Some comments here are of interest:

A response to Ejaz Haider: Blatant lies and partial facts on Balochistan – by Shaista Aazar

http://criticalppp.com/archives/28471

Pashtun-Baloch Relations in Balochistan

By Guest Blogger • Dec 1st, 2009 •

Balochistan is the only province of Pakistan that shares boundaries with the two most strategically important countries of the world: Afghanistan and Iran. At the same time, besides Punjab, it is also the only province that has direct inland connection with all of the provinces of Pakistan. Therefore, the status of Balochistan as a prime strategic location is axiomatic. Representing the five percent of total population, Balochistan constitutes the 42 percent of total area of Pakistan.

Furthermore, it is also the only federating unit where two significant ethnicities, the Baloch and the Pashtuns, reside in almost equal proportions. This article aims at highlighting the critical dimensions of relations between both communities.

Though, at the moment both communities are at relative peace, there can be no speculations about peace in future. Each group has a history of wars and feuds, and there exists a visible crack in the socio-economic outlooks of both societies. Before delineating Pashtun-Baloch relations, it will be pertinent to have a glimpse of the comparative view of their social build-up.

The Baloch is a loosely interconnected ethnic group, majority of which is residing in Balochistan. It is divided into two major sub-groups; Sulaimani and Makrani. Contrary to this, the Pashtuns are more interconnected and divided into hundreds of larger sub-groups. The majority of Pushtun resides in NWFP. They are proud of their rich cultural identity. Except few tribes, Pashtuns speak Pashto. However, from lingual perspective, the Balochs are divided into several lingual groups in Pakistan: Seraiki speaking Baloch, Sindhi Speaking Baloch, Balochi Speaking Baloch, Makrani Speaking Baloch and etc.

In Balochistan, the Pashtuns are more educated and developed than the Baloch people. Overall, both populations have different socio-economic outlooks. Though, the Pashtuns have not asserted their presence on the landscape of Balochistan so far, however, the chances of their likely dominance are understandable to anyone interested in the affairs of the province.

Up till now, the Pashtuns have proved to be tolerant towards other ethnicities in Balochistan. They have never resented for Baloch-dominated governance of the province. At the moment, the highest officials of the province, the Governor and the Chief Ministers, belong to the Baloch tribes. Interestingly, since the creation of the office of chief minister in Balochistan, only one Pashtun held the office only for one year. Currently, out of thirty eight ministries, thirteen are held by the Pashtuns. And these do not include key portfolios. Despite being comparatively ignored in political terms, the Pashtun people are happy and want to live in peace.

Contrary to this, certain Baloch militant groups have manifested violent resentment to the Pashtun people. Time and again, the Baloch student federations have created mess at campuses particularly for demanding fixation of quota for the Pashtun students in all public sector universities and medical colleges in the province. Responding to this, the Pashtun student federations have stressed for open merit. On the issue of education, two decades ago, the relation between both ethnic groups saw a period of extreme stiffness when an agriculture university was shifted from Kalat to the Pashtun dominated Pishin.

Decision was taken in the view of suitability of land for agriculture experiments and research. However, the move was withdrawn later. Even today, Pashtun belt has not a single public sector university to name despite the fact that the Pashtun students constitute the majority of university students in the province. Similarly, in business sector, the Pashtuns are restricted to conduct their activities in the areas where it is not possible for the Baloch people to bar them whereas the Baloch businessmen can carry on their businesses freely in Pashtun areas. Karachi-Quetta highway is the only road that passes through the Baloch areas and on which the Pashtun transporters can move. However, visiting Yousaf Goth bus stand in Karachi, one finds that not even a single Pashtun transport company exists to provide travel facilities from Karachi to Gawador. Likewise, whenever ships are unloaded at Gawador Port, one can feel the absence of Pashtun transport companies trucking goods across country.

During last month, education minister of Balochistan was assassinated by a certain Baloch militant group. Though, the event went unnoticed, however the Pashtuns gravely felt the brutal disappearance of their leader at the hands of the Baloch militant group. Inaction aside, there exist a thinking among the Pashtuns of being targeted by the Balochs far unjust reasons. While the names of Pashtun parties suggest that they only breathe for Pashtuns on this planet,
however, their leadership has been silent so far and has compromised the freedom and equality of Pashtuns.

