BASIC ISSUES OF BALOCHISTAN

Taimoor Mustafa

Balochistan is only 5% of the total population of Pakistan which includes multiethnic, multi-cultural and multi-lingual groups (Baloch, Brahvi, Pashtun, Hazara) and others. The total population of Balochistan is 7.9 million people. The political and administrative system of this largest province of the country (43.5% of Pakistan) is plagued by incompetence and corruption.

Those tribal chiefs who have always been part of the process of political division as members of the provincial assembly and the federal cabinet, despite holding the positions of prime minister, governor and chief minister, were not sincere in their efforts for the overall development of the province. They never paid heed to the social and economic issues of Balochistan. While, these Sardars blame federal government and the Punjabis for socio-economic inequality and the hardships of the common people. These Sardars use the exploitation of the Baloch nation to gain power from the people and blackmail the federal government to serve the interests of their foreign masters. Their malicious propaganda has gradually started to pollute the mind-set of the young Baloch and illiterate people along with creating misunderstandings at the national and international level.

This shows that there are some important reasons to overcome the crisis situation in Balochistan, which need to be identified and addressed from a different angle.

Balochistan has vast potential for development. Despite being rich in mineral and hydrocarbon resources, it is a poor province of Pakistan and contributes very little to the national exchequer. The real potential of the province can never be exploited in the face of conspiracy theories of internal and external forces. Therefore, the province is suffering from corruption, poor governance, weak law and order situation, tribal rivalry, poverty, deprivation and weak political structure.

In the last twenty-five years, the state of Pakistan has given as much importance to Balochistan as to any other