Will go to India for help, says Baloch dissident leader Khan of Kalat | World News - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Will go to India for help, says Baloch dissident leader Khan of Kalat

Hindustan Times, London | By
Feb 23, 2017 10:12 PM IST

Leading dissident leader Khan of Kalat has said Baloch activists will approach India and Iran in their pursuit of Balochistan’s independence from Pakistan.

Baloch leaders will approach India, Iran, Afghanistan or any country in their pursuit of Balochistan’s independence from Pakistan, leading dissident leader Mir Suleiman Ahmedzai said on Thursday.

Mir Suleman Dawood Jan Ahmedzai (centre) addressing a seminar on ”The history of Balochistan revisited” at the House of Lords in London on February 23, 2017. At extreme right is Bob Blackman, MP.(HT Photo)
Mir Suleman Dawood Jan Ahmedzai (centre) addressing a seminar on ”The history of Balochistan revisited” at the House of Lords in London on February 23, 2017. At extreme right is Bob Blackman, MP.(HT Photo)

Addressing a seminar in the House of Lords attended by British MPs and others, Ahmedzai, the Khan of Kalat, came down heavily on Pakistan and called it a “cradle of terrorism” in the region.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

“We are a proud nation. We reject foreign domination by the Punjabis. Pakistan was allowed to occupy Balochistan historically. The international community, particularly the British crown, should help us regain our independence,” he said.

Mentioning various treaties since the early 19th century, Ahmedzai said Balochistan’s independence and sovereignty was reaffirmed by British representatives on several occasions. Letters to that effect were sent to his father and grandfather.

Ahmedzai, 52, has said in the past that the Khanate of Kalat, the largest princely state in the erstwhile Balochistan Agency, was acceded to Pakistan by his grandfather in March 1948 “by the barrel of the gun”.

The Khan of Kalat is considered one of the most popular Baloch dissident leaders. His writ reportedly runs across Baloch-inhabited regions of Afghanistan and Iran. Ahmedzai has lived in Britain since he left Pakistan in 2006.

According to Ahmedzai, the $46-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is considered by the Baloch as the “China Punjab Economic Corridor” as it will largely benefit the people of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous and prosperous province.

Pakistan, he said, is terrorising its own people.

Copies of several historical documents supporting the cause of independence of Balochistan were distributed at the seminar, which was followed by questions.

The MPs who attended included Bob Blackman and Nigel Huddleston, who is chair of the Democracy Forum that organised the seminar.

Baloch dissidents, many of them living in self-exile in Europe, were enthused when Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of rights violations in Balochistan last year. Ahmedzai had welcomed Modi’s remarks and said India could do a lot diplomatically to address the rights abuses.

Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real-time news alerts and a personalized news feed – it's all here, just a click away! - Login Now!

Get Latest World News along with Latest News from India at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    author-default-90x90

    Prasun Sonwalkar was Editor (UK & Europe), Hindustan Times. During more than three decades, he held senior positions on the Desk, besides reporting from India’s north-east and other states, including a decade covering politics from New Delhi. He has been reporting from UK and Europe since 1999.

SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On