May 17, 2011 | Additional report: Khyber Institute for Strategic Studies, 10 Years of Conflict in Afghanistan. What Next?

At a recent event held in the French National Assembly, Munir Mengal proposed that issues related to Balochistan be discussed in next "Afghanistan International Conference."

On 11th May 2011 the Institute de Relations International et Strategiques (IRIS), a French think tank, organized a full day event titled "Afghanistan, 10 ans de conflict" in the France National Assembly Victor Hugo Hall. Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the ex-foreign minister of Afghanistan and 2009 presidential candidate was the guest speaker. Other prominent speakers included S.E. Jean de Ponton d' Amécourt, former French Ambassador in Afghanistan, Gérad Chaliand, géostratégie, specialist in armed conflicts, Général Pierre Chavancy, former French Army Chief in Afghanistan, Nicholas Williams, Chief of NATO Operations, S.E. Ronald Neumann, president of the American Academy of Diplomacy and former ambassador of the United States for Afghanistan, Jean-François Copé, Secretory Général of UMP, the French ruling party, former minister Laurent Fabius, parliamentary member (Député) and member of the Commission for the National Defense and of the Armed Forces of the National Assembly, former minister Eva Joly, member of European Union and President of the Commission of the European Union Parliament for Development, as well as many other prominent figures.

Dr. Adullah Abdullah stressed in his speech that the "axis of the evil" is the triangle comprised of Al-Qaeda, the I.S.I and the Taliban, because of which the security of the regional and international community is at stake. The world has to take measures against the I.S.I. in order to ensure the security and safety of the world.

Munir Mengal thanked IRIS for organizing this great event and for giving him an opportunity to participate. He stated that Balochistan shares a border of more than twelve hundred kilometers with Afghanistan and that more than three million Balochs are living on their land inside Afghanistan which is divided by The Durand Line. Mr. Mengal said that the Baloch have resisted the occupation of Balochistan from its first days and till this day reject the fundamentalist ideology of Pakistan and continue to resist, sacrificing the lives of their loved ones. He stated that "Today all of us--the international community, regional communities and the people inside Pakistan are the victims of Pakistan. Pakistan is a killer of hundreds of thousands of the people of Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands of the people of Bangladesh, thousands of Indians and Kashmiri people, thousands of Americans and people of other nations. Similarly, and in an even more barbaric way, Pakistan has killed more than 50,000 innocent secular Baloch people. During the post 9/11 period, when the world has been engaged in the war against terrorism, Pakistani forces have killed more than ten thousand Baloch and an equal number of people have been abducted by the I.S.I and Military Intelligence. Pakistan does not represent a nation, a civilization or a group of people, but rather an ideology which, in this case, is a fake religious fundamentalism."

Mr. Mengal said that the AQ-I.S.I. nuke network, the cross border terrorism, the Haqqani-I.S.I. coalition, the Quetta Shura Council, and the use of the Military Academy as a base camp for Al-Qaeda, etc., have exposed the Pakistan and the I.S.I to the world. "Now it is time for coalition forces to restructure and redesign their plans for world peace and security." Mr. Mengal strongly urged coalition partners to go for a "B" plan, "otherwise tomorrow it will be too late." He said "It is time to create direct links with the secular masses inside Pakistan, i.e., the Baloch, Sindhi and with the Pushtun people at large. We can achieve positive results by supporting a change by the people and for the people by giving them an opportunity to exercise their right to self determination. The power of the people has the means to restructure boundaries, to revive the civilization and can also defeat and eradicate religious fundamentalism."

In closing, Mr. Mengal said, "Finally I would like to offer a suggestion to Mr. Cameron Mentor, the United States Ambassador to Pakistan. We, the people of Balochistan, highly praise his recent visit to Balochistan and propose that in the next Afghanistan International Conference, despite its being an Afghan jirga, the issue of Balochistan be taken up and discussed."