These 3 tribal sardars were members of Soviet influenced NAP (ANP) & allies of Indian sponsored Awami League in 1970 elections.
Following India’s invasion of East Pakistan they met with Bengali diplomats to plan Balochistan’s secession from Pakistan.
/26 thewire.in/diplomacy/bang…
In 1973 Nawab Akbar Bugti publicly disavowed the plan & exposed the ‘London Plan’ as a conspiracy to break Balochistan away from Pakistan on behest of KGB & RAW.
Akbar Bugti was made Governor Balochistan & he oversaw an army operation against Marri & Mengal dominated #BLA.
/27
Parallel with creation of #BLA another terror group BLF was formed in 1964 by leftist baloch students in Syria.
Balochistan Liberation Front-BLF was formed by student leader Jumma Khan Marri in Syria, son of Sardar of Ramkani clan Hazar Khan Marri & senior BLA commander.
/28
Aim of BLF was an independent Greater Balochistan based on baloch populated areas in Iran & Pakistan.
Since Iran was a US ally, Soviet & Syrian Leftist Bath Party provided full support.
Jumma Khan Marri is also considered as designer of the flag of Greater Balochistan.
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Difference b/w Mukhti Bahini’s in East Pakistan & #BLA/BLF in Balochistan was:
Whereas India invaded East Bengal on their behalf, Iran joined Pakistan to defeat the heavily armed BLA/BLF militants.
Insurgency was defeated & BLA/BLF militants were captured or surrendered.
/30
With capture of Sher Mohammad Marri & Hazar Khan Marri & with Ali Mohammad Mengal killed, Marri & Mengal Sardars both lost their key commanders.
Attaullah Mengal left for UK & Khair Buksh Marri took 10k tribesmen for self exile in Afg.
Then #BLA/BLF moved to Afghanistan.
/31
With direct Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the leftist bubble of Marxist politics in Pakistan was blown.
Soviets exposed themselves by brutally installing then eliminating Afghan Marxist factions led by Taraki, Hafizullah Amin, Babrak Karmal, until Dr Najib was installed.
/32
Khair Buksh Marri from Afghanistan & Attaullah Mengal from London continued to enjoy patronage of Soviet KGB & Indian RAW to sponsor terrorist activities in Pakistan.
However, the collapse of Soviet Union made marxism obsolete & both leftist Sardars returned to Pakistan.
/33
BLF continued the leftist ideological campaign for independence of baloch areas of both Pakistan & Iran into Greater Balochistan, with the help of leftists baloch exiles living across the world.
Later, Jumma Khan Marri moved to Moscow and remained active as an ideologue.
/34
Jumma Khan Marri’s father Hazar Khan Marri later recognized the political bankruptcy of Marxist politics as Soviet Union collapsed, he rejoined mainstream Pakistani politics & became a campaigner against terrorism.
However #BLA cofounder Sher Mohammad Marri moved to India.
/35
Sher Mohammad Marri couldn’t come to terms with collapse of Soviet Union’s leftist utopia.
He became a disappointed and broken man.
Despite denying being an agent of KGB & RAW he lived in Afghanistan until Soviets left, then moved to India, where he died in May 1993.
/36
The circumstances of Marri & Mengal subversive Sardars being allowed to return,join politics in Pakistan
&
Bugti tribal conflict that led Akbar Bugti to terrorism is subject of another thread I’ll write later.
For now, let’s continue with major terror groups in Balochistan.
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Tragedy of Pakistan’s political discourse is that the most subversive elements being most vocal, are accommodated by govts & media to temper their vitriol against state, but when in power these elements then used this political legitimacy to undermine the state itself.
/38
That’s exactly what took place in 1990s Balochistan:
Akbar Bugti became Chief minister & his sons became parliamentarians & ministers.
Then Akhtar Mengal became CM & sons of Khair Buksh Marri became parliamentarians & ministers too.
Marxism was abandoned for capitalism.
/39
Return of these militant families also affected student politics of Balochistan.
BSO became divided into many factions, each affiliated with a sardar/political party.
Each faction still being leftist in orientation, worked to gain greater influence for their parent group.
/40
For almost a decade militancy seemed to have been eliminated & subversive politics was replaced with politics of influence.
Leftist ideologues were ignored as fringe elements by all political forces.
It’s in these circumstances that, a new extremist faction of BSO emerged.
/41
In 2002 at Bolan Medical College a student leader Allah Nazar formed the pro-violence, pro-independence faction called BSO-Azad.
In this propaganda video by BSO-Azad, Allah Nazar called for open rebellion & an armed insurgency against the state for outright independence.
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