London: Expatriate Balochs living in Britain recently staged a protest demonstration in London against the alleged Pakistani suppression in their province.

The protest included a march past 10 Downing Street, the official residence of British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The protesters demanded that the British Government use its influence over Islamabad to bring an end to the Pakistani military action in Baluchistan.

Baloch militants have been waging a low-level insurgency for decades for greater benefits, control of gas and other natural resources.

On Wednesday, a landmine planted by tribal militants blew up a minibus in the province, killing six people, including two children, government officials said.

Pakistan's top rights group has already accused President Pervez Musharraf's military-led government of “gross human rights violations” in the province, where it said a “war-like situation” prevailed.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also rejected government claims that it was not using regular armed forces in a crackdown in the southwestern province launched last month after rocket attacks by tribal militants battling for greater autonomy and control of lucrative natural gas fields.

The group said it had “received evidence that action by armed forces had led to deaths and injuries among civilians” and that “populations had also been subjected to indiscriminate bombing”.

The HRCP report said up to 85 percent the 22,000-26,000 inhabitants of Dera Bugti had fled their homes after the town was repeatedly hit by shelling by paramilitary forces.

A handful of representatives of Sindhi and Baloch people residing in the U.K. held placards condemning the ongoing alleged atrocities on their people by the Pakistani military regime.

Activists shouted anti-Musharraf slogans and condemned the ongoing atrocities in their region rich in mineral resources.

Pakistan's army launched a crackdown against Baluchistan militants after a December 14 rocket attack while Musharraf was visiting the region. Baluchi nationalists say 200 people have since been killed, but Pakistan has not commented on casualties.

Opposition parties in Baluchistan accuse the government of using helicopter gunships and warplanes to rocket and bomb civilians in northern Baluchistan.

Kadir Jaloti, Director of the World Sindhi Institute, urged the world community to take up the issue of Baloch people and help resolving the issue.

“I want to tell the whole world that today Baluchistan is burning and its no only Baluchistan which is burning but the whole world. So, this is the issue of whole world and to condemn Pakistan military ruler Pervez Musharraf's action,” said Jaloti angered at the action.

Mir Khalid Langau. Leader of National Party Baluchistan, warned the Pakistani military with dire consequences if they do not stop atrocities in the troubled region.

“Pakistani military is one of the rarest militaries who wants to conquer its own state. Instead of providing them their fundamental rights they are targeting them with bullets. We want to tell them they should not consider themselves and their army to be so powerful that they can face us. Now we are ready to face them. And we want them to recall the 70s about General Arora and General Niazi controversy,” said Langau.

In the past month, mines planted by militants have killed five troops of the Frontier Corps paramilitary force and destroyed seven vehicles, a paramilitary official said.

The crackdown in Dera Bugti and nearby Kohlu district began in mid-December after a string of rebel rocket attacks, including one during a visit to the area by President Pervez Musharraf.

Abdullah Baluch, Baluchistan Action Committee and organizer of the protest, called upon the world leaders to send a mission to Baluch region to find the real truth.

“We want international community to send a fact finding mission to and see for themselves what is happening to the Baluch people. They are under immense pressure from Pakistan. There are around 4000 innocent people are missing or extra judicially kept in custody of Pakistani army,” said Baluch.

Baluch nationalists say almost 200 people have been killed in the crackdown. The government has not commented on overall casualties.
 

Sindhis of Sindh, in southeastern Pakistan.