Speech By: Balach Marri
in a conference organized by World Sindhi Congress (WSC) on 21.9.02.

<sup>Mr. Chairman,
Honorable Guests, Ladies and Gentleman.

We have gathered here to mourn the plight of the oppressed Nations in Pakistan. I will try to be as brief as I can so as to save the time for other speakers who will follow here after.
We have a long history of repression and oppression.  Since the inception of Pakistan, Sindh and Balochistan had repeatedly been bullied, butchered, exploited and maltreated by Punjabi elite.

May I remind you here that it took Pakistan a good 9 years to frame its first constitution in 1956. This delay was at the behest of Punjabi elite who wanted to avoid the 8% majority share of East Pakistan as per their population and bringing it at par with the West Pakistan (present Pakistan). Thus forcing East Pakistan to accept the formula of parity in all walks of life.
As in the West Pakistan there were four Provinces (Sindh, Balochistan, North West Frontier, and Punjab) they merged all these four provinces into one province and named it West Pakistan.
Killing two birds with one stone;
1. Depriving East Pakistan of its majority.
2. By merging remaining provinces in One-Unit and leave them at the mercy of Punjab who was in majority against all other provinces put together.

At the same time Sindh and Balochistan had 0% representation in the civil and military bureaucracy (who were the actual rulers from day, even to this day when I am speaking to you).
Since the creation of Pakistani the army (mainly composed of people from Punjab) ruled Pakistan, either directly or through their nominees.
Ladies and Gentlemen: you can very well imagine how much of human rights a common person from Sindh and Balochistan could have had during last 54 years, when they have 0% representation in this army (the only ruling elite).</sup>

^{Torture, butchery and violation of human rights in Sindh and Balochistan been but the order of the day and continue even to this very day. Now that the world has entered into new millennium, we are living under the heavy boots of Punjabi Army. Strange enough that the developed world always takes shelter behind their ignorance. It takes no time for the developed world to name the culprits of 11th September and pin point even their whereabouts, but good 50 years seems to be too short a time to notice the miseries inflicted on the people of Sindh and Balochistan by those who were literally being nourished and feed by the West. I do not say here that the developed world had a hand in the crimes committed against the people of Sindh and Balochistan but they definitely turned a blind eye to the day to day in human acts committed by the Punjabi elite.  Therefore deliberate ignorance on the part of the Western Powers bears a big question mark for the history to absolve them.}

^{Ladies and Gentlemen: you might wonder why did Punjabi elite had to commit all these inhuman acts to the people of the country, which they claim to be a part of their own.}

^{The fact is that people of different culture, language, history and even in case of Balochistan geographical situation were forced into a situation where they had to live together. Right from day one Punjabi elite had decided come what may to exploit the recourses of other nations. And when they realized that their designs would come to an end after 1970 election they had to get rid of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) so that they could retain Sindh and Balochistan as their colony.}

^{Through the passage of time the resentment in Sindh and Balochistan against Punjabi designs kept on growing more and more. Sindhi’s could see their recourses, which were more then 65% of the initial state budget of remaining Pakistan which went to the federal government run by Punjab spent by Punjab for Punjab. Sindh’s precious agriculture lands were lavishly distributed to the army personals, as a reward for their will be conquest of Kashmir. All revenues generated from mineral, Oil, Gas, Customs, Fisheries etc went into the federal exchequer, leaving the wealthiest province of Pakistan as pauper.}

^{Same is the case in Balochistan the gas was struck in Balochistan in early 50’s and it’s revenue robbed by Federal Government.  It is supplied to the remotest part of Punjab for domestic and commercial use.  Not a single village in Balochistan has been supplied the gas. Quetta the capital of Balochistan was supplied the gas only in 1985 when Quetta cantonment was upgraded into a Corp. Head Quarter.}

^{Apprehending more resentment from Sindh and Balochistan, Punjabi elite has now decided to settle this problem once and for all.}

^{This new scheme was to be implemented by changing the demography of the Sindh and Balochistan by rehabilitating the people from outside. They have already succeeded in converting the indigenous population of Sindh to 60%. But in Balochistan because of the lack of infrastructure people from Punjab and else were could not be attracted to come and settle down in the rural areas.}

^{Now you hear lot of hue and cry about the development of Gawadar Port. Roads from all direction are being built; building modern city is under way. Oil and gas pipelines from central Asian States are targeted for Gawadar. It is here that the infrastructure for rehabilitating the people from Punjab will take place. Big industrialists from Punjab and around the world are invited to invest and create jobs for the new comers.}

^{The federal Government has already taken over the job of allotment of lands (which falls with in the preview of local and Provincial Government). If things are to go in the interest of Punjab then it is the Federal Government to be trusted and not the Provincial representatives while all the development is going on the local people of the area don’t have basic facility of drinking water or basic health care.}

^{This design and program on the part of the Federal Government is most inhuman and is gross violation of human rights.}

^{This encroachment of Punjab on Balochistan and Baloch rights cannot be stopped simply in crying before the Punjabi elite, the only way out left for the people of Sindh and Balochistan is to fight it out politically, internationally and if left with no other choice put up physical resistance for their own survival for protection of their basic human rights.}

^{Let me make one thing quite clear here that we have no interest in the brake up of Pakistan. Provided it is let to run as a Federal State. This has been proven beyond doubt that in a state where one ethnic group is in majority against all other units put together there can never be a Federal System. It will always be a unitary system whatever the name given to it. That is why, short of parity there is no other guarantee to protect the rights of the provinces with less population. Punjab never accepted East Pakistans majority and delayed the formation of constitution for 9 years only for this reason, then for what is good for the Goose should be good for that Gander as well}

^{Same situation has arisen today, if we accept the rule of majority (Punjab) we are will be doomed for good.} 

^{There for the only survival for Sindhis Balochs and Pashtoons, lie in forcing Punjab to forget about the 1973 Constitution, which has already been ripped apart by their own nominees in the Government and accept a new Constitution formed by the newly elected constituent assembly on equal representation and given all four Nations in Pakistan equal rights, and the rights to run their internal matters without the interference of the central government (Punjab). All the legislative and taxation powers should be the prerogative of provincial Governments and the provinces having the right of self-determination.}

^{We have no intention to deprive Punjab of its rights what so ever; at the same time we shouldn’t be expected to leave ourselves at the mercy of the Butcher of Bengal.}

^{I am afraid we have already been called upon by the rapid development of events in our part of the land to fulfill our duties as sons of the soil. We will see to it that we don’t budge from, it come what may.}

<sup>That is no threat to any one that is a promise.

Thank You,</sup>

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