After Pakistan approached the Interpol earlier this week to seek a Red Corner Notice against Baloch Republican Party (BRP) chief Brahamdagh Bugti and his aide Sher Mohammad Bugti, Baloch, Pashtun and Sindh separatist leaders unanimously supported Brahamdagh Bugti and criticised Pakistan’s attempt to extradite Baloch separatist leaders from Europe. The separatist leaders from different Pakistani provinces see Pakistan seeking a Red Corner Notice as a short-cut for Pakistan to tame all the separatist movements that are flourishing on Pakistan’s soil. The possibility of Interpol entertaining Pakistan’s request would be seen by separatist leaders as a “historical mistake”. Brahumdagh Bugti is living in Geneva since 2010.
Speaking to The Sunday Guardian, Sindh separatist leader Dr Haider Lashari, based in New York, said: “We Sindhies condemn the Red Corner Notice from Pakistan against Nawab Brahamdagh Bugti. Brahamdagh is a political leader and not involved in any violence. He is important to us just like other Baloch leaders. Baloch and Sindhies have the same pain, same enemy and same demand of freedom.”
A Red Corner Notice is an arrest warrant circulated by Interpol on behalf of the government of a particular country. It is a request from one country to another to arrest and deport the wanted individual.
Explaining how Brahumdagh Bugti affects the Sindh separatist movement, Dr Lashari, who is also the chairman of the G.M. Sayed Studies Board, said: “Brahumdagh is important for Sindhies just like other Baloch leaders have been. His security will affect the ‘Sindhudesh’ movement, too, because we all are connected and a blow to one of us will have a consequence on us all.”
Umar Daud Khattak, Pashtun separatist leader, based in Afghanistan, said: “Pakistan seeking a Red Corner Notice against Brahamdagh Bugti will neither affect the Pashtuns› freedom movement, nor Baloch or Sindhies› freedom movement; it will only enhance it. We are fighting for justice against the terror state Pakistan. The US is about to declare Pakistan a state sponsor of terror, so we are not afraid of any such proposal by Pakistan to Interpol.”
Another separatist movement member, who did not wish to be named, said, “Balochistan is the largest province right now that wants to break away from Pakistan. Baloch separatist leaders hold more power than Pashtun and Sindh separatist leaders. Since the Indian government identified the Baloch freedom struggle, it gave them more legitimacy on the international platform which is why they are being seen as front-runners in the whole separatist struggle of different provinces. Since a large number of Baloch people identify Brahumdagh Bugti as their leader, he automatically becomes the face of the freedom movement. But if the Interpol does arrest and deport Brahamdagh to Pakistan, it will be a historical mistake.”
Speaking about the possibility of the Interpol taking cognizance of the Red Corner Notice against Brahumdagh Bugti, Dr Lashari said: ”The Swiss government does not function like Pakistan’s police station which will fall for false claims. Pakistan killed thousands of Sindh, Baloch and Pashtun innocents. Over 20,000 Baloch, 800 Sindhi political workers and hundreds of Pashtuns are still missing. To free itself from all these crimes, Pakistan has sought a Red Corner Notice against Brahamdagh Bugti.”
Ever since Pakistan›s interior ministry approved a request from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) seeking official permission to communicate with Interpol on the matter, Baloch people across the world have supported Brahamdagh Bugti on various social media platforms. On Twitter, #brahumdaghTheHero was used by Bugti’s followers as a sign of solidarity.
In his response to Pakistan seeking a Red Corner Notice, Brahumdagh Bugti said: «It is a failed attempt to cover the ongoing military operation in Balochistan. The military operation in Balochistan has been going on for 10-12 years, but for the past six weeks in Dera Bugti and its adjoining area, a special operation is targeting women and children who are being taken away. They go missing without their whereabouts being known.”
Khattak said, “We want India to help us register our case in the International Court of Justice (ICJ)
and other international human rights courts to sue Pakistan for its war crimes against Pashtuns and Balochs, using weapons of mass destruction.”