Baloch Nationalist Leader Khair Bakhsh Marri Passes Away

Karachi : Baloch nationalist Leader Khair Bakhsh Marri  passed  away  on Tuesday, June 10, 2014  at private hospital  in Karachi.

 Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, 86, was hospitalized in Liaquat National Hospital Karchi up on his serious illness where he was under treatment in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). According to the doctors because of a brain stroke he was unable to speak.  Nawb Khair Bakhsh was hospitalized in serious condition on Friday.

According to his son Mehran Marri, the government did not permit them to take Nawab Marri abroad for treatment. He alleged that government created hurdles for taking him to abroad for treatment purpose; therefore, the family was deprived of the documents required for medical emergency.

Nawab Khair  Bakhsh Marri’s three sons Gazeen Marri, Harbiyar Marri   and Mehran Marri  live in foreign countries and penly support Baloch freedom movement, however, his son Changeez Marri is in Pakistan  and he is an active leader of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz. One of his sons Balach Marri was killed  during an action in a neighboring country in November 2007.

Marri was born in Kohlu, Balochistan in 1928. Khair Bakhsh Marri was chief of Marri tribe of Baloch nation.  Marri adopted hibernation in Pakistani Politics. Khair Bakhsh Marri spent most of his life time in exile, but he never compromised on his principles for Baloch rights and ownership of Baloch land. He openly supported armed struggle for Baloch independence on every forum, but denied being leader of ongoing militant movement in Balochistan.

In 1970 Marri was elected as member of national and provincial assembly but later he withdrew from the National Assembly.

In 1973, with his fellow politicians he denied to sign on constitution, and opposed draft lacking provincial autonomy content. After nine months Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto dissolved provincial government of National Awami Party and sent leaders to jail. It is said that Mr. Bhutto had much aversive to Khair Bukhsh Marri and conspiracy weaved to poison him in jail, but the wicked plan failed.

In General Musharraf dictatorship Nawab Marri was arrested allegedly involved in murder case of Justice Nawaz Marri. However, it could not be proved and he was released.

Family sources have not yet decided the place and time of the burial but are of the view that the leader will be buried tomorrow at his home town.

Web Desk

Published in The Balochistan Point on June 11, 2014