Balochistan has been bleeding mostly because of a lack of political will to resolve its longstanding issues and the government’s abdication of power to non-political forces. The inability to offer solutions to the sufferings of the Baloch people has actually distanced them from the rest of the country, causing fissures in national unity and integrity. While it is of utmost importance to look into how their sufferings can be brought to an end, it is also important to look at the reasons as to why they surfaced in the first place and what we can do to stop that from happening again.
A national conference of the country’s major political parties on this very subject held by SCBA concluded the other day. While many were vocal on what to do, the mere gesture of raising a voice at a national platform is a welcome one. Balochistan has been relegated to a place where it is treated as a minority stakeholder in the federation instead of an equal federating unit. Forced disappearances, ethnic and sectarian killings, suppression of fundamental rights, (over)presence of the army, political victimisation, unjustified role of security agencies and a perennial lack of welfare and social uplift projects are some of the main problems the Baloch are facing. Fulfilling the demand of arresting the killers of Nawab Akbar Bugti, as Nawaz Sharif has said, would certainly help decrease tensions, though it should not be treated as a demand, for ideally the state is constitutionally bound to do so.
No amount of suo motu notices is going to help the matters if there is no political will to follow these suggestions through. Even after more than four years of the incumbent government, and many of its much publicised initiatives, nothing practical can be seen: the military is still there, no mega development project has been launched, there is not much control on the province’s natural resources, and nothing has been done to empower the local populace. Unless and until the Baloch themselves are not empowered, there is no chance we can see a peaceful province strengthening the federation. And any decision-making process that sets out to deal with their issues must have adequate Baloch representation and participation, for only then will they respect the decision.
