A good start
The US House voted to reduce aid to Pakistan, a courageous move considering Pakistan can choose how much it wants to crack down on the terrorists in its territory. The House has gone on record as saying the US should not turn a blind eye to Pakistan's dismal human rights record.
Unstated here is the fact many of these human rights abuses, and lack of support for democracy, have to do with Balochistan, which readers here will be familiar with.
An independence movement is underway there, and the US can show strong support for the Balochs by taking just this step of reducing aid to Pakistan.
The United States’ foreign aid to Pakistan has been reduced from the current fiscal year by 250 million dollars to 300 million dollars as Islamabad has failed to do enough’’ to improve democracy and human rights.
According to the appropriations bill that was passed yesterday by the House of Representatives by a 373-34 vote, the foreign military financing (FMF) funds for Pakistan for 2007 were also dropped to 200 million dollars, with a decrease of 100 million dollars from the current fiscal.
The bill specifically cited the ’’increasing lack of respect for human rights, especially women’s rights, and the lack of progress for improving democratic governance and the rule of law,’’ as chief reasons for reducing Pakistan’s funds.
Unstated here is the fact many of these human rights abuses, and lack of support for democracy, have to do with Balochistan, which readers here will be familiar with.
An independence movement is underway there, and the US can show strong support for the Balochs by taking just this step of reducing aid to Pakistan.
3 Comments:
At Mon Jun 12, 02:52:00 PM, Govt. of Balochistan said…
The Baloch people are grateful to the U.S. House of Representative for underscoring Pakistan’s dismal human rights record, and also for taking concrete steps of reducing aid to the Pakistani military regime. Regretfully, most of the U.S. aid monies were used by the Pakistanis to suppress the Baloch resistance movement for an independent democratic Balochistan rather than combat Al Qaeda and Taliban terrorists.
Now that Al Qaeda leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al Zarqawi, is killed in a U.S. military strike, it is time for the Americans to focus on flushing out Bin Laden, Al Zawahri and Mullah Omar from Pakistan where the mullah-military alliance is giving refuge to them. The pro-American Baloch militia forces are ready to join the U.S. forces to neutralize the Pakistani and Al Qaeda/Taliban joint forces, and possibly liberate occupied Balochistan from Iran and Pakistan.
Mir Azaad Khan Baloch
General Secretary
The Government of Balochistan in Exile
http://governmentofbalochistan.blogspot.com/
At Tue Jun 13, 02:20:00 AM, Anonymous said…
we are looking towards the american people to help us live in peace in our own free,democratic,liberal and independent balochistan.we are glad to learn about the decrease in FMF grant to a military regime and hope that it will ensure the implementation of human rights.
like the freedom loving people of the United States of America,we also have a passion for liberty.
we,the people of balochistan looks towards the great nation of america to be helped in achieving independence as they helped afghanistan and iraq.
the people of free world have seen the threat posed by nuclear regimes of iran and pakistan.there proliferation activities are evident and speak about the threat which the region faces due to undemocratic and fundamentalists regimes of iran and pakistan.
it hurts to see civilized government in US supporting military dictator who is bent on killing innocent balochs.we fully support american war on terror and unfortunately we are under the opression of one such state which is labeled as member of axis of evil.we demand the american people to take notice of ethnic cleansing of balochs in iran and pakistan.
we are willing to fight for the war against terror alongwith american troops and will give our blood to flush terrorists out.we are a victim of terrorism ourselve and know how much painful it is to lose dear ones.
will the american people share our pains too? will the freedom loving nation of the United States will stand silent spectator to the killings of our kith and kins?
will the aid supplied by the american people from there taxes will be spent on brutally killing balochs?
i am sure that this will not be the case and the people from free world will let us taste the fruit of freedom.
At Tue Jun 13, 03:02:00 PM, Jeff said…
Thanks for the comments. Indeed, from the US perspective, reform won't happen in Pakistan simply by wishing for it.
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