Balochistan crisis at an alarming stage and the way out! …. Liaqat Baloch Naib Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan
Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan in terms of area with an important geostrategic position, a great historical heritage and rich mineral resources. Despite this extraordinary geostrategic, cultural importance and resources, Balochistan has been suffering from terrorism and other co-related problems since long. Instead of resolving the problems faced by the people ofBalochistan in collaboration with all the stakeholders, the one-sided and indiscriminate move tocontrol and establish writ of the government through state power has made these problems more
complicated.
Instead of improvements, the situation seems to be getting worse. The growing
frustration and despair among the people of Balochistan, especially the youth, is leading to therising insurgency which is extremely dangerous for overall national security and the deteriorating law and order situation in Balochistan as well. The loss of confidence of the people of the province in the federation cannot bode well for national security.
To wipe out the feelings of deprivation in the minds of the people of Balochistan, it is the need of the hour to increase social relations based on mutual trust on the public level as well as within the influential classes. The policy of the powerful ruling class to remain silent, to bury their heads in the sand and close their eyes without
understanding the sentiments and feelings of the people of Balochistan is beyond comprehension.
The people of Balochistan have the first right over resources of Balochistan. Turning away from this important and fundamental principle will lead to getting the crisis into a raging fire and intensifyingit further. Some mindful and practicable recommendations to resolve the problems faced by the people of Balochistan and bring a long-lasting peace in the province are furnished below:- The people of Pakistan generally, and those of Balochistan especially, should have a firm belief
that the observance of the constitution, adherence to the rule of law is also a responsibility of the state institutions like every citizen of Pakistan. The establishment of an impartial system based on transparency has to be ensured for the implementation of law and justice.
The right ofownership of the people of Balochistan on their own resources must be recognized.
*Balochistan has been under the threat of the foreign sponsored intruding and terrorism since long. The arrest of Kulbhushan Jadhav on the soil of Balochistan is a clear proof to it. One of the major motives behind the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 was to gain access to hot waters, i.e., Gwadar.
All such interventions/aggressions by the external forces in Balochistan –
and, of course, throughout the country as well – can only be prevented by the unity among the government, state institutions and the people at large. In order to suppress the ongoing terrorist activities in Balochistan, and anywhere else in the country, it is imperative to be on the same page with mutual understanding and unity. To maintain a strong relationship based on mutual trust and understanding between the state and the people is indispensable to successfully
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counter the vested interests of the anti-state elements. But, the responsibility of taking initiative in this regard lies on the state first.
The Pakistan-China Economic Corridor (CPEC) project is definitely a game changer and a very important project for the uplift of our economy and overall development of our country.
Though, three provinces of the country are benefiting from this unprecedented development and uplift project initiated by our iron brother China in terms of construction of long motorways and other projects of public importance like orange train, etc. But Balochistan, where the destination of this important economic development project, i.e. Gwadar, exists, there is not even a single kilometer of motorway in the entire province; nor is there any other major public welfare project pipelined for Balochistan under CPEC.
This injustice must be realized and eliminated without delay. A positive step in this regard by the federal government will definitely end the growing sense of deprivation among the people of Balochistan and restore confidence in the federation. The state policy and strategy for Balochistan and the erstwhile FATA with regard to Pakistan-China Economic Corridor (CPEC) project should be fair and effective.
There has been an alarming increase in the incidents of target killing in different areas of Balochistan under the guise of nationalism and regional prejudices. The horrific tragedy of Musa Khel in recent days is very sad and shocking. These types of incidents are extremely dangerous for the state and national security and also cause new threats to the nationalist parties and the youth of Balochistan. A strategy is needed to divert the effects of the terrible events of August 26, 2024 into a positive direction with careful, wise and tactful measures.
There is also a need to bring changes to the policy based on the unnecessary concessions given in the past to Afghan refugees, trade professionals who have been living in Balochistan for a long time. Policy and actions based on wisdom and true national interest should be implemented instead of unwise, hasty measures and use of traditional power and keeping things running under a corrupt system. The confidence of the people of Balochistan can never be restored by mere indiscriminate use of force or some superficial measures of an administrative nature. Under the Baloch, Pashtun tribal system, a step-by-step solution to the problems should be found through Jirga system. Actions based on blind force and haste will increase the feeling of deprivation among the people and consequently facilitate anti-state elements.
The cruel behavior of the past dictatorships, military rulers towards the patriotic democratic leadership of Balochistan, based on misunderstandings during the past decades, must stop now.
Incidents of target killing of the patriotic and democratic leaders like Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti by the military dictator General Pervez Musharraf added fuel to the fire. The illegitimate tactics and practice of politics of favoring some politicians to win elections through rigging should be abolished and the people of Balochistan including the entire country should be given the democratic right to choose their own leadership by facilitating them to exercise their right to free, fair and impartial elections in order to elect their leadership, and the mandate thereof should be recognized open-mindedly by all.
