This is apropos to news item captioned “Akhtar Mengal’s six points” (Oct 04). The Ex-Chief Minister of Balochistan Sardar Akhtar Mengal’s squabbling in the Supreme Court on the case of forced disappearances has created hullabaloo in the political circle of Pakistan. In fact, Mengal’s six point agenda was essentially a call for cleansing the mess for holding a reconciliatory process through negotiations that will lead towards resolving the Baloch quagmire including enforced disappearance. Nonetheless, a majority of Pakistan’s intelligentsia believe that the situation is not that culpable that warrants Akhtar Mengal’s charge-sheet. There is no military operation going on in Balochistan, so there is no question of halting it. There are no death squads, no covert or overt military operations, no missing persons in the custody of the military in Balochistan. It is unbecoming of ex-CM of Balochistan, not to speak of the presence of death squads operated by Baloch militant youth and supported by RAW operatives that are killing “settlers” (ethnic non-Baloch) in the province – i.e., Punjabis, Sindhis, Pakhtuns, Hazaras and Urdu-speaking people. Currently, no group can argue that they are blameless.
Taking Balochistan out of the quandary will require a gigantic effort by all the political parties, selfless intelligentsia and social reformists. According to them, a better course might have been a call to an all-party conference to pave the way towards a just and rational resolution of Balochistan issues. In this connection, before identifying the key actors of the Balochistan conflict, the government and the armed groups should agree to a ceasefire. All the Marri, Mengal, Magsi, Bugti, Raisani, Zehri and other tribes should be engaged in the consultations and the armed struggle should be terminated. With the placement of independent judiciary, an enlightened civil society coupled with a vigorous media, redress of grievances can be amicably addressed. Our well-aware politicians need to display greater responsibility by avoiding their narrow political gains over the national interests. The media also needs to act more responsibly keeping in front the axiom of “Pakistan first”. The law and order situation in Pakistan is not bigger than what was in Sri Lanka and if Sri Lankans can overcome their issues then, we can also resolve our inter and intra-provincial differences.
JAN MOHAMMAD
Charsada
