Report raises concerns about Balochistan
Pakistani military rulers use brutal means and support pro-Taliban elements to put down the secular insurgency in its Balochistan province, says a report.
In a report titled “Pakistan: The Forgotten Conflict in Balochistan,” the International Crisis Group, a think tank in Washington, says the insurgency in the strategically important and resource-rich province will subside only when free, fair and transparent elections establish a legitimate government in place of the current military dictatorship.
“The military relies on repression, killings, imprisonment, disappearances and torture to bend the Baloch to its will,” Robert Templer, director of the group’s Asia program. “That only feeds the insurgency.”
The ICG said the military, using divide-and-rule policies, supports Pashtun Islamist parties like the JUI-F, identified as a patron of the Taliban, to counter secular Baloch and moderate Pashtun forces.
“Using Balochistan as a base of operation and sanctuary and recruiting from JUI’s extensive Madrasa network, the Taliban and its Pakistani allies are undermining the state-building effort in Afghanistan,” the report said. “At the same time, U.S. and other Western support for (Pakistan President Pervez) Musharraf is alienating the Baloch, who otherwise could be natural partners in countering extremism in Pakistan.” // Copyright 2007 by United Press International
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