CREATION OF PAKISTAN AND KALAT’S INDEPENDANCE

On August 12, 1947, the establishment of Independent Kalat was proclaimed by the Khan of Kalat, in accordance with an Agreement signed between the representatives of the British government, Kalat State and the government of Pakistan (proposed), on August 4, 1947 and announced on August 11 1947.

Immediately after this announcement, the Khan of Kalat announced the formation of a Parliament and holding of elections. The elections were held in which the ‘Kalat National Party’ took 31 seats out of 52, in the Lower House. After establishment of Pakistan on August 14, l947 the Government of Pakistan, in contravention of the agreement dated 11.8.1947 pressurized the Khan to announce merger with Pakistan. The Khan referred the matter to the Parliament for decision. Both the Upper and Lower Houses rejected the merger in their meetings held on December 14, 1947 and January 4, 1948 respectively. The Khan, under pressure from the Pakistani government again referred the issue to the Parliament but the lower House again’ rejected the idea in its meeting held on February 25, 1948. The Upper House also did not accept the idea in its meeting held on February 27, 1948 and sought a period of 3 months to consider the matter in more detail. However, the government of Pakistan did not wait and the Ministry foreign and State Affairs, on March 17, 1948, approved the law regarding unlawful annexation of States’ of Kharan, Makran and Lasbella in to Pakistan although these had been integral parts of Ka1at. The Khan, after receiving repeated warnings from the government of Pakistan, with threats to take military action, signed, on March 27, 1948, the unconditional annexation of Kalat State with Pakistan. This was in clear violation of the constitution of Kalat and the decisions of its Parliament this was also a consent obtained under coercion.

Just after the annexation, the ‘Kalat National Party’ was banned and its leaders arrested. As a result, the younger brother of the Khan, Mir Abdul Karim, revolted and took to the mountains. Thus, the first phase of suppression by Pakistani government on the people of Balochistan had started.

During this period the students, in full solidarity with the people and the ‘Kalat National Party’ agitated against the banning of the party and the arrest of the nationalist leaders. As a-consequence, many student leaders were also arrested and tortured in various jails.

The second phase of military operation came in 1958, when the Pakistan Army attacked the tiny city of Kalat, killing hundreds of innocent people and destroying their properties. Almost all the prominent leaders were arrested and put in various Jails under the charge of ‘Rebellion’. Mir Noroze Khan, a 90 years old nationalist tribal chief, was tortured in jai1, till his death. His seven companions were hanged by the military. This period of suppression continued till 1969. During all this period of Field Marshal Ayub Khan’s inhuman treatment of people of Balochistan, the student movement gained momentum and became an integral part of the Baloch National Movement. The Baloch students were struggling under Ba1och Warna Waninda Gul’ which was basically a student body but never the less took more part in the political field, due to specific conditions prevailing in Balochistan. In the students’ field, the Organization struggled for the formation of a University in Balochistan and other educational institutions in the political field. It struggled, side-by-side ‘with political organizations, especially the National Awami Party (NAP), for eliminating the notorious ‘One Unit’ and for the achievement of the national rights of the people of Balochistan. In 1967, the ‘Warna Waninda Gal’ was re-organized and renamed as ‘Baloch Students Organization’. The BSO took active part in national politics and fought against the military Rule, along with other progressive parties. As a result of this struggle, the general elections were held in 1970. The NAP, led by progressive nationalists and supported by the BSO, won the elections in Balochistan. The ruling clique, in order to get relief from the defeat in East Pakistan (now Bangla Desh), allowed the NAP to form provincial government in Balochistan but just after a period of nine months, the Federal government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto removed the NAP government and put all its leadership in jail. Then the third and so far, the most devastating military action began in Balochistan, from 1973 to 1977. Thousands of people, including women and children, were killed and injured. Thousands of political workers and students were jailed and tortured to death. This almost five years’ military oppression did not leave a single family unaffected by the excesses of the army.

The Bhutto regime with the full support of the Shah of Iran did its best to kill the peoples’ determination to achieve their national rights but it failed and finally in 1977, the leadership of Balochistan was released and cases against them withdrawn. During this period of military operation, the BSO stood with the people in their just struggle. Its leaders and workers were jailed and tortured for years. Many student leaders were killed by the military jantha including Shaeed Shafee Baloch, Shaheed Asad Mengal, and many others. As a result of these sacrifices, the military jantha had no option but to withdraw.

Then came Zia era who although apparently, did reduce the direct military action but by adopting a ‘Divide and Rule’ policy, tried to weaken the national movement of the Baloch people. During this period, the BSO stood alongside the people and offered sacrifices. Many of its cadres offered their heads for the sacred cause, including Shaeed Fida Ahmad, Shaeed Saleem Baloch1 Shaeed Hameed Baloch, Shaeed Aslam Baloch, and many others. Among them, Shaeed Hameed Baloch was hanged during 1981 on account of his protest against recruitment of Baloch youths in the Oman Army, to fight- against the Dhofari freedom fighters. Shaeed Fida Ahmad Baloch was killed in May 2, 1988 through a combined operation by the Intelligence agencies, Administration and the- anti-BSO fundamentalists who had opted to become agent of the ruling clique in order to destablize and weaken ‘the BSO which had become the strongest and most trusted organization in Balochistan.

Soon after Zia’s death, general elections were held in which the students participated by helping the progressive nationalist and anti-imperialist forces. As a result, the Balochistan National Alliance (BNA) emerged as the most prominent party in the Provincial Assembly. The ruling clique, however, once again deprived the people of Balochistan to have their own government and through a special Governor’s decree the Provincial Assembly was unlawfully dissolved, just-after 25 days of its formation.