In certain aspects the Pashtun tolerance towards the Baloch response is a positive sign. However, the perennial compromise of the interests of Pashtun community may evolve into a volcano of rage and rack the already messy province. Therefore, the leadership of both communities should gauge the underpinnings of contemporary relations between the Pashtuns and the Balochs and should establish durable basis for lasting peace and harmony between them. Whoever supports anti-Pashtun attitude must bear in mind that the word Balochistan does not mean that Pashtuns deserve a secondary status in the province.

By Akbar Mayo & Havena Aslam

The Writers are students of LLM at University of the Punjab

http://www.pakspectator.com/pashtun-baloch-relations-in-balochistan/

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Balochistan or Baloch-Pashtun Province

Balochistan, along with the Khyber Pakthunkwa are the victims of an imaginary line, called Durand Line, which was described by Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president as the “line of Evil”. In deed that line signifies both the British and Pakistani imperialism that have subjugated the Baloch and the Pashtuns.
In 1893, the Afghan and British governments agreed to demark a 2,450-kilometer (1,519 miles) long border dividing British India and Afghanistan. The signatory of the document, known as The Durand Line Agreement, were Amir Abdur Rahman Khan, ruler of Afghanistan, and Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, the foreign secretary of the British Indian government. After a series of battles and false treaties signed by the British, ‘The Durand Line Agreement’ of 1893 divides boundaries between three sovereign countries, namely Afghanistan, Balochistan and British India. According to that agreement Britain had taken a lease of the area in N.W.F.P and Balochistan, without the knowledge of Balochistan. Sir Durand gave verbal assurance to Afghanistan that the lease will last until 1993, but in the written agreement there is no mention of it. Otherwise just like Hong Kong, N.W.F.P would have gone back to Afghanistan in 1993.
The Durand Line Agreement should be a trilateral agreement and it legally required the participation and signatures of all three countries. However, the clever British drawn the agreement bilaterally between Afghanistan and British India only, and it intentionally excluded Balochistan. Thus, Balochistan has never accepted the validity of the Durand Line. The British, under false pretenses, assured the Afghan rulers that Balochistan was part of British India, and therefore, they were not required to have the consent of anyone from Balochistan to agree on demarking borders. Meanwhile, the British kept the Baloch rulers in the dark about the Durand Line Agreement to avoid any complications. According to International Law, all affected parties are required to agree to any changes in demarking their common borders. Hence, under the rules of demarking boundaries of the International Law, the Agreement of Durand Line was in error, and thus, it was null and void as soon as it was signed.
Also, International Law states that boundary changes must be made among all concerned parties; and a unilateral declaration by one party has no effect. However, the British government disregarding the objection of Afghanistan gave away the N.W.F.P to Pakistan after a fraud plebiscite. However, it never gave Baluchistan to Pakistan in the same way the British never gave away Jammu & Kashmir to India.

The Implications of Durand Line in Balochistan:
The Durand line not only divided the Baloch and Afghan Countries but also creating confusions and differences between the people living in the Pakistan occupied Balochistan. Due to this Imaginary boundary which was never accepted by Baloch nation is today creating rifts among the Baloch and Pashtuns/Afghans.
Baloch Nation is fighting a war of independence against Pakistani occupation, and Baloch should expect support of their Pashtun brothers who are for generation living side by side with the Baloch and millions of Afghans refugees were supported and accommodated in Balochistan after the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. The same Afghan Refugees illegally through bribery and support of Pakistani Authorities got the nationality of Pakistan and are now siding against Baloch Nation.
In past few years one can observe the negative role Pashtuns of Balochistan against Baloch movement.

