Hyrbyair Marri: A dedicated leader of Baloch freedom struggle
Monday, July 21st, 2014 11:10 pm
By Shahdad Baloch
“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness
thrust upon them.” I believe Hyrbyair Marri Baloch is among the one to
whom greatness has been thrust upon.
Self-made men often have to overcome great obstacles to achieve their
national objectives. He spent most of his early adolescence with his
wretched people in Afghanistan where he experienced their pain and
sufferings. During his school vocations instead of going elsewhere he
preferred mostly to visit the Baloch refugees in Helmand (Afghanistan)
where he witnessed the sufferings of his victimized Baloch people,
victims of Pakistani cruelty. His two elder brothers disliked his
closeness with the Baloch refugees in Afghanistan but their behaviour
didn’t hamper his ambition to visit his poor people and be with them in
most difficult times.
Baloch nation, its sufferings and deprivations are the core subject
for him to ponder on. Pakistani army and agencies tried a lot to
distract his keenness towards Baloch nation. Pakistan’s anti Hyrbyair
propagandas and their attempts to use carrot and stick could neither
bribe nor hamper his love and dedication towards Balochistan and Baloch
people. Today he is recognised as architect of current freedom movement
in Balochistan.
Born on 4 august 1968 in Quetta Balochistan, at Nawab Khair Bakhsh
Marri’s house, he studied at Quetta Grammar School. He continued his
studies in Kabul (Afghanistan) when he moved there along with his family
in 1980s. He went to Russia for further studies where he studied
journalism. During this time he made frequent visits to Baloch refugee
camp in Helmand Afghanistan and his ties grew with his own people. This
was a new chapter of life for him. He used to listen to the stories of
Baloch Veterans of 70s war and the difficulties they had faced.
He returned from Afghanistan in 1992 and started working for Baloch
freedom struggle. He along with his ideological and likeminded friends
organised study circles to educate Baloch youth about their right to
independence. He took part in Balochistan Assembly elections in 1997 and
won the votes with overwhelming majority. He then became the minister
of C&W ‘Communication and Work’. He was the youngest and first
Baloch Member of Parliament and minister who declined to pledge loyalty
to Pakistan. Instead of the words ‘I shall remain loyal to Pakistan’ he
vowed “I shall remain loyal to my Nation”. Mr. Marri was also the first
Baloch minister to protest against conducting nuclear tests in
Balochistan in May, 1998.
In 1999 he went to Europe for vacations, he was still abroad when
Musharraf’s government implicated him, his father Nawab Khair Bakhsh
Marri and brothers in murder case of Justice Nawaz Marri who was killed
by unknown persons, presumably by Pakistani intelligence agencies, on 7,
January, 2000. Hyrbyair Marri stayed in London and effectively promoted
the Baloch national freedom movement in accordance with the
requirements of contemporary world.
In December, 2007, Mr Marri along with Faiz Baluch was arrested in
London, United Kingdom on behest of Pakistani government and on request
of General Parves Musharraf. Prior to his arrest there were reports in
British media that Pakistan and Britain wanted to agree on a swap deal
under which Pakistan would hand over Rahid Rauf (a man wanted for a
murder case in UK and accused of planning to blow up of transatlantic
airlines) to UK and in return Britain would extradite Baloch leaders
including Hyrbyair Marri. However, in reality Pakistan wanted to silence
Mr Marri because he was exposing the atrocities of Pakistani state and
its army against the people of Balochistan. Pakistan was afraid because
this young man has internationalised the Baloch freedom movement and
because of his tireless efforts the world organisations and
international community was becoming aware of Pakistani state barbarism
in Balochistan.
He was imprisoned for more than four months and then released on bail
under strict conditions including he had to wear a tag at all times, he
was not allowed to make phone calls to Balochistan, he was not allowed
to speak to media and he was not allowed to attend any meetings about
Balochistan. This ordeal continued for almost one year before he was put
on trial which continued for around two months where he eloquently
explained the problem of Balochistan and successfully persuaded an
ordinary British jury about Pakistani state’s crimes against humanity
against Baloch people. The jury of British men and women saw through his
cause and acquitted him of three charges whereas the CPS later withdrew
the remaining charges against him as there was no evidence. Hence he
was set free as a dignified Baloch leader and human rights activist.
After one year of ordeal Sine his acquittal he has continuously been
advocating for the Baloch freedom movement.
Hyrbyair Marri is a great statesman, diplomat and politician. At
public events he delivers his speeches with wisdom and maturity. He
weighs his words well before he speaks them out. Moreover, he disclaimed
himself as prince or Sardar. Despite belonging to the Sardar’s family,
he says he is an activist of Baloch freedom movement and he is not
better than any ordinary Baloch who struggles for Baloch national
freedom. His humbleness, honesty and straightforwardness are his
strength. He has not ever been afraid of enemy’s strength and power,
wanting to win he always rightly estimate occupier strength and he knows
his nations resolve and will power for an independent state. His eyes
and mind are always fixed on the ground to his struggling nation and
defenders of his motherland.
