How Pakistan Stabbed Balochistan in the Back!

Caressing the Arabian Sea to its south, bulk of Balochistan has an unforgiving terrain which has historically kept the population density to a bare minimum. With rugged mountains, low rainfall and extreme temperatures, the Baloch homeland tests the nerves of the bravest warriors. And if the geography was not tough enough, Balochistan has had the extreme misfortune of being incorporated in the state of Pakistan which treats Baloch people as second class citizens.

Balochistan is 40% of Pakistan in terms of Land Area

In the 17^th century, the Baloch people were ruled by a “Khan” and Kalat was the seat of the government. Unsurprisingly, the state was known as the “Khanate of Kalat”. It consisted of not only the current Balochistan province of Pakistan but also the Baloch dominated areas of Iran’s Sistan-Balochistan province and south-western Afghanistan. The Khanate came in contact with the British India in the early 19^th century due to the imperatives of “Great Game”. The British concluded a treaty with the Khan in 1854 which deputed “political agents” to Kalat. Later, in the later half of 19^th century, the British parcelled out Baloch lands to Iran and Afghanistan to placate their rulers and to keep them in British orbit, as against Russian one.

Despite calling the shots through political agents stationed in Kalat, Balochistan was considered as an independent state by the British. The revised treaty of 1876 in its Article 3 recognised and respected Kalat’s independence. There were over 550 “princely states” in India who were ruled by Indian princes but acknowledged British crown as the final authority under a political mechanism known as “Paramountcy”. The Khan of Kalat was not asked to join the “Chamber of Princes” in Delhi as the British recognised Kalat as a non-Indian state. The affairs with Kalat were handled by the “External Affairs Department” of British Indian government and not by the “Political Department” which handled the princely states of India. In this respect, the status of Kalat was like that of Bhutan, and Nepal – both of which exist as sovereign states to this day.

When the British were negotiating with the Indian National Congress and Muslim League on the future of subcontinent after World War II, Khan of Kalat made his position clear through two memorandums submitted to the Cabinet Mission. He insisted that the treaty obligations imposed by the British shall terminate as soon as the British transfer power to the Indians, state of Kalat will become fully sovereign and independent in respect of both external and internal affairs, and that it should not be asked to come within the framework of the proposed Indian union.

Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan, agreed that Kalat was a non-Indian state and should remain independent after British exit from the subcontinent. On August 4, 1947 – merely 10 days before British exit – in a meeting between the Khan of Kalat, Chief Minister of Kalat, Mohammad Ali Jinnah and the British Viceroy Lord Mountbatten, it was decided that Kalat shall be independent on August 05, 1947 enjoying the same status as it originally held in 1838. A standstill agreement was signed on the same day through which the Government of Pakistan recognised Kalat as an independent sovereign state.

The Khan shared a close personal relationship with Jinnah. He had been in direct touch with Jinnah since 1936 when the Khan sought advise on constitutional matters. He played host to Jinnah several times in Quetta, Mastung, and Kalat, showering his guest with generous gifts. The Khan also sent his personal bodyguard to Bombay for Jinnah’s protection after an unsuccessful attempt at his life. All of that mattered little in the end.

The British interests once again harmed Baluchistan’s. Jinnah was persuaded by the British to incorporate Kalat in Pakistan and serve as bulwark for Western interests in the subcontinent. Balochistan was ideally located for defence of wells of power i.e. oil in and around the Persian Gulf and check the rise of Soviet Union. With Iran and Afghanistan slowly slipping out of their hands, the British decided to strengthen Pakistan – talk of throwing the dog a bone!

After some back and forth with the Khan, Jinnah attacked and occupied Kalat on March 27, 1948 and ended the 227 days streak of an independent Kalat/Balochistan. Khan was forced to sign the Instrument of Accession on March 30, 1948. The signing of the instrument was illegal – not only was it done under duress, but the Khan was not even authorised to unilaterally decide on the issue. The two legislative chambers of Kalat state were authorised to decide, but they were not even consulted. Jinnah had stabbed the Khan and Balochistan in their backs! But that was not the end!

The Khan’s brother Abdul Karim Khan launched an insurgency against the Pakistan army in Jhalawan district. Several leading figures from Balochistan including Gul Khan Nasir, Muhammad Hussain Unka and several officers of the Kalat state army joined Karim Khan. He kept a little fire burning, however small, however hidden until 1950. However, in May 1950, the Khan persuaded his brother to surrender after constant threats of reprisals by the Pakistani establishment.

The Pakistani officers signed a safe conduct agreement with Abdul Karim Khan’s representatives and swore an oath on the holy Quran to uphold it. The establishment then reneged on its agreement and arrested Karim Khan along with 102 of his followers. Karim Khan would spend around 5 years in Pakistani prisons – this, despite Pakistani officers swearing on Quran not to harm the surrendering party!

These two events early in the history of Pakistan’s state formation exemplify the treacherous nature of Pakistan. Time and again, Pakistan promised one thing and did another! Baloch people remember this treachery all too well, which explains why Pakistan has not been able to turn the tide of separatism in the restive province for over seven decades. With every new burst of insurgency, the extent of affected area and participation of people have only increased!