Pashtun don’t let any chance of defaming Baloch Cause go unturned, just for instance we never find the Pashtuns protesting the massacre of Baloch political activists or Baloch women and children, but if in reaction to the murder of Baloch a Punjabi settler is killed, the Pashtun start a planned campaign to condemn the killing of a Punjabi, similarly the afghans are using the name of BLA to threat the Punjabi settlers in Balochistan in order to buy their property at a cheaper price. In this way not only the afghan are buying property in Quetta but also defaming Baloch nation for being barbarian and violent against civilians.
Similarly we see the Pashtun leaders calling Balochistan as Baloch Pashtun province and showing their hatred towards Baloch nation by not even tolerating the name Balochistan, in the same way wherever the word Balochistan is used in a institute or something these racist Pashtuns try to ignore it or use any other word instead, just for example University of Balochistan is referred as Quetta University, whereas the official name of the institute is University of Balochistan.
Mehmood Khan Achakzai in his interview claimed the right of Pashtuns over Quetta, Sibi and Bolan, ignoring the historical background and demographic realities. This is deliberate attempt to blackmail Baloch leadership at a time when Baloch are at war with Pakistan’s mighty army and intelligence agencies. Sibi was the capital of Mir Chakar Rind and winter capital of Kalat State, with majority population of Baloch.
Pakistan occupied Balochistan is comprised of 30 district out of which only districts are Pashtun populated whereas 21 belong to Baloch, and still the Pashtuns claim to be in majority of the population of Balochistan.
Each year on 14th of August Balochistan observe the day as Black day, even the Punjabi settlers do not raise Pakistani flags in Balochistan, but the Pashtuns intentionally challenge Baloch and raise Pakistani flags on their homes. Moreover recent statements and the planned attack on Baloch Students in University of Balochistan and Agriculture Collage, shows the real intentions of Pashtuns.
Pashtuns of Balochistan are playing in the hands of Punjabis for protecting their interests and have their shares of the resources of Balochs.
It’s the time for Balochs to realize the evil faces of Pashtuns and that they are not the well-wishers of Balochs, but taking advantage of the situation and exploiting the rights of Baloch people.

http://balochistanwatch.blogspot.com/2010/06/balochistan-or-baloch-pashtun-province.html

unity is strength and area matters to become strong and powerful federation.But trust should be restored among different units and good living standard for economically weak areas should be addressed by the federation.All strong people get their own benefits on the basis of poor people and have same motives all over the length and breadth of Pakistan.The nawabs,chaudharys,khans,wadeeras all are exploiting the common people for their benefits and greed.In the same way British did,the doctrine behind the whole scenario is alike.The Statusquo will remain the same after bloodshed and false racist/ethnic slogans.The exploitation of poor and common man will become worst due to them.The people in the region are innocent and will remain innocent.The division on ethnic basis is for the personal gains of strong people and history have proven that time and again.
The Prophet Muhammad PBUH had changed the status quo by addressing that all human being are equal and that was the reason of success at that time.Even Americans and Britians had given equal right to all people in their countries after history of cruelity with black,red indians,africans,indians etc,they have flourished after that in leaps and bounds.
We muslims are still proudly tell others that we are from the tribes who were given title of nawab,chaudhary,khan and sir 100 years ago by british empire slavery.This is not the past we feel proud off if not feel ashamed.
The desperate people can easily be victim of influential people on ethnicity basis.The racist attitude towards eachother in one country shows divisions were infiltrated purposefully for few personal gains.The fate of people can never be changed if the whole cultural system inherited by us remain the same.This will end up in even smaller fragments of land more than hundred or so in future as strong families empirates.
The menace of racism and lack of political will, decision making are the root causes.The planning should be wise and on the futuristic approach of welfare and equality without having any greed can solve problems within next 30 years time.We have lost 60 years and 30 years in good direction may revamp the bitter past which was based upon ethinicity/ greed/military or political.
All nations go through bad phases and by adopting approach after reviewing history the answers are available easily.True leadership who is acceptable to all due to his character and vision can solve all problems.The leadership based upon ethinicity,sects,fmailies can only misguide this nation to further destruction.
The time will come one day when all people of this nation start respecting eachother under one man who will not write with his name any caste,race and tribe.
InshaAllah the almighty shall help us to rise and feed our people with all needs.