After the Pakistan People’s Party government came into power, the pledges made by the prime minister and his announcement of Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan (AHB) were believed to act as a watershed in Balochistan’s politics, by help reducing people’s grievances and improve law and order situation in the province.
But the Baloch parliamentarians often complain that the government is not serious in resolving the matters pertaining to Balochistan. Syed Nasir Shah MNA from the PPP was the first who raised the voice against the deteriorating law and order situation when around 29 people of Hazara community, belonging to Shia sect, were killed. He first demanded the resignation of the prime minister and later called for Governor’s Rule in the province. He had been sitting outside the Parliament House throughout the last session of the National Assembly in protest against the government’s inaction.
He had once stated that Prime Minister Gilani had promised that law and order in the province would be improved but he did not take any action.
Mir Hamadan Bugti, the chairman of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination, also complained that he had requested the premier for giving some time as he (Hamadan) wanted to discuss issues pertaining to law and order in Dera Bugti district.
Hamadan said whenever he approached the prime minister, he was asked to contact Interior Minister Rehman Malik to discuss any issue. He also added that the trend to neglect Balochistan was continuing persistently, as no concrete steps had been taken to address the grievances of the people of Balochistan.
Referring to the discrimination towards Baloch people, Hamadan said Dera Bugti, his hometown, had five gas fields, which had been providing gas to the country since 1960s, but the district got the supply in 1980.
Demanding an end to the discriminatory attitude, he said that the parliamentarians from Punjab must help the representatives of the Baloch people to compel the government addressing the issues faced by Balochistan.
Other leaders of Baloch nationalist parties also lamented that the government was not taking the Balochistan issue seriously and the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan was just a lollypop. “There is an utter disregard to the plight of the Baloch people while provincial government is busy corruption and looting.
“The AHB has become a mere slogan,” Nasir Shah had told Pakistan Today on one occasion outside the Parliament House while sitting in protest when National Assembly was in session.
When Pakistan Today contacted prominent Baloch nationalist leader Dr
Abdul Hayee Baloch, he said the government in Islamabad must change its mindset to resolve the problems of Balochistan. “Baloch people are not asking anything undue. They only want that their resources should be used for their development as Balochistan is the most neglected area.”
