Daily Times

In the last two months alone, there have been three incidents in Balochistan where labourers belonging to Sindh working on various development projects were killed by unidentified assailants. These targeted killings seem to be a deliberate attempt to create fissures in friendly relations between the two ethnic groups.

In the aftermath of these killings, a clash was reported between Baloch and Sindhi students at Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, on May 20. As many as 35 students from both groups were injured in the incident.

There have been occasions in history when relations between the two groups had been unpleasant, but they have enjoyed cordial ties in the recent past. The two groups are not just located in geographic proximity but they also share political, cultural and historical traits. Since Pakistan’s independence, both groups have been victims of bad political and financial policies of respective federal governments. Therefore, Sindhis and Baloch have been carrying out unswerving struggle for achieving the irrespective political and economic rights or in protest against exploitation of their natural resources and violent measures by state institutions. Sometimes, there have been tactical differences in their struggle but the goal has always been the same.

The fact is that ethnically Sindhis and Baloch are very much intermingled over the years. Baloch are approximately 3.6 percent of Pakistan’s population — about 50 percent of them live in Balochistan and 40 percent are settled in Sindh.

Similarly, a large number of ethnic Sindhis are settled in Balochistan. Because of this, several ethnic Baloch tribes have become an integral part of the Sindhi population. These tribes own most of the agricultural land and have also established large agriculture-related businesses. Peasant cultivators on almost all land owned by Baloch and Sindhis are ethnic Baloch. Alongside, a significant number of Baloch work as labourers in factories, industries and construction companies in Sindh. Fortunately, there has not been a single incident of targeted killings of Baloch on ethnic basis in the province.

There have been four nationalist movements in Balochistan since Pakistan’s independence. All of these featured conflict with the central government over control of land and resources. The first movement took place owing to issues surrounding the 1948 annexation of Kalat state; the second insurgency occurred during General Ayub Khan’s tenure in 1962-69; third, that was on a larger scale, occurred between 1974 and 77following the dismissal of National Awami Party- and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-led elected government in the province. The fourth uprising began after Akbar Khan Bugti was killed in a security operation in August 2006. According to Abdul Khalique Junejo, chairman of the Jeay Sindh Mahaz, Sindhi people in general and Sindhi nationalists in particular have always supported the Baloch people’s struggle for rights. After Zulfikar Ali Bhutto dismissed the NAP-JUI government and launched a military operation in the province, Jeay Sindh Students Federation, under the guidance of Sain G M Syed, had observed a week of protest throughout Sindh and sent telegrams of support to the then NAP Balochistan leader Mir Ahmed Nawaz Bugti. Similarly, Sindhi people had treated the Bugti’s murder as an attack on one of their own. The whole of Sindh had erupted in protest.

Almost all nationalist parties in Sindh have condemned state agencies’ vicious and ghastly acts in Balochistan and expressed solidarity with the victims from different platforms like political rallies, seminars and conferences. In April 2009, when Baloch leaders Ghulam Muhammad Baloch, Sher Muhammad Baloch and Lala Munir Baloch were killed brutally in Turbat, leaders of Sindhi nationalist parties like Shafi Muhammad Burfat, chairman Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz; Dr Qadir Magsi, chairman Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party; and Bashir Khan Qureshi, chairman Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz had issued strong condemnations. They had announced a three-day mourning in Sindh to express solidarity with the Baloch people.

In 2009, when Ghulam Muhammad Baloch, Sher Muhammad Baloch and Lala Munir Baloch were killed brutally in Turbat, Sindhi nationalists announced a three-day mourning to express solidarity with the Baloch people

Sindhis have worked in coordination with Baloch for their respective rights on international forums as well. In August 2016, activists of UK-based Baloch and Sindhi groups had held a demonstration in front of the Chinese embassy in London against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and human rights violations in Balochistan and Sindh. The protest was jointly organised by the World Sindhi Congress, Sindhi Baloch Forum, Baloch National Movement, Baloch Republican Party, Baloch Human Rights Council-UK, Baloch Students and Youth Association, and Baloch Students’ Organisation. The protesters had said Baloch and Sindhis believed the CPEC will strengthen and lengthen their subjugation, which they could not allow this.

The foregoing makes it clear that there is no reason why the Baloch people would or should engage in violence against Sindhi workers. If they are involved in these barbaric incidents then it is their serious mistake, because they stand to lose moral, intellectual and political support of Sindhi people, as well as Sindhi nationalists, for their struggle for rights.

I am sure the recent incidents of targeted killings are a nefarious work of hidden hands. Afghanistan and India have reportedly been involved in sponsoring terrorist activities in Pakistan. Indian or Afghan intelligence agencies’ involvement in these incidents with an objective to entangle the two ethnic groups in violent clashes cannot be ruled out.

The writer is an academic, and can be reached on Twitter @ARShykh