Articles for category: Opinion

Sameer Mehrab

A letter to cousin Behrouz Bochani in Manus Island

Hey Behrouz Bochani, I will take the liberty of calling you Cousin. But don’t be taken aback or take me as a pusher. Let me explain. I am a Baloch from the Pakistani occupied Balochistan. My people, for some reason, believe that the Kurds are their cousins and somehow we got separated in the distant ...

Asma Akhtar

A digital painting by Saeeda Bibi

Banadi Shehak: the first Baloch woman to lead a battle

By Asma Akhtar and Imrana Rasheed Whenever history recalls feminine courage, women’s heroic contribution and their unchallenged determination, Banadi Rind appears as an epitome. Banadi belongs to a Baloch tribe of warriors: the Rinds. According to Balochistan ke Qabahil by Manzoor Bukhari, Rind is a Persian word, which means “brave”.  According to some legends, Rinds ...

Maryam Khanzai

Is identity crisis a disease?

A few days ago,  I woke up in the morning pondering over the recent clash between Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) and the Pakistan Army in which the latter opened indiscriminate firing on unarmed civilians causing many casualties. The tweet of the Director General ISPR, Major General Asif Ghafoor, was echoing in my ears: “Identity crisis ...

Sameer Mehrab

Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawad -- Internet photo

May God save us; military has found a new enemy

A few days ago in North Waziristan, Pakistani army attacked a peaceful public rally headed by elected members of the National Assembly Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar. The army claimed it was in their defence that they opened fire at the protesters. It claimed Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar were leading an armed assault on ...

Mureed Baloch

China hurt in Gwadar PC hotel attack

On Saturday, May 11, 2019, four gunmen stormed the luxury Pearl Continental hotel in the heavily-guarded city of Gwadar, a port-city that Pakistan has been long advertising as the “safest” in ensuring China’s success with its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), all thanks to the host country’s uptight security measures. The media-savvy operation, claimed by ...

Yousuf Murad Baloch

Balochistan in the backdrop of strengthening Sino-Pak ties

This article was first published in German magazine Pogrom. It has been translated from the German by the writer himself. It is one of China´s boldest steps to shape economic globalization towards a Chinese model and there cannot be a better partner than Pakistan on this front. On the offer are trade routes, resources and ...

Farah Naz Baloch

Panjgur Bus Incident: Who is to blame?

On January 21st, a passenger bus enroute to Panjgur collided with an oil tanker resulting in the tragic loss of 26 people and leaving another 16 injured. The awful incident in Bela brought serious tragedy to the people of Balochistan, especially Panjgur. The fire spread rapidly causing more people to die . The incident stunned ...

Sheraz Baloch

Zaraab sets new standards for nascent Balochi cinema

Movie: Zaraab – Heat Haze (2018) Cast: Anwar Sahib Khan, Shah Nawaz Shah, Ehsan Danish and Aziz Azul Director: Jaan Albalushi   It was almost a decade ago when the Balochi feature film, Balach, was released. There had been full length feature films in Balochi before, but Balach set the standard. Since then, with starry-eyed ...