A Pakistan Army General has shockingly revealed and admitted China’s role in “crushing” the Baloch freedom movement in Pakistan, saying Beijing has given him a six-month task to end the freedom struggle by Baloch people. As per the report of a Bangladeshi newspaper, The Daily Sun quoted the Pak General saying that China had paid him a salary and a large sum of money and officially posted him there for their regional interests. This comes as a shocking revelation as Balochistan remains Pakistan’s poorest and least populous province despite a number of development projects initiated by Islamabad there in the past.
Pakistani Major General Ayman Bilal had claimed in previous instances that the end of the Baloch movement and the success of CPEC is very important for Pakistan and China. Meanwhile, Baloch separatists, both militant and political groups, have been opposing China’s increasing involvement in the province. Looking at the disparity and dire state of Baloch province several rebel groups have waged a separatist insurgency for decades. The separatists have been complaining that the Pakistani central government and the richer Punjab province unfairly exploit their resources.
In 2005, Islamabad had reacted to the insurgency by launching a deadly military operation in the province. Last month Pakistani govt had received wide criticism and condemnation over its handling of an activist funeral from the province. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) had slammed the authorities over the handling of activist Karima Baloch’s funeral terming their attempt to foil the ceremony held for the slain activist as “disgraceful”.
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Karima Baloch was a human rights activist from Balochistan province who died under mysterious circumstances in Canada last month. Before the corpse could be transported from Karachi to Balochistan, Pakistani authorities forcefully took Karima’s body along with her family from the airport to her hometown. The funeral was carried out under the army watch.
