Balochistan activists, Americans take over as AFB restructured

Najeeb Khan, new president of the AFB (right), writer (center) and
Dr Nazir S. Bhatti, president of the Pakistan Christian Congress at
Daughters of a Lesser God organized by the AFB at Busboys.

WASHINGTON DC, Apr 10, 2018: 

The American Friends of Balochistan (AFB) has announced a new Executive Structure and has asked one of its directors to focus on Afghanistan in stead of Balochistan and has promoted its main leader as chairman emeritus.

The new president is Najeeb Khan, a doctoral fellow at the State University of New York, while Jane E. Wesiner and Inayatullah Baloch are vice presidents.

In a revised Press Release the AFB said, "In the recent past, the AFB made momentous gains under the present leadership and the executive board in particular thanks the AFB president Ahmar Mustikhan for his yeoman services for Balochistan and his Baloch people."

The AFB Executive Committee expressed satisfaction that strong personal relationships with colleagues here turned the AFB into what it is today, thanking Mr. Mustikhan for being able to bring in more many times more funding for this fiscal year than originally anticipated. After discussions with Executive Committee members, it was decided to create a roadmap for a long overdue expansion of AFB to accommodate various viewpoints and additional active members, and become more efficient and action-oriented. The goal is to make AFB a more open platform where Balochistan supporters of many stripes can engage with one another, utilize AFB services and talents, and collaborate.

With this in mind, the need was felt to let AFB grow and add more members to the executive committee  who are as following: Inayatullah Baloch, Amanullah Naruoie, Cherryl Dean and Krishna Adusimili. The new executive committee also decided to promote Mr. Ahmar Mustikhan as chairman emeritus so his hands are not overburdened by micro-management.

The long overdue restructuring proposal was pushed through recently as Mr. Mustikhan successfully brought in key US scholar Prof Thomas H. Johnson, who was inspired by the sacrifices and balanced writings of Mr Mustikhan. Inter alia, Mr Mustikhan who has brought in majority of the members stated, “I am sure all the young people are fully capable of leading the organization.” In view of Mr. Mustikhan’s personal activism and the value he brought to the AFB composed of various individual contributors, he has been elevated to the position of chairman emeritus without any responsibility for day to day running of the organization. However, he retains his executive authority

With this in mind, the following resolution was passed by majority of the AFB new Executive Board:

1. AFB recognizes the exemplary and enormous contributions that Ahmar Mustikhan made and as one of the co-founders of the registered AFB organization and Mustikhan’s work for the Baloch cause for many years and by his family elders for more than a century.

2. Mustikhan, due to new elevated position and his writing engagements and fund raising engagements will not be required to take part in the Executive Committee meetings but will be welcome to chair and vote as chairman emeritus on his own free volition.

3. AFB executive committee appoints Najeeb Khan as president and Inayatullah Baloch and Jane E. Weisner as vice presidents for day to day running of the organization, to be assisted by Krishna Gudipati as secretary.

4. The AFB relieves Habiba Ashna as director so she can concentrate on helping the people of Afghanistan and help unite their leadership against daily terror attacks from Pakistan.

5. The AFB appreciates the role of Rajiv Verma and his advise will be sought from time to time.

6. The AFB executive committee has proposed the launch of an advisory committee which will be headed by Professor Thomas H. Johnson and will likely include Professor Christine Fair and Professor Chris Mason.

In order to accomplish this, AFB Executive Committee has charted a course to compartmentalize AFB into units that operate semi-autonomously. In the interest of efficiency and each member’s own priorities, day-to-day administration will be mostly left to members of the Executive Committee, while Mr. Mustikhan assumes greater responsibility for the organization’s fund raising and international outreach efforts, but as stated earlier he will be welcome to attend any executive committee meetings as director.