‘Norouz Baloch is dead, not Balochistan’

Letter to Editor

My day on December 2 (2013) started with a heart wrenching news. Norouz Jan Baloch, my friend, my brother from Balochistan, has been martyred by the BLA, who have claimed the responsibility. Ina Lillah wa inna elaih e raji'oon. Norouz was very much active against the so called Balochistan Liberation Army goons. He started exposing the terrorists through the “Alternative Media” at a time when nobody from the mainstream media could dare touch the subject. In fact the mainstream media was busy in glorifying terrorism. Norouz Shaheed restlessly yet aggressively led the campaign; regularly giving us the input and feedback. He was the one who right at the outset had understood the actual scheme of things, with the enemy hands behind. Sometime back he went out of the country, and as he was preparing his luggage to go back home, he called me and said “Imran Bhai, aik documentary banani hei, tayar ho jain, BLA ko poori tarah expose krna hei” (Imran Bhai, we need to make a documentary about the BLA that would help expose its atrocities as a terrorist organization. We need to expose them on larger scale. In return I smiled. While coming back he wasn't thinking about what could happen to him. All what he was worried was his concern for Balochistan. He used to have often said, “Norouz can die one day but Balochistan and Pakistan will have to live for all times to come. When he landed at the airport, he called me again, saying, "Imran Bhai, I am back, lets rock a party, we are meeting very soon”, to which I replied “sure, inshaAllah. But then the news came of his murder at the hands of enemies of this country.  His death reminds me of the lesson once I learnt from scholars. “Life without an aim is nothing, only an aim that we pursue is something which keeps us alive even when we are no more alive.” Norouz did the same. He may not be around but his message, courage, valor and passion for Pakistan will remain the guiding light for people like us, who at times, complain for no change even after "so much" efforts. Trust me my fellows, we haven't yet done anything for this beautiful country. The last message of Norouz on Facebook is nothing but a big wakeup call for all of us.

His murder at the hands of BLA bears witness to the fact that the insurgency is in the hands of very few, disgruntled and with the backing of invisible hands. The local people of the troubled areas have seen those hands, but unfortunately there is very less awareness on the national level. There is no pro-Balochistan front, but there is growing awareness amongst the people of Balochistan that plots have been hatched against the will and even participation of locals.

Imran Jamali, Rojhan Jamali, Balochistan

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