Not a wise policy
It is regrettable that contrary to the hopes of the masses to see the insurgency in Balochistan ebbing away after the installation of the PML-N government at the Centre and a Baloch nationalist heading the government in the province, the frequency and intensity of the terrorist acts by the insurgents have increased manifold. The killing of the 13 Punjabi labourers near Mach in cold blood by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the attack on a funeral gathering at the Police Lines Quetta which killed 33 people including some high ranking police officials besides seriously injuring more than 60 people just before Eid, amply demonstrates that these elements are not amenable to peace or reconciliation overtures and have become a real threat to the integrity of the country. They are now attacking every symbol of state authority as their attack on Ziarat residency confirmed their anti-Pakistan credentials.
What a shame that the human rights organisations who have been crying hoarse from every convenient roof-top to condemn human rights violations in the province with reference to the killing of Baloch nationalists, allegedly by the agencies, have never condemned the target killings by the BLA, especially of Punjabis, with the same vehemence as they have been doing in the former case. The political and politico-religious parties more or less have a similar disposition, tinged with political expediencies. Acts of terrorism and killing of people through extra-judicial killings, no matter how big the cause, carried out by individuals or state agencies, are condemnable without any reservation and political expediencies.
The dilemma is that the successive governments at the Centre and the province have not shown the level of commitment that could have helped in eliminating insurgency in the province. Their pandering to the insurgents, half-hearted and sporadic counter-insurgency measures, ill conceived economic policies and the failure to deliver necessary services to the people at the grass-root level have precipitated the crisis. The insurgents have capitalised on societal problems often called ‘gaps’. These gaps have helped the cause of insurgents who after every lull in action against them have come back stronger than before to carry out their nefarious designs, invariably with the support of foreign powers. Afghanistan, Iraq and former Soviet Union fomented insurgency in the province during ’60s and ’70s. Presently India, Afghanistan and possibly USA are also involved in keeping Pakistan under pressure through these insurgents. It is that dimension which is the most worrying factor.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif enjoys the trust and confidence of the people who are looking up to him to find a permanent solution to insurgency in Balochistan as well as the problem of terrorism and religious extremism in the country. The former, however, requires top priority. Prime minister’s authorisation to the Chief Minister Balochistan to hold dialogue with the insurgent groups is undoubtedly a well intentioned move, but if history is any guide, these elements are not going to reconcile to the idea of Baloch rights within Pakistan no matter what you do. We need a well thought out counter-insurgency initiative in Balochistan, divorced from political considerations. It might entail some tough and unpopular decisions. Nevertheless sagacious, honest and visionary leaders never shy away from taking such decisions in the larger and long-term interests of the country. Nawaz Sharif is faced with a situation where his leadership qualities and political vision will be tested and hopefully he would not disappoint the nation.
The counter-insurgency should not primarily be military action, but a combination of military, political and social actions. On the military front, we need to show zero tolerance for the insurgents and squeeze the space within which they operate and train by establishing military cantonments in all the areas supposedly infested by the insurgents and strengthening the intelligence networks without letting the agencies to go beyond their prime duty of intelligence gathering as is allegedly happening at the moment. Another very important decision that must form part of the counter-insurgency policy is to end B areas in Balochistan to establish the writ of the government over the whole province. These steps might be resisted by the vested interests and the sympathisers of the insurgents who have been demanding the withdrawal of FC and army from Balochistan, but the government should not succumb to their blackmailing antics.
On the political side, all the Baloch nationalist forces striving for their rights within the federation of Pakistan must be encouraged to join the political mainstream and made part of the political power sharing arrangement. No time should be lost in setting up local governments with maximum possible financial resources at their disposal and powers to deal with the developmental requirements, provision of social services like health and education, roads and transport and maintaining law and order situation to fill the gaps that the insurgents usually tend to exploit to win the sympathy of the people. That is the best ploy to isolate the insurgents and deal with them effectively. Counter-insurgency efforts prove successful when the insurgents are unpopular. That also helps in implementing the military aspects of the counter-insurgency strategy.
Pakistan army has played a tremendous role in filling some of the gaps in Balochistan. Reportedly 10,000 Baloch youth have joined the army as officers and jawans. Cadet colleges and other educational institutions established by the army are imparting education to more than 4,000 Baloch students. The setting up of cantonments in different parts of the province, besides establishing military ascendancy against the insurgents, will help change the economic profile of those areas as well.
Some initiatives have also been taken on the civilian side. A number of educational projects have been undertaken through out the province and an IT and Business Management University was contemplated to be set up in Quetta with campuses at Zhob, Kalat, Noshki, Pishin, Qilla Abdullah and Gwadar districts. That initiative needs to be vigorously pursued and accomplished within the shortest possible time. Education is the best weapon against the forcers of darkness and proponents of insurgency.
Peace in Balochistan is utmost essential to build the economic corridor that the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif contemplates to build with the help of China and attracting foreign investment, needed for setting up mega projects in the energy and industrial sector and also building the IP gas pipeline if the government remains committed to complete the project by resisting American pressure.
The writer is an academic.