“If the state behaves like a thug, people will retreat to the mountains.” — Dr. Mohammad Taqi at the 7th Balochistan Conference
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Renowned columnist Dr. Mohammad Taqi, addressing the 7th Balochistan International Conference, said that “the 1948 annexation of Balochistan into Pakistan was contentious and coercive, marked by unfulfilled promises of autonomy.”
Speaking at the event organised by the Baloch National Movement (BNM) in Geneva, he discussed human rights violations and political deprivation in Balochistan:
This vast region, home to a proud people with a rich history and culture, has for decades been marred by conflict, marginalisation, and suffering. As we stand here in September 2025, the situation demands urgent reflection and action. Over 5,000 people have been forcibly disappeared, hundreds remain political prisoners, scores have been killed in a guerrilla war, and tens of thousands displaced by military operations.”
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He said that both Iran and Pakistan control Balochistan’s immense resources — minerals, gas, deep-sea ports — without ever respecting the will and aspirations of its people. “The 1948 annexation of Balochistan into Pakistan was contentious and coercive, marked by unfulfilled promises of autonomy. In the 78 years since, nothing has changed. Multiple armed uprisings—in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and again in the 2000s—have been driven by political exclusion, economic exploitation, and cultural suppression. At the same time, a peaceful Baloch political struggle has persisted since 1947. A responsible state would have engaged these legitimate political interlocutors to resolve this festering issue. Instead, Islamabad and Rawalpindi have consistently imposed handpicked rulers, disenfranchising and alienating the people.”
“We are political people gathered here, seeking political solutions. Yet in Pakistan’s sham democracy, the major political parties—dominated by Punjab and its elite—have abdicated responsibility, leaving the military to crush dissent not only in Balochistan, but also in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Karachi. The army treats every problem as a nail to be hit with its hammer. This is not governance—it is repression.”
He added that today Pakistan is effectively running under martial law. “The so-called hybrid regime is merely a fig leaf. The army controls the executive, parliament, and judiciary, often through WhatsApp orders from colonels and brigadiers. Draconian laws are passed in provincial assemblies with little debate, legitimising enforced disappearances while the media looks the other way.”
Dr. Taqi said this dysfunctional system cannot last forever; it will collapse under its own weight. “The question is not if, but when. Smaller nations within Pakistan must prepare for this inevitability. We must coordinate among Sindhi, Baloch, Pashtun, Seraiki, Kashmiri, and Muhajir leaderships to formulate a common minimum agenda.”
He emphasised:
“We believe in the constitution—our elders helped draft it. Yet the Pakistan Army has consistently undermined it, particularly the 18th Amendment, which grants rights to smaller federating units. Army chiefs have openly called it ‘poisonous.’ This disregard for constitutionalism reveals who truly refuses to accept Pakistan’s federation.”
The columnist further stated that today the military is drunk on power, threatening not only its own people but also its neighbours. “They speak as though Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh are their personal property, while dismissing the rightful claims of those who have lived on these lands for millennia. Such arrogance breeds only further alienation and resistance.”
“If the state behaves like a thug, people will retreat to the mountains. Some of us are trying to mediate between armed resistance and constitutional struggle, but the regime makes this harder by deepening repression.”
In conclusion, Dr. Mohammad Taqi appealed for unity among all oppressed nations of Pakistan:
We may have differences, but we can surely agree on a few basic principles of justice, dignity, and freedom. This is a critical juncture in our shared history. The land is ours—it has always been ours—and no one will take it away.”
Dr. Mohammad Taqi ( @mazdaki ) Journalist & Author at the Balochistan Conference: “Pakistan’s sham democracy and military repression have silenced #Baloch voices for decades.”
Good afternoon, good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
