Balochistan: Re-visiting the history

A lot is being said about the early history of the Baloch people. However, through academic research, especially from the work of the famous poet Firdousi, it has been revealed that there has been a war between Alexander the Great and the valiant Balochs in 4th Century B.C once the former was on his way to Babylon via Balochistan. History also proves Baloch’s fight against Astyages from 585 B.C to 550 B.C. In the subsequent history, in 12th Century, Mir Jalal Khan is considered to be the first leader, who was able to unite 44 Baloch tribes into a central Baloch authority. Later on a Baloch Confederacy was formed in 15th century under Mir Ckakar khan Rind. However, the Khanate of the current Balochistan was founded with its headquarters at Kallat in 17th century. The centrality of Balochistan was broken in 1871, once through the “The Goldsmid Line”, Balochistan was divided into British India and Iran. The process of division continued till 1905, during which the current Siestan-o-Balochistan (Siestan and West Makran) was given to Iran and Farah and Nimruz, were given to Afghanistan in 1895. Later on after the British annexation of the current Balochistan, Jacobabad was put under Sindh and D.G. Khan under the Punjab. After the formal annexation, the Kahante of Kallat was given the status of ‘Proctorate of Kallat’ and included as an integral part of British India. An agreement was signed between the British Indian Government and Khanate of Kallat in late 19th/early 20th century, mainly for the safeguard against the Tsarist Russian invasion into the Balochistan, a subsequent threat to British rule in India. From the history it is revealed that Baloch tribes had a loose, localized structure of power with the prime powers delegated to the local ‘Sardar’. The pre-dominant life style of Balochs, have been as the semi-Nomadic and agricultural oriented. Owing to the geo-graphical proximity, approximately 200 years ago, a huge population of the province had migrated to Oman, who currently has 35% population of Baloch origin. The Pakistan Movement was not regional and territorial; it was indeed national and total. Like other provinces and autonomous areas, the people of Balochistan did not lag behind in the struggle for freedom and the movement for achieving Pakistan. In reality, people of Balochistan spear-headed the movement for a separate Muslim State. But owing to lack of communication network, political awareness and scattered population of the province, the freedom movement was mainly restricted to Quetta and surrounding areas only. During the struggle for independence, instances have been where in collaboration with India and Afghanistan, while former Soviet Union at the back, the Khan of Kalat was treading the risky path of independence of Balochistan or at least of Kalat state. The Congress camp assisted by Kallat National Party wanted Balochistan’s accession to India. But the popular sentiment prevailed and all those members of Shahi Jirgah present on the day of referendum i.e. 29 June 1947, voted unanimously, without debate in the favour of Pakistan. In order to convince the Khan of Kallat for accession of the state with Pakistan, the founding father, Quaid-i-Azam mohammad Ali Jinnah paid a personal visit to the province. It is worth mentioning that the Khan of Kallat, provided an intimate support to Quaid during the 1946 elections and was convinced for the accession of Balochistan with Pakistan. However, he was constantly being persuaded not to join Pakistan by some of his advisors and colleagues, including his brother, Karim Khan who was close to Indian National Congress, Afghan Kingdom under Zahir Shah and Communist Russia. Under their vested interests, these states heavily invested on these betrayed people. And once again the history is being repeated with same actors plus some additional ones who are now conspiring through a handful of sardars against the sovereignty of Pakistan. Balochistan’s formal accession with Pakistan took place on April 1, 1948, indeed through the consensus of the majority and without the military action, as the limited Army, Pakistan had at that time was busy combating the Indian invasion in Kashmir, which stays documented as an historical fact. It is absolutely wrong and baseless perception spread by some Indian backed sub-nationalists that Balochistan was annexed to Pakistan through military invasion in Kallat and adjoining areas. They indeed wanted to wash their blood clots of invading into Kashmir and Hyderabad States. As far as the nationalism in the people of the province is concerned, it rooted through history and considered as a positive symbol, which means that people of the Province have strength and are live to the happenings and even ready to response. Through nationalism, the brave Balochis revolted against the British Colonial power in late 1920s and early 1930s. Through their struggle they forced the British Indian Government to concentrate towards their sufferings, which they were facing because of their pro-Muslim character. These voices and nationalistic moves ultimately compelled the great Quaid, to include the demand of rights for Balochistan and providing state services in Balochistan in his 14-point agenda of demands presented in 1929 to British Government and Indian National Congress. Through same nationalistic sentiments they love their homeland Pakistan. In 1954, the people of the province expressed their annoyance against the declaration of “One Unit” to whole of the West Pakistan. Indeed the Khan of Kallat desired to have the separate status of the province as promised by Federal Government in 1948. Demand of this movement was re-establishment of Balochistan as a province, and providing the provincial rights under treaty of accession of 1948. The military operation and arrest of the Khan of Kallat, and some other Baloch leaders like Nouroz Khan, in 1958/59 was a great mistake. Again killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti in 2005 was the reverberation of the mistake, which provided excuse to be exploited by the old players making use of the Baloch soil. The people of Balochistan have a splendid history of self respect and maintaining their veracity. They have the honour to fight with the Alexander the Great without accepting a defeat. Today they have the will to trounce the conspiracies being hatched from across the borders to disintegrate them. The province being part of Pakistan since last sixty years is as real as Pakistan itself is a reality. The people of the province love this God given country as much as the people of other provinces. The few self-centred sardars playing in the hands of foreign intelligence agencies must realize that, they cannot enforce their will on these valiant sons of soil any more. So far the people of the Province have been kept deprived of their rights by this handful minority, who remained a great hindrance in the way of development in the Province by swindling away the developmental funds for their personal use. These anti-state elements must understand that, Pakistan is a reality with 170 million population, 7th largest Armed Forces and above all a nuclear power that no country would dare to attack like East Pakistan in 1971. It is for their betterment to submit themselves and let the Government know about the conspiracies of the forces operating from elsewhere to harm Pakistan.

Dr. Raja Muhammad Khan
Email: drmk_edu@yahoo.com