The PPP government has not realised the gravity of the Balochistan problem. The ground reality is that Pakistan flag has disappeared from the province and the students no longer sing the national anthem in their schools. Anyone flying national flag on 14 August is killed the next day. The non-Baloch settlers are being killed as part of target killing. Our enemy agent are operating in full swing and pumping funds and providing weapons to the rebel leaders to accelerate their evil designs. Even USA Congress has passed a resolution to support the separatist movement in Balochistan, showing dual standards vis-a-vis Kashmir issue.
The government at centre perhaps think that coining a slogan of “Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan” would satisfy the rebel Baloch sardars. But it is not so as nothing practically has been done by our government. Actions speak louder than words.
They were perhaps not even consulted before embarking upon any programme for Balochistan or their people. Gone are the days when the governments used to pacify these sardars by making false promises to them. Now the people are more aware and can assess the intentions or mindset of the government.
The sufferers are the best judge of the rulers. They know the ground realities vis-a-vis hollow slogans of the government. Billions of rupees are being sunk in Benazir Income Support Programme, Waseela-e-Haq and other PPP government sponsored welfare programmes for making tall claims. But the deserving poor people are still suffering and running from pillar to post to get such help. They do not know whom to contact and how to get this help.
The government has never invited the rebel leaders to Islamabad to listen to their grievances. Doling out 250 million rupees to each legislator of Balochistan Assembly would never solve their problem. They only talk of royalty of gas and other mineral resources which run into billions, as they claim. They must be explained the total distribution of these resources and its effects on the national economy. They must be convinced about their share and settled across the table.
On the same negotiating table, they should be given record of total development funds given to Balochistan government ever since 1947 vis-a-vis the utilisation of these funds by their leaders on any development done or misappropriated. It is a hard fact that all the funds given for the development of this neglected province were never used for the purpose these were allotted for. These leaders who got these funds lived a royal life, sending their children abroad, building palaces in Karachi and abroad, buying expensive cars and never bothered to alleviate the living standard of their tribesmen.
Some parliamentarians should go to the far flung areas of Balochistan to meet the people there. They would be horrified to see the living conditions there and they should also ask the poor tribesmen how much they have to pay to their sardars per annum because these sardars besides getting from the government, fleece their area people also.
They provide no facilities like education, health etc to them. Each sardar has his own justice system and maintains his private jails where people defying sardar’s orders rot for years like animals. They must be told about these facts and consequences of such insurgencies.
The advice to the government is to close all the foreign missions and consulates except that of Iran immediately and ban entry of all foreigners to Balochistan even that of diplomats serving in Islamabad.
MUHAMMAD AZHAR KHWAJA
Lahore