Elections in "occupied Balochistan" holds "no legal status": Baloch leader

London [UK] February 22 : Pro-independence Baloch leader and president of the Free Balochistan Movement (FBM), Hyrbyair Marri, said that the elections that took place in "occupied Balochistan" under the Pakistani Army's supervision have no legal status, because the Baloch people did not participate in the "so-called electoral process of Pakistan."
He said that there was political resistance throughout the day, and people in most areas of "occupied Balochistan" deterred the voting process by taking to the streets and blocking the routes to polling stations.
The Baloch leader further said that "by not voting, the Baloch people proved to the world that they had decided against Pakistani occupation and in favour of freedom. The ongoing liberation movement made the new generations of the Baloch nation aware of state slavery, and they are now resisting this slavery on every front."
He said that representatives are chosen through election and vote in free countries, where people freely and without fear, temptation or pressure choose their representatives through vote, but in an "occupied country" like Balochistan, the elections under the control of the occupiers are "bogus and treachery," and the "occupying forces only impose their collaborators and stooges on the Baloch nation through sham elections."
Marri further added that "Balochistan is an occupied area, the occupier never respects the public opinion and their aspirations in the areas under his control, similarly, hoping for a fair and transparent election in occupied Balochistan is like chasing a mirage."
He said, "Now even the young generation of Punjab has realised that they are also in the clutches of the Pakistani army and the military forces of Pakistan do not give any importance to the public opinion at any level while electing their favourite people through the rigging."
The FBM President said that the way the people boycotted the election process in Balochistan is a "positive development" because the solution to the problems of Balochistan is not in Pakistani votes.
He added that, on the contrary, the solution to all the problems of Balochistan lies within a "free and independent Baloch state" where all institutions believe in public service work within their sphere of authority and understand the importance of public opinion.
"One of the main reasons for this is the sense of superiority within the military institutions and considering themselves above accountability to any constitutional institution and our struggle is for an independent Baloch state where each institution not only has its limits and limitations. Rather, public opinion should be considered as the most important on a democratic basis and all people in the country should have economic, social and basic human rights based on equality like in countries like Norway, Sweden and Switzerland," Marri said.
He said that without having constitutional boundaries and not being accountable to the majority opinion of the people, it will result in a "failed country like Pakistan" that faces one crisis after another.
The Baloch leader further said that apart from "a few pro-Pakistani parliamentarians, whose aim is personal interests instead of national prosperity, today Baloch are struggling for their national independence as a nation at all fronts. Such promising actions are encouraging for the freedom and future of Balochistan."
The FBM leader said that only a united and strong Baloch liberation movement can guarantee the safety of their national identity.
"One of their dangerous strategies is to turn the Baloch into a minority on their land and flood non-Baloch people along the coast of Balochistan for which Iran and Pakistan are working on various military projects with the help of neo-demographic and colonial powers like China. These joint conspiracies are continuations of their evil designs to expel the Baloch from their ancestral land, Balochistan," Marri added.