Daily Times

The Counterpunch article A Call to Resistance: The Khan of Kalat Gathers the Tribes by Annie Nocenti has interesting details of how the grandson of the Khan of Kalat, Mir Suleman Daud is operating from Pakistan and the UK. The known field rebels are the Marris, Bugtis and Mengals. The brain, raiser of funds and the one maneouvring it all is Mir Suleman Daud. This is how he is introduced by the writer:”The Khan of Kalat, Mir Suleiman Daud, is speeding. He’s a fast driver, but so expert a wheelman there’s no fear in the wide black Hummer. ‘Who drives American cars?’ he says, mocking himself. ‘But when I saw this one, I knew it was my toy.’ Handsome and charismatic, Khan Suleiman enjoys hiding his eyes behind Gucci shades, and prefers a ball cap to a turban.”

Nocenti spent some days with the grandson of the Khan of Kalat and toured around the UK with him. Her description of a part of the journey: “Add in the traditional long baggy shirts and baggy pants of the region, what sounds like Pakistani hip-hop blasting, the carload of his men packing pistols and Kalashnikovs that rides behind us, and it feels like quite the posse.”

Khan Suleman had been longing to regain the dream of being the real Khan once again. So Mir Suleman was looking for an opportunity. He had not been able to collect the sardars and motivate them sufficiently. Bugti’s death provided him with that opportunity. He called a jirga of sardars. Khan Suleman’s historic jirga was attended by 1,500 people, including 85 sardars and 300 tribal elders. Suleman builds upon this nucleus and proceeds with seeking support from all those countries and groups who are served by a weak Pakistan. He highlighted the human rights violations and underdevelopment of Balochistan and built up an international lobby from his UK abode. As a result, Mr Dana Rohrabacher chose to champion their cause in the US Congress. Suleman’s next move is likely to be in the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Congressman Dana Rohrabacher’s recent article published in The Washington Post (April 7, 2012, “Why I Support Balochistan”) clearly indicated his perception. One hopes that an experienced politician like him would have a balanced understanding. His view is coloured by his perception of Pakistan as almost a rogue state. He talks of Osama and 9/11. I would not want to defend all the policies of the Pakistan government; indeed they are faulty, but not the way Rohrabacher perceives them.

The government of Pakistan definitely needs to do more for the Baloch people. The Balochistan package is a good step. But as per reports, the government has failed to create a trickledown effect to the grassroots level, as the common Baloch youth have not yet received benefits from these efforts, and the negative impression created by local ethnic parties, militant and separatist rebel groups, has not been dispelled.

The Balochistan package recognises some of the main issues and if speedily and effectively implemented, it is likely to improve the situation, irrespective of the negative comments of the so-called ‘nationalists’ who have rejected it.

Mir Suleman Daud Khan said the government failed to take all stakeholders on board and did not consult those it did not like. “Baloch nationalist parties were not consulted and only allies of the current government were informed,” Hyrbyar Marri, the London-based leader of the resistance, remains staunchly opposed to any compromise with the government. He calls the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan package a “mockery and a cruel joke” with the people of Balochistan and says it falls short of Baloch expectations.

Whatever the tribal leaders may say, the package is potentially good and may remove the feeling of deprivation in Balochistan to some extent. Its effect may make the Baloch people feel that the government and the country cares for them as Pakistanis and thus diffuse the sentiment of deprivation and oppression. There is no shortage of countries who would like to add oil to the fire, and get their way with a destabilised and weakened Pakistan. The package needs faster implementation, and support of diplomatic and political moves. With determined efforts, success is likely.

(To be continued)

The writer is a culture and media management specialist, a researcher, director and author. He is also a Vice-President and Punjab General Secretary of the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML)