Voice of America Interview on Imran Khan's Visit to Washingtgon
Asad Hasan, a broadcaster from the Voice of America Urdu interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar on July 23, 2019, about the Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to Washington D.C., the future of U.S. Pakistan relations and the ongoing peace talks with the Taliban.
Quoted in TRT Article on the Baloch Liberation Army
Senior Pakistani journalist Zia Ur Rehman interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar for a TRTWorld article about the U.S. State Department's decision to designate the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) as a global terrorist organization. Akbar said the decision would not impact the organization's operational capabilities. "They [terrorist organizations) are not like universities or NGOs that you revoke their accreditation and they shut down their offices the next day. They regroup, rename and reemerge as soon as the dust settles down," Akbar said.
Voice of America Urdu Interview: The Reko Diq Verdict
The Voice of America Urdu interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar on July 15, 2019, about the decision of the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) to impose a fine of $5.8 billion in damages on the government of Pakistan in a dispute over the Reko Diq copper mine.
Interview with the BBC
The BBC Arabic interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar in February 2019 for a report about the visit of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Pakistan and the heavy investments the Saudis and the Chinese are making there. Despite, the abysmal state of internal security and growing turmoil, Malik said, the Saudis and the Chinese were still willing to gamble on Pakistan.
Quoted by GW Professor in The National Interest Article on Afghanistan
On February 13, 2019, Amitai Etzioni, a Professor of International Affairs at the George Washington University, quoted Malik Siraj Akbar in his article "America Needs to Accept the Taliban Peace Deal".
While quoting Malik's January 29, 2019 Asia Times article, "Winners and loser of the Afghan peace process", Mr. Etzioni wrote: "Regional expert Malik Siraj Akbar writes, “The departure of the Americans is destined to revive the age of Taliban tyranny, restrictions on women’s education and gross violations of human rights.”
Quoted in the Times of India Article on Harvard Petition on Indo-Pak Peace
Malik Siraj Akbar spoke to the Times of India correspondent Sudipta Sengupta on March 1, 2019 about a petition signed by over 150 Harvard students, faculty and alumni about India-Pakistan peace in the wake of mounting tensions between the two nuclear-armed countries.
“I studied journalism in Chennai as an exchange student from Pakistan. Interactions with Indian students completely changed my perceptions about India and its people. I have learned that India and Pakistan can benefit a lot more by building peace and open their doors for public diplomacy," he said.
To Read the full petition, click here
Quoted in Le Monde about the attack on the Chinese Consulate in Karachi
On November 24, 2018, Par Julien Bouissou, the South Asian Correspondent of Le Monde, one of the leading newspapers in France, interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar about the attack on the Chinese Consulate in Karachi by the Baloch Liberation Army. Malik said this was the first time that that BLA, the most influential among the Baloch armed groups, had carried out an attack outside Balochistan.
Quoted in The National: Baloch separatist killed in Afghanistan
The UAE-based newspaper the National interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar on December 26, 2018, about the killing of Aslam Baloch, a commander of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in a suicide blast in Afghanistan.
Malik said, “In the 1970s and ’80s, Pakistan used the Afghan mujahideen to harass and chase the Balochs, but this time it seems Pakistan hunted him down with the help of its Taliban proxies."
Interview in the Huffington Post
On July 24, 2018, the Huffington Post foreign affairs reporter Akbar Shahid Ahmed featured Malik Siraj Akbar in his long-format article about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the overall conflict in Balochistan, its history, and impact on the Baloch people. The author wrote, "Akbar was casually name-checked by almost everyone I talked to, from current officials to international outside experts and tribal chiefs-in-waiting. He’s deeply familiar with the perspectives of both Pakistani decision-makers and armed nationalists."
Interview with The News on Sunday about Pakistan's General Elections
The News on Sunday journalist Adnan Aamir interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar about Pakistan's general elections of July 15 and the expected voter turnout on the polling day. The article, "Battle lines in Balochistan" was published on July 15, 2018. a
Interview with the Indian Express on the Killing of Siraj Raisani
Senior Indian journalist Nirupama Subramanian quoted Malik Siraj Akbar in her July 16, 2018 article about the killing of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leader Nawabzada Siraj Raisani in a suicide blast in Pakistan's Mastung District. Malik spoke about the causes of Mr. Raisani's hyper-nationalistic politics, his profound dislike for India and deep admiration for the Pakistan army.
