Sher Mohammad Bugti, the central spokesperson of Baloch Republican Party and a close aide of BRP president Nawab Brahumdagh Bugti, has horrific memories of his brother Shah Mohammad Bugti and eldest son Haq Nawaz Bugti being tortured and killed in secret operations launched by the Pakistan army in Baluchistan. Shah Mohammad Bugti was the president of BRP in Dera Bugti district when he was abducted on December 5, 2010 by alleged Pakistani secret agencies and paramilitary forces, and after two days his bullet-riddled and torture-marked body was found. Sher Mohammad's eldest son Haq Nawaz Bugti was also allegedly killed by the Pakistan Army in Noshki in Balochistan.
Struggling against complete media censorship by Pakistan's ISI, Sher Mohammad has taken the issue of human rights violations in Balochistan to various international forums, including the United Nations' Human Rights Council.
In an exclusive interview to THE WEEK, Sher Mohammed Bugti, in exile in Switzerland, says Pakistan is playing dubious role in war against terrorism. Excerpts from an exclusive interview:
Why do you think the Baloch Movement has not got visibility in the international media as other movements?
There are so many factors in play as far as coverage by international media and action by the world community for a movement like the Baloch struggle is considered. All countries raise their voices and become proactive in supporting or denying such struggles based on their own interests. Unlike the other such movements where more than one country has stakes and interests and therefore they internationalise the issue to benefit from the situation, the Baloch nation is fairly a case between the oppressor Pakistani state and the oppressed Baloch people. Besides, Pakistan has been playing dubious role in war against terrorism where it has been supporting and exporting terrorism on one hand and pretending to be an ally of the western world on the other hand. This has helped Pakistan to keep the struggle in Balochistan away from world eyes. Despite all this, the struggle and sacrifices of the Baloch people have gained international attention recently and more people are talking about and supporting the Baloch nation than anytime in the past.
Can Balochistan afford to sustain itself as an independent nation?
The nations do not base their struggle for their self-determination and rights on likelihoods of getting the objective and sustaining their rights. Baloch as a nation has all the rights that any nation in the world has, and it should be given those rights. As far as achieving those objectives and sustaining them is considered, nations have faced more difficult situations than being in a "conflict zone" neighborhood regionally. Nations continue to fight for their national identity and its protection in spite of all the challenges.
What is the state of media freedom in Pakistan?
The state of media freedom is at its worst in Pakistan today than ever. It was limited to Balochistan before where journalists were abducted, tortured and killed for reporting the cases of human rights abuses by the Pakistani military there, but it has been expanded to entire Pakistan. Any journalist, newspaper or news channel that does not toe the line of Pakistan Army's media wing, the ISPR, is silenced by all means possible. There is a complete media censorship to even question, let alone criticize, the policies of the Pakistani military which controls all the matters of the country from behind the scenes.
Have you taken up the human rights violations of Baloch people with the UNHCR?
We have been highlighting the issue of human rights violations in Balochistan on all forums internationally, including the United Nations' Human Rights Council. We have presented in detail the cases of gross HR violations, including military operations on civilians, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings by the Pakistan Army in Balochistan on these forums.
How do you see the political and economic future of Pakistan in context of the present crisis?
With the current state of affairs concerning Pakistan, I do not see the future of Pakistan being any better. Religious and ethnic minorities in Pakistan are facing worst abuses, media is under complete control of the army as a result of censorship. Political and democratic voices of the country are being targeted and put behind bars or silenced based on false charges. Judiciary is blackmailed to the extent that it has become a tool at the hands of the Army against the democratic voices. Internationally, the country is completely isolated with no friends. Financial crises are so big that the country has virtually handed over the controls of state affairs to the IMF. The FATF is considering to move Pakistan from grey list to black list as a result of the country's policy of supporting and exporting terrorism to the entire world. I don't think any country can survive for long in such circumstances.