One of his revolutionary steps is the formulation of “BALOCHISTAN
LIBERATION CHARTER” a political road map for free Balochistan. Hyrbyair
Marri and his friends believe that Baloch nation needs a written pledge
from their leaders which they say is the Balochistan Liberation Charter.
They presented the Charter for feedbacks and improvement to leader of
BRP Mr Brahumdagh Bugti, Dr Allah Nazar Baluch, Khan Suleman Dawood
Baloch, BSO-Azad, BNM, BNM (Shaheed Ghulam Mohammad), BNP leader Akhtar
Mengal, Baloch Salvation Front, Baloch Raaji Zrombesh, Balochistan
Peoples Party and other organisations inside and outside Balochistan.
His true comrades are those who struggle for Balochistan’s
independence; he called his own brother Jangaiz Marri as one of those
who have sided with the enemies of Baloch and are working against Baloch
national interest. He gives ideological relations priority over blood
relations and his truism lays in the fact that he loves those who
sacrificed their lives for Free Balochistan and those who sincerely
struggle for Baloch national liberation. He has successfully drawn the
attention of international community towards atrocity of Pakistan in
Balochistan. Due to his extraordinary advocacy of Baloch cause, Pakistan
considers him a headache that is why on several occasion Pakistan tried
to mislead the international community in their endeavour to get Marri
deported so that they could imprison torture and kill him like thousands
of other Baloch leaders and activists.
Two other well-known names in Balochistan freedom struggle are of Dr
Allah Nazar Baloch and Brahumdagh Bugti who have had close proximity
with Hyrbyair Marri. On several occasions Hyrbyair Marri and his friends
have supported them and worked closely with them in term of experience
and stragies, diplomacy and brought consciousness in them regarding
changing world order and its growing favour towards Balochistan freedom.
The recent example of which is the formulation of “BALOCHISTAN
LIBERATION CHARTER” and presenting it to all stake holders for their
suggestions and feedbacks to improve it further and make it a national
document which could unite all stake holders before the world with a
clear political road map in their possession.
Sine 1990s Hyrbyair and his comrades have been actively galvanising
the Baloch nation from Kohlu to Mashky for freedom of Balochistan. Among
Nawab Marri’s sons he is true follower of Khair Baksh Marri and he was a
supporter of Balochistan’s independence long before the others even
knew there was a movement for Balochistan’s freedom. If Nawab Khair
Bakhsh Marri was the architecture of Baloch freedom movement, then
Hybyair is the engineer who built this strong foundation and the
building designed by Nawab Marri.
However, as the ill-luck would have it, few of his comrades deviated
from the broader cause of free Balochistan and internal political rifts
emerged among pro-freedom stake holders. After his arrested in London
and subsequent imprisonment some of his comrades mismanaged liberation
struggle but still he favours negotiation on those misconducts. He wants
to address the internal political rifts so that all stake holders can
unite and work for the freedom of Balochistan instead of wasting time
and energy on blaming each other. He is man of principles who believes
that accountability is very first step for an organised and combined
movement.
On several occasions he offered world nations to open their Embassies
in Balochistan and allow the Baloch people to open embassies of
Balochistan around the world. Indeed he is a grand strategist he knows
well how to lead the dimensions of a movement he always speaks of
geographical importance of Balochistan. Moreover, he rejects the current
geographical distribution of Balochistan and considers it obsolete. His
personality is unique he selects people on the basis of ideology, his
political ideal is his father (late Khair Baksh Marri) and he has been
influenced by his brother Hunza Marri as a young boy, he also had great
working coordination with his brother late Balach Marri. His hope and
ultimate sources of inspiration are Baloch nation.
Today Baloch nation has its eyes on him that how he resolve the
prevailing issues in Balochistan and its independence movement. He is
abiding by the responsibility on his shoulders and it’s important to
bring all Baloch stakeholders on one platform. He should convince
Brahumdagh Bugti, Allah Nazar, and rest of the Baloch pro-freedom
parties and individuals to come forward and support the “BALOCHISTAN
LIBERATION CHARTER” so that it can be presented to the international
community unanimously which help Baloch national freedom movement gains
more will support internationally. It is the national duty of all these
pro-freedom Baloch stakeholders to bury their personal egos and grudges
and adopt the charter as a national document. That is because Baloch
nation is a nation of Martyrs; thousands of Baloch have sacrificed their
lives for independence of Balochistan. The mothers, sisters, bothers
and other family members of Baloch martyrs of liberation struggle are
asking for the freedom of nation for which their sons and daughters
poured their blood.
Making a human chain and holding hands in the air as a show of unity
is one thing but for a great vision and having a comprehensive document
like the Balochistan Liberation Charter in your hands is quite another
thing. Empty handed with no clear vision the unity will remain an empty
slogan and rootless cause which will soon fade away with the passage of
time and becomes a disappointment for the Baloch nation.