American Think-tank Report Suggests a “Permanent U.N. Observation Mission” in Balochistan

The Baloch Hal

A report on Balochistan published and issued on Thursday by a leading American think-tank has recommended the formation of a permanent United Nations observation mission in Balochistan “to monitor the human rights situation” in the province. The report Balochistan: The State Versus the Nation has been written by Dr. Frederic Grare, Director and Senior Associate of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Dr. Grare, a French scholar, had previously written the widely quoted Pakistan: the Resurgence of Baluch nationalism.The report says the setting up of a permanent U.N. observation mission would create greater transparency, promote accountability, and build confidence should the security establishment decide to change its policies in the province. On their part, the Baloch nationalists, the report has suggested, “should participate in provincial elections in May. Only their participation in Balochistan’s administration can confer sufficient legitimacy on the provincial government. A legitimate and credible Baloch government can reestablish local control over the province, help reduce violence, and advocate for Balochistan on the federal level.” The report has asked the Pakistani security establishment should “show greater respect for human rights in Balochistan by disbanding death squads, stopping extrajudicial executions, and ending forced disappearances. Serious negotiations and political solutions are impossible as long as these violations persist.”