Quoted in The News on Sunday on the Hazara Killings
Senior Pakistani journalist Zofeen T. Ebrahim interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar for her The News on Sunday article Killing Them Slowly published on May 13, 2018. Akbar talked about the recent wave of violence against Pakistan's Hazara/Shia minorities. He said the new generation of the anti-Shia extremists in Pakistan seemed inspired by and loyal to groups like the Islamic States.
Quoted in the Voice of America Article on Nawaz Sharif's Resignation
On August 8, 2017, Nazrana Ghaffar, a journalist for the Voice of America, quoted Malik Siraj Akbar for her article on the resignation of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on corruption charges. Akbar said: "While Nawaz Sharif was somewhat interested in advancing peace with India, he didn't have an independent policy toward Afghanistan. He mainly depended on the military's narrative, interpretation, and strategy with respect to dealing with Afghanistan."
Quoted in CIMA Report on the Media in Pakistan
The veteran American researcher and journalism instructor Sherry Ricchiardi interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar for her detailed study, Challenges for Independent News Media in Pakistan, which was released by the Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) in Washington D.C. on July 30, 2012.
Quoted in Oxford University Report on Media in Pakistan
Senior Pakistani journalist Razeshta Sethna interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar for her research paper on the Pakistani media Caught Between Five Extremes: Reporting Pakistan. The report was published by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford.
Interview with the Diplomat Magazine: The Islamic State in Pakistan
On December 14, 2016, researcher Shah Meer Baloch quoted Malik Siraj Akbar in his article "Is the Islamic State Now in Pakistan’s Balochistan Province?" Akbar said, "Pakistan is not a self-starter in terms of going after Islamic extremist groups. The last time Pakistan took action against al-Qaeda or the Taliban was because of force and incentives from the Americans."
Interview with the New York Times
On July 19, 2016, the New York Times reporter Karen Zraick interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar about the murder of social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch and the issue of honor killings in Pakistan. Akbar said so many men in Pakistan would condemn Ms. Baloch but “I’m sure they were all secretly following her stuff on Instagram.”
Profile: Washington Post
On November 14, 2011, Pamela Constable, a correspondent of the Washington Post profiled Malik Siraj Akbar about his decision to apply for political asylum in the United States and broadly the conflict in Balochistan. What’s going on in Baluchistan is like the dirty war in Argentina,” Akbar said. “I need to be telling the story, but I can’t afford to become the story.”
BBC News: Interview about Online Journalism and Censorship
On February 29, 2012, the BBC News interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar about online journalism, conflict reporting and censorship in Pakistan. This report, initially done for BBC Urdu radio, was published in three versions, including BBC Online and BBC Urdu online.
BBC Urdu Audio Version
BBC Urdu Online Version
BBC World Report
Interview with BBC World
On September 16th, 2016, Owen Bennett-Jones presenter of BBC's Newshour interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar about India's role and interests in Balochistan and reports about Baloch leader Brahamdagh Bugti's decision to seek Indian citizenship. To listen to the full interview, please click.
Quoted in the News on Sunday: Modi's Remarks on Balochistan
Journalist Adnan Aamir interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar for his August 28, 2016 article "After the Speech" to get his views about the Indian Prime Minister Modi's August 15th speech mentioning Balochistan that escalated diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan.
Quoted in Al-Jazeera Article about Balochistan
In his Al-Jazeera article of January 15th, 2012, "Is Pakistan heading for disaster in Balochistan?", the American University Professor and Pakistan's former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Dr. Akbar S. Ahmed quoted Malik Siraj Akbar about the situation in Balochistan. "When I asked Malik what he had to say to Pakistan, he replied: "My message to Pakistan is simple: everyone should be provided equal opportunities of progress and prosperity. Who would like to live in a country which sends bullet-riddled dead bodies of young Baloch professionals on a regular basis? Underestimating the situation in Balochistan would amount to committing political suicide."
Al-Jazeera Interview: Sectarian Violence in Quetta
On February 17, 2013, Al-Jazeera interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar about sectarian violence in Balochistan in the wake of a fresh attack that killed 84 people in Quetta. Akbar said, "Pakistani government has not had a policy of countering sectarianism in the southwestern region, which is a base for Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and other armed Sunni groups."
Quoted in Daily Beast
An article in the Daily Beast on April 26, 2015, “In Pakistan, This Activist Was Martyred for Her Moderation”, written by journalists Asra Q. Nomani formerly of the Wall Street Journal and Beena Sarwar quoted Malik Siraj Akbar about the murder of Pakistani social activist Sabeen Mahmud. “The country is in the hands of beasts,” Akbar said. “They are out to shoot everyone who does not agree with the state’s narrative. And we, the liberals, feel the state is on the side of the extremists. It is a long battle.”
