From: "Dr. Malek Towghi" Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2005 16:57:32 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [BSO_NA] Please, keep away from the dirty BNP/Mengal-NP civil war While we should appreciate the presence of the only two significant Baloch-owned newspapers (Waajah Mir Jan Muhammad Dashti's Asaap and Waajah Anwar Sajidi's Intekhab), we should not forget that Waajah Dashti is a strong BNP-Mengal supporter, and in the past,Waajah Sajidi was affiliated with the PPP of Bhutto father & daughter. Because, the PPP's role in the Baloch & Balochistan's 'nationalist' politics is irrelevant, Waajah Sajidi's past affiliation with the PPP is not problematic. Besides, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti is the only significant Baloch leader for whom Waajah Sajidi has consistently maintained sincere respect and appreciation. Also, Waajah Sajidi has been running his newspaper as a true professional, maintaining complete neutrality as far as the Baloch political rivalries are concerned. Above all, Anwar Sajidi is a balanced person, a gentleman par excellence. Waajah Mir Jan Muhammad Dashti has a particular temperament and style in every thing he does.... and I will not go beyond this at this time or ever on this point. However, I have to say the following to explain my request that the Baloch , particularly those living abroad should keep away from the ongoing dirty 'civil war' between BNP-Mengal and the NP of Hayy-Malik-Hasil. There was a time when Waajah Dashti (Shayh Ragaam) was a sincere supporter of Mir Ghawsbakhsh Bizanjo the Great and in strong and biting words criticized all (the BSO and BSO zaadagaan, Ataullah, Khayrbakhsh, and the corrupt Baloch bureaucracy) who had betrayed Ghawsi. The record is there in the Maahtaak Balochi files. One can also see his negative remarks about Ataullah in an introductory paragraph of one of his books. While living in America, I came to know Waajah Dashti through his writings in Maahtaak Balochiy , and quickly fell in love with him because of our common exclusive love for Ghawsi and opposition to all of the rest. My love and respect for him increased when I came to know that he is Karim Dashti's brother and closely related to Hameed Shaheed. I thouht correctly that Waajah Dashti was sincere to the Baloch cause. I still think that Mir Jan Muhammad Dashti is and will remain sincere to the Baloch cause. The problem, however, is his 'affiliation politics' and the fact that when it comes to personal revenge he crosses certain limits that an intellectual of his caliber and an average Baloch gentleman is expected never to cross. An average Baloch gentleman never uses a thug with different names or his nawkars whose livelihood depends on him against his adversaries. Also, an average Baloch sincere to the Baloch cause forgets about his personal affiliations when the cause requires. Let me repeat here that Mir Jan Muhammad Dashti is and will remain loyal to the ultimate Baloch cause. A family that has given us Karim Dashti and Hameed Shaheed, is in capable of giving birth to a traitor or collaborator. Waajah Dashti's political affiliations, however, changed in 1996-97 when requested by some common friends, Sardar Ataullah Mengal gave green light to his son (Chief Minister) Waajah Akhtar Mengal to make Waajah Dashti his choice for the post of Deputy Commissioner Quetta, and then for the post of the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, the most influential bureaucratic post in a provincial administration. Since then, he has remained loyal exclusively to the Mengal Sardars, father and son, and opposed to any disliked by the two Mengal Sardars. His Asaap's coverage of news reflects this fact. The old and continuing destructive rivalries between the BNM , now BNP of Ataullah and Akhtar and the BNM, now NP of Hayy-Malik-Hasil are two obvious to explain. So is Waajah Dashti's affiliation with the Mengal group. In the recent hue and cry about some pro-NP BSO activists' childish actions against Asaap, this paper has been projecting the point that the NP is against the formation of a single Baloch Party, and blaming the NP for participating in electoral politics, conveniently hiding the fact that the BNP-Mengal is committing the same 'crimes'. I was particularly disturbed to see that both parties have begun to publish lists of their supporters from the Gulf and other areas concerning Asaap (BNP) vs. NP controversy. I am sure the ISI is very happy to see a new front of the Baloch civil war distracting attention from the real issues ... from the fate of Dr. Nizar and others .... So, I request all the Baloch, particularly those in the Gulf , Karachi and other areas and countries outside Balochistan , please respond the way a wise Baloch camel responded : HUSHTIR-ISH JUST KUT: JAHLAG SHARTIR-INT YAA BURZAG? GWASHT-IY: LAANAT PA SAEYNAAN ! JUST-ISH KUT: SAYMIY CHIY-INT? GWASHT-IY: SAYMIY HAMEY CHIDD' U MEYN INT. Please, don't take side in this new Hayy-Akhtar controversy, and do not divide your community for the sake of these two gentleman. Now that the BNP, NP and the Khayrbakhsh Mari group have jointly killed the idea of a single Baloch party, there is another way of creating such a powerful party; Those who have so far been members, supporters and voters of these three parties should openly dissociate from them and openly join the JWP under the leadership of Akbar Bugti. Similarly, all students should shun the pro-BNP as well as the pro-NP BSOs and join the BSO United under the leadership of Dr. Nizar and Dr. Imdadad. Malek Towghi