksh Mengal in August. These last four murders came after the President had visited Quetta in March and assured about change of attitudes.

Balochistan tomorrow

Balochistan is of great interests to important players on world stage because of its strategic location and the possible energy and mineral resources it supposedly has. The minerals and other wealth come at as secondary interest to the powers because it is a turbulent place with a history of long and continuing insurgency. The primary importance at present is its strategic location as it borders both Afghanistan and Iran apart from its coastline which is at mouth of the most important oil shipping lane.

All this is a mixed blessing for the Baloch people, this importance adds to its woes as major players with conflicting interests try to take advantage. The US has an undying interest in it not only because of the Quetta Shura but also because of the ongoing conflict between Baloch people and the Pakistani State. US doesn't probably subscribe to an independent Balochistan but certainly isn't unaware of the advantages it may gain in case the Baloch gain independence.

A secular nationalist group seizing power would be to its advantage in the region as it would counter the rising tide of Talibanization in Afghanistan and Pakistan and moreover it would weaken hold of Iran on mineral rich Balochistan under it. US would love to see Iran cut down to a manageable size and have unfriendly neighbours. The Quetta Shura and the Taliban forays from Balochistan would be handily curbed much to its advantage though it would nowhere be any near to winning the war there.

US interests in Balochistan:

US has, unsuccessfully so far, been trying to open a Consulate in Quetta but it will get its way because Pakistan like a lady of easy virtue would like to show at least some resistance before it caves in. US fully understand the need to engage the Baloch nationalists and have made secret overtures though nothing substantial has emerged or can be expected to emerge in the near future. US have made no secret of its desire to play a part in Balochistan because it wouldn't like to be left behind in this new great game. It fully realizes that nature abhors vacuum and if it doesn't someone else will certainly take advantage and then it would be left in limbo. US is not a fool and it will not sit idle.

The struggle between the Pakistani state and Baloch nationalists is consistently edging to a higher level as is demonstrated by the increasing brutality of the state in dealing with the nationalists. Increasingly political leaders and activists have been targeted and in a more gruesome development the missing people are turning up as dead bodies riddled with bullets and bearing torture marks. This in turn will force the nationalists to strike at the settler population of which it is said more than 100000 have left the region. The state violence with increased resistance from the nationalists will continue to spiral out of control struggle and with it the region will become increasingly unstable allowing the Taliban and their ilk to thrive.

Questions are often raised about the feasibility and survival of Balochistan as an independent state. The fears are ill founded because if the Emirates which were devoid of manpower and other essentials necessary for a viable state are thriving today. Had they still been under the British yet they would not have progressed far from their status of fishing villages. It is in interest of the world peace and regional peace that an independent Balochistan should emerge and the wishes of the people of Balochistan be respected.

The Russian interests in Balochistan:

The Russians historically made no secret of their desire to reach to warm Indian Ocean, Peter the Great said in his time whoever controls the shipping lanes in Indian oceans will rule the world, at present Russian are the main suppliers of their gas and oil to their customers the EU countries and turkey. They have direct interest in stability and peace in Balochistan and perhaps even want and if need be will support the idea of an independent Balochistan not because of their soviet style slogans freedom for all oppressed nations, but because of their own geo-political and economical interests.

Take it for an example if Iran cannot export her gas and oil to Indian subcontinent directly via Balochistan since there are no other viable land routes what the Iranians will do soon or later they have to look for a market for their huge gas and oil, their only options will remain EU and turkey that means they are heading for direct economical confrontations with Russia by entering in their sphere of influence and economical interests.

Which is one of the prime interests of US and EU to block IPI gas pipeline many analysts even raise finger at US that they support an insurgency in Iranian occupied Balochistan to create instability to prevent any gas pipelines to carry gas to south, and hence force Iran to sell her gas to EU countries that will weaken Russian who at present have almost monopoly on European gas markets, hence creating serious political and economical rift between two powerful neighbours Russia and Iran and at the same time bring the gas prices seriously down which benefits only EU and give severe economical blow to Russian and Iranian economies whose budget's lion share comes from energy sources.

Chinese interests in Balochistan:

All economies need energy and other raw material for growth so Chinese hunger for energy and other mineral resources is in its height, where ever they find instability and poverty they jump in there and try to grab whatever possible not caring for human right violations be it in Darfur or Balochistan they are behind minerals which are believed to be in large amounts in Balochistan.

They need Balochistan not only for her minerals wealth but want to use her coastal areas and ports for their geo-political and military needs, there for they want direct access to the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf and a friendly and easily purchase able government in Islamabad was to China's advantage. China has helped build Gwadar port in Baluchistan for her imports most importantly its shortest transit routes to western China and can, in no time, send its forces from Zinjiang in Central Asia to Gwadar. And use Gwadar port as her military base to control Major economical hub and energy routes from both mid east and central Asia and to encircle and counter India militarily.

Indian interests in Balochistan:

Obviously India has many interests as a major regional and hence forth future growing world power cannot ignore Balochistan as she is the door to the central Asia countries and apart from being major energy source is the gate way for central Asian and Iranian energy and trade corridor, India cannot ignore the Chinese factor and for sure would like to see an independent Balochistan who is either neutral or friendly to India, apart from this India will like to use Baloch factor as a balance in her turbulence relations with Pakistan in many fronts most notable factor is J&K, the Indian would like to see Baloch factor an arguments in their future negotiated settlement on Kashmir and they will try to give Pakistan tough time ahead on this, as already many times Indian media and politicians indirectly told Pakistan we will give you J&K you give up Sindh and Balochistan though nobody can take it for seriously but every joke has half truth in it.

Saudi and GCC interests in Balochistan:

Saudis were and are the main source of Pakistan economical stability by providing cheap oil and give Pakistani the lion share in their job markets in Saudi Arabia and Saudi as the elder brother of gulf council countries encourages others to help Pakistani economy where direct and indirect help comes in worth hundreds of millions of dollars almost all Pakistan's agricultural exports sea food and animal stocks and textiles are exported to GCC which are back bone of Pakistan's economy.

On political sides the Saudi use Pakistan as their Islamic experiment laboratory in order to prevent any negative influence and ideology or impact inside her own kingdom, Saudi give hundreds of millions dollars to many madrasas to influence and control not only Pakistani Muslims minds but from their spread their Wahabism to many other parts of the world most notably in Russian Caucasian region and central Asia Chinese eastern and stop Iranian so called Islamic revolution from spreading.

Saudis and other GCC keep an open eye on Balochistan first they treat Balochistan as region which is traditionally under their sphere of influence since historical times second they fear Iran's domination of entire Balochistan if ever shaky Pakistan breaks apart, they will jump and support Baloch in order to prevent Balochistan falling under Tehran who is their uncompromising rival in the region for many reasons.

Afghan and central Asian countries:

Afghanistan occupies big part of northern Balochistan and is one of the very important neighbor of Balochistan, some rouge afghan nationalist have big claims on many parts of Balochistan's territory, and afghans and central Asian states are land locked countries their direct and easy access to Indian ocean and ports is only through Balochistan, they would prefer to see small Balochistan an independent with whom it will be easy for them to deal then blackmailing Islamabad which herself depends on china and US for piece of bread, economically it's in the interests of all regional countries support an independent Balochistan to use her ports and trade routes to reach for world markets.

Interests of Pak/Iran:

These two countries who directly and brutally occupy Balochistan will never be willing to let Balochistan go in their free will since their survival depends on Balochistan

Conclusions:

The international community can neglect the Baloch struggle to its detriment or support it and find a reasonable ally which is not committed to furthering its brand of religion or some other ideology. The Baloch want freedom as a tool to develop their resources for benefit of their people. Promote its culture and history the way it suits the Baloch people and to stop the influx of so-called Pakistanis which could leave the Baloch in minority in a couple of decades time. The international community can ill afford to neglect the aspirations of the Baloch people.

If Balochistan remain under the yoke of Pakistan it will be another nightmare for world community since Pakistan Islamists can extend to Balochistan vast lands and another Waziristan type of situation will arise and Balochistan and Baloch people will become victims of these experiments and who are already victims of direct Pakistani and Iranian military occupation and aggression, not only the whole regions economical and political stability will be in serious danger but that of whole world will come under direct threats from ever increasing talibisation and extremism and instead of trade and investment and trade the international community will have to use resources to fight these Pakistan created militants who are brain washed will die and kill in order to go heaven whose certificates they get from Pakistani mullahs while they are alive as we have seen the Iranians were distributing millions of heaven keys during their war with Iraq.

It's in the interests of all major powers and Balochistan neighbor to help Balochistan independence for a thriving region and prosperous world living in peace and economical stability

Dr Jumma Khan Marri is president of the Baloch Unity Organisation who, while living in exile in Moscow, highlights his people's struggle for self-determination through the blog www.balochunity.org.