Interview with the "World Policy": The Invisible Persecution of the Baloch
On November 11, 2015, the New York-based World Policy interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar for an article about the persecution of the Baloch. Akbar said, “The Baloch narrative is dominated by stories of old men, tribal notables, who were promised amnesty by the Pakistani authorities but then betrayed, humiliated, and then killed. Every time Pakistan reneges from an earlier commitment, it deepens the Baloch narrative that Pakistanis are not trustworthy to negotiate with.”
Quoted in Dawn: BALOCHISTAN: Band-aid solutions?
Journalist Mahvish Ahmad interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar for her article BALOCHISTAN: Band-aid solutions?. The article appeared in Pakistan's leading English newspaper, Dawn, on January 01, 2013. Akbar said, “the government has “missed opportunities after opportunities to fix Balochistan”. For all the (verbal) movement by Pakistan’s mainstream political forces, very little seems to have changed."
Interview with BBC Urdu
The BBC Urdu broadcaster Shafi Naqi Jamai interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar about the arrest of an alleged Indian spy from Balochistan. In the interview, Akbar disputed the Pakistani government’s claims that the arrested Indian national could possibly be helping Baloch nationalists.
Appearance on Voice of America
Malik Siraj Akbar appeared as a guest on Voice of America’s show “The Independence Avenue" on April 17, 2015 to talk about the recent handing over of the Gwadar Port in Balochistan to China. Also joined by Pakistan’s former Finance Minister Syed Salman Shah, the show was hosted by senior Journalist Tabinda Naeem. Akbar said the people of Balochistan should be the first ones to receive the benefits of the Gwadar Port and until now there were no signs of this happening.
Quoted in the Friday Times about long march for the missing Baloch persons
On November 29, 2013, the Friday Times journalist Zia Ur Rehman quoted Malik Siraj Akbar for his article "Long Way" about the long march seeking the recovery of the Baloch missing persons. Akbar said, "the PPP government had at least promised to address the issue, but the governments of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister
Dr Abdul Malik seem to have accepted the situation “as the new normal”."
Al-Jazeera: Crisis in Balochistan
On June 7, 2011, Malik Siraj Akbar appeared on Al-Jazeera show, the Stream, to speak about the conflict in Balochistan. Akbar provided a historical background of the conflict and also spoke about ongoing violations of human rights in Balochistan.
Quoted in The News on Sunday about extra judicial killings
On May 15, 2016, renowned investigative journalist Waqar Gillani quoted Malik Siraj Akbar in his article for the News on Sunday about extra-judicial killings in Balochistan. Akbar said extra-judicial killings in Balochistan had “led to the loss of the Baloch trust in state institutions. This breach of trust has also paved way for armed groups and separatists to fill that gap. People now look at the armed groups as their saviours"
Interview with BBC Urdu
On January 30th, 2016, Malik Siraj Akbar was interviewed by the BBC Urdu broadcaster Umer Afridi about the killing of Dr. Manan Baloch, the Secretary General of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), by the Pakistani security forces and its implications on the Baloch nationalist movement.
Interview with Indian Union Forum Debate (IUFD)
On October 26, 2016, the Indian Union Forum Debate (IUFD) interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar ahead of this year’s debate whether or not India should support Balochistan. Akbar spoke about the dynamics of the Baloch conflict and interests of various regional powers. To read the whole interview, please click here.
Interview with Rediff News
On September 2, 2016, Sudhir Bisht interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar for Rediff India about the recent statements of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about Balochistan. Akbar said, "I believe Modi mentioned Balochistan only to embarrass Pakistan and also divert attention toward the situation in Kashmir."
Interview with The New Indian Express
On August 20, 2016 , a reporter from the New Indian Express interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar about the Balochistan conflict. “The Pakistani military believes by arresting and torturing ‘bad guys’ it can fix Balochistan," Akbar said, "but this policy has not worked...it has backfired and generated more public support for the Baloch insurgents."
Interview with the Diplomat Magazine
On 26 August, 2016, Shah Meer, a reporter for the Diplomat Magazine, interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar on the tenth death anniversary of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti and its impact on the politics of Balochistan. Akbar said, “Baloch nationalists can be an ally in the fight against religious extremism instead of the government treating them as enemies.”
Interview with Qunit, India
On August 15, 2016 , Ashish Dikshit , a reporter for the Indian publication the Qunit interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar regarding the Indian Prime Minister Nrandra Modi's remarks about Balochistan. Akbar said he looked at Mr. Modi and the Baloch nationalists as strange bedfellows but still believed that mentioning of Balochistan by an Indian Prime Minister was unprecedented and it would help the Baloch separatists. To read the full article, please click here
Quoted in the Friday Times about Arab royals hunting in Balochistan
The Friday Times journalist Zia Ur Rehman interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar for his November 1, 2013, article about Arab royals hunting endangered birds in Balochistan. "Since the intensification of the nationalist movement," Akbar said, "the Baloch have become more alert as to who visits their land and for what purpose."
Interview with Deutsche Welle
On May 13, 2015, Shamil Shams, a journalist from the German radio Deutsche Welle (DW) interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar about the killing of Ismaili Shia Muslims in the city of Karachi. The attack had killed 47 people. Akbar talked about close connections between the units of the Pakistani intelligence agencies and the Sunni militant organization, the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. These groups are connected with the Afghan Taliban and also the anti-Shia terrorist organization Jundullah, Akbar said, and they operate inside Iranian province of Balochistan.
Sharing Harvard Experiences
On January 1st, 2015, editors of the "Balochistan Point", Adnan Amir and Yousaf Ajab, interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar about his experiences at Harvard University and how students from backward areas could apply to world's leading universities. Akbar shared numerous tips with the aspiring students.
Quoted by Al-Jazeera: Lack of Coverage of the Balochistan Conflict
Journalist Karlos Zurutuza interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar for his article about the lack of media coverage about the conflict in Balochistan. The article "A black hole for media in Balochistan" was published on February 5, 2014. Akbar said, "The Western media covers the whole Aghanistan-Pakistan region with a special focus on the 'war on terror', Islamic fundamentalism and issues of religious terrorism. There is scant realisation that the Baloch nationalist movement is absolutely different from the Taliban movement."
Quoted in Dawn: Balochistan's Middle-Class Rebellion
Journalist Mahvish Ahmad interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar for her article on Balochistan's middle-class rebellion. The article appeared in Pakistan's leading English newspaper, Dawn, on June 5, 2012. Akbar said, “Today's Baloch movement is headed not solely by [...] tribal chiefs, but [by] educated middle-class youth."
On Voice of America Show
On May 2nd, 2014, Malik Siraj Akbar participated in Voice of America’s weekly current affairs program, Access Point with Ayesha Tanzeem, to speak about the Amnesty International report about the dangers of reporting in Pakistan and the allegations about the involvement of intelligence agencies in muzzling the local media.
Quoted in the Guardian: Killing of Journalists in Pakistan
On 6 June 2012, Roy Greenslade quoted Malik Siraj Akbar in the Guardian story story Four Pakistani journalists murdered in a month". Akbar was mentioned saying journalists in Pakistan "are pressured to provide more airtime to the government, opposition parties and armed groups. This makes it impossible for journalists to work freely without irking any of the power centres."
Quoted in the Sunday Times, London, about threats to moderate voices in Pakistan
Prominent war correspondent Christina Lamb of the Sunday Times, London, quoted Malik Siraj Akbar in her article "Moderates killed in Pakistan’s ‘soft coup’" which was published on January 22, 2012. Akbar said more journalists were being killed in Pakistan than reported. “At least eight of my journalist friends were killed last year,” he said.
Interview with the Story of South Asia
On March 10, 2014, the Story of South Asia, a Washington DC-based website, published the following detailed interview of Malik Siraj Akbar about the conflict in Balochistan, challenges of the news media and the state of human rights. The interview was conducted by Roshan Ghimire.
Interview with Aymeric Janier
French journalist and blogger Aymeric Janier interviewed Malik Siraj Akbar on May 23rd, 2015, about the recent memorandum of understanding between the intelligence agencies of Afghanistan and Pakistan. He asked Akbar what would happen if either side violated the deal. Akbar responded that the failure of the deal is in Afghanistan’s interest because its success will mean more access for the Pakistani intelligence agencies to Afghan security apparatus and that is not a good sign for Kabul.
Profile: The News on Sunday
On June 13, 2011, senior journalist Beena Sarwar profiled Malik Siraj Akbar for the News on Sunday. Akbar spoke about the idea that led to the launch of the Baloch Hal, Balochistan's first online English language newspaper, challenges the news media face and how an escalation in violence has begun to engulf journalists and human rights activists in the conflict-ridden province.
Radio Free Europe: 'Painful Decision' To Apply For Asylum In U.S.
In an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Mashaal station on November 18, 2011, Malik Siraj Akbar described how the disappearances and deaths of colleagues back home prompted him to make the "painful" decision to apply for political asylum in the United States.