The Baloch promise

In need of a re-invention

Imagine being a Baloch and reading the exhortation in Article 5 of the Constitution of Pakistan. It proclaims “Obedience to the Constitution and law is the inviolable obligation of every citizen.” Now think of the argument that in signing the instrument of accession with Pakistan the Khan of Kalat acted without consulting the people of Balochistan. Furthermore, the said instrument stated that any constitutional structure adopted by Pakistan would not apply to Balochistan without the consent of its people. Words uttered by the US Supreme Court come to mind: love of country must spring from willing hearts and free minds. The treacherous betrayal of the promise held out to the people of Balochistan has come back to haunt us.

Baloch voices have never been silenced but the powers that be did manage to shield our ears from their cries. It is perhaps a powerful lesson in the art of propaganda; there is no need for repetition – just deny that there is any trouble at all. Block any news coming out from the area. Be silent and enforce silence. Why allow any meaningful information since information always leads to debate?

We did the same in present day Bangladesh. The Punjabised narrative is always the same. Those people demanding greater rights in other provinces are responsible for spreading ethnic strife and parochialism. They are not true Pakistanis. Go a step further and question their faith too; makes it more macabre. This narrative blames others when they invoke their ethnic identity but it never engages with the fact that they have been marginalised on the basis of their ethnicity.

So where do we go now?

A federation must aim to be greater than the sum of its parts but first it must, at the very least, represent the sum of its parts. Our version of federalism needs an urgent re-evaluation. What we need are not simple answers but complex questions that must be debated by us as a people. What I propose here is meant to generate a debate and to encourage thinking out of the box.

The federation must be seen as respecting provincial autonomy to the maximum extent possible. The Centre has no business recruiting people for the police service or the District Management Group that then get sent to other provinces. The Baloch often lament that only a miniscule number of bureaucrats serving in that province hail from it. This is unacceptable. Each province, including Balochistan, must be allowed to conduct its own examinations for services such as the Police and DMG. These are provincial matters and must be left to the provinces. Balochistan must be governed by its own. This will ensure two things: it will lessen resentment and once the province is run by the Baloch it will also hold accountable the rhetoric of many Baloch leaders.

Recognise all regional languages, including Balochi, as national languages. Establish an Infrastructure Fund floated on the stock exchanges that invites private institutional investors and the public to pump in money (issue them bonds) for development projects in Balochistan.

The federal government must strive for the end of the military operation with all its might. Foreign pressure on the military would also help. PPP needs to act now to save the federation.

Article 158 of the Constitution which provides that the province where well-head of natural gas is located shall have priority in meeting such requirements must be implemented in its spirit. It has been a dead letter till now and a commission of experts from all relevant fields can be formed to discuss ways of implementing it.

I am also in favour of each province having its own constitution. Our perverted version of federalism may not allow it but this can be done. The Baloch are a people proud of their ways. There is no harm in inviting them to frame a provincial constitution as long as it meets certain human rights and revenue allocation related guarantees. Baloch can have provincial and federal rights. There can be justifiable human rights related concerns regarding some old customs and people unhappy with those can invoke the federal constitution in provincial high courts. This will involve good faith efforts by Baloch leadership too.

Here is another thought. How about a body along the lines of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that functioned in post-apartheid South Africa? I concede we do not have unifying figures, real or imagined, like Mandela or Desmond Tutu but if Balochistan is to be saved then telling the truth and allowing for reconciliation is an inevitable part of the process. Membership of this commission can be debated but the principle can be accepted. Reservations of the Baloch about such a body must be accommodated. Such bodies may never work perfectly but they do facilitate truth telling and bring home hard realities we have conveniently ignored. We need to hear the gruesome truth about the violence perpetrated in our names. The Baloch need to see our remorse. Each killing and disappearance must be disclosed. We need to hear those voices, those names and confront the trauma unleashed upon those families.

No resistance movement is without its own set of issues – human rights abuses and atrocities must have been committed by certain elements among the Baloch too. Violent actions against settlers from other provinces cannot be ignored, nor must they be forgotten. Baloch leaders and fighters too must remain willing and open to admitting their mistakes. Reconciliation is never a one way street.

The federation must take responsibility for the promises it has betrayed. We must re-invent the promise that we hold out to the Baloch. It is a long and difficult conversation. But if we believe in this country, then we must believe in all its constituent parts and the sanctity of views held by those disillusioned. As long as we keep talking there is hope. But we must not delay this conversation any further.

The writer is a Barrister and an Advocate of the High Courts. He is currently pursuing his LLM in the US and can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @wordoflaw