The right of the people of Balochistan to rule should not be locked in the cage of slavery. Rebuilding trust requires recognizing all centers of power. The people of Balochistan are patriotic and have noble traditions. The honor and
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dignity of the Baloch people should be respected and the confidence of the Pashtuns should be restored. The intellectuals and political leaders of Balochistan should encourage and unite the determined and talented youth of Balochistan, to let them gain confidence and solve their problems.
The gradual deterioration of situations in Balochistan and the growing disillusionment among the youth have given rise to many problems. The policy of state forces and coercion has fostered a sense of resistance among the youth of Balochistan, compelling them to protect their right to freedom and dignity in their own way. Taking full advantage of this situation, the antistate elements have expended resources to inculcate the sentiments of rebellion among the youth here. On the other hand, the state is following the policy of missing persons without distinguishing between right and wrong at the expense of force, which has created a state of anger, anxiety and despair among the people of Balochistan, especially the youth.
The subsequent discovery of bodies of missing persons makes the scenario even more terrifying. It is the high time to review this unfair and unconstitutional practice now.
Historically, women in Balochistan distanced themselves from actively participating in politics and remained the custodians of their cultural traditions. But, after the tragic killing of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, women also appeared on the protest scene. Then in Gwadar, women played a dynamic and historical role in the “Haq Dou” movement and now women are protesting on roads and streets, along with their children and other family members, for the recovery of their loved one, who are still missing without any information about their whereabouts.
The seriousness of the situation demands that the real problems faced by the people should be properly understood and resolved in a timely manner.
Another very important and noteworthy aspect is the process of establishment-led government formation in Balochistan, which has made the whole political, democratic process and the right to rule of the people of Balochistan as ineffective and irrelevant. The youth of Balochistan is conscious and democratic, having no faith in the leadership that protects the interests of the Establishment and compromises the interests of the people. Now, it is high time to restore the confidence of Baloch and Pashtun people as well as other nationalities living in Balochistan in the political and democratic process instead of hollow measures and claims.
The army, intelligence agencies, other security forces and police including civil administration are performing their responsibilities at various places throughout the country at their best, but as far as Balochistan is concerned, the administrative state structure is of immense importance here. Appointing meritorious officers who are capable, dutiful, honest, tactful and have the ability to solve crises based on human psychological principles and institutional coordination among all these institutions is indispensable. If any one institution in the government administrative structure will place itself in a dominant and ordering position, this weakness of the system will lead to mutual mistrust and confusion.
Therefore, for a sensitive province like Balochistan, it is important to keep this point in mind at this crucial stage. Political stability is essential for the entire country. It was expected that lessons learned from the controversial and disastrous elections of 2013 and 2018 would lead the country into a fair,transparent and impartial democratic electoral process in 2024. But contrary our expectations,the 2024 elections became more controversial and rigged than the previous ones. Elections
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2024 have raised question marks on the establishment of the interim government, the existence of the Election Commission of Pakistan and have seriously undermined the democratic rights and confidence of the people of Pakistan. Now, the current government, having no public mandate and trust, has not been able to do anything to handle the situation of crisis coming one after another. Instead, it has become the reason behind the punishment and disgrace of its benefactors and patrons. The need of the hour is that in the context of the alarming situation of Balochistan, the courage and the moral fiber should be built to find the real public mandate on the basis of Form 45 to be traced from the actual results of the 2024 elections. Otherwise, political shamelessness and clinging to the throne will lead to nothing but further destruction in
the country.
The state institutions, the ruling class and the centers of power should change their mindset, and of course, the national political democratic leadership also needs to change its mindset and style of politics. The main responsibility for resolving the ongoing political crises resides on the political leadership. If the political democratic forces will continue to seek solutions to the problems from the establishment’s “pharmacy”, then the powerful establishment will not offer them the political democratic parliamentary relief in a saucer or plate. The national political
leadership has to show statesmanship for the national priorities, otherwise the problems will not get resolved by mere meetings, speeches, press conferences and expression of their soul’s voice. Instead, the situation will continue to get worse.
Currently, the government writ is practically disappearing in the entire country. The federal and the provincial governments are pursuing a policy of interference and confrontation.
The government and the opposition parties are mired in blackmailing each other and duplicity. The current fiscal crisis and the economic conditions of the country are deteriorating. It is becoming impossible for people to lead a dignified life. The shadows of danger are hovering over the heads of the entire nation. As such, the law and order situation cannot be controlled only on the basis of blind state power, while bypassing the constitution and violating the law.
A strong and effective strategy based on wisdom and tact and strong coordination and consensus among all stakeholders (national political leadership, government, state institutions) is a prerequisite.
In order to get rid of the ongoing political and economic crises across the country including Balochistan, the sovereign and ruling forces, together with the national political democratic leadership, should come forward and set a unified national state agenda and policy. We can get out of the circle of problems only by devising a comprehensive plan of development in Balochistan.
Concrete steps and sustainable measures for implementation of an all inclusive social, educational, development and uplift plan will go a long way to restore the confidence of the youth of Balochistan and positively change their mindset towards the federal government and policy-makers.The current dire situation in Balochistan calls for opening our eyes and adopting a strategy based on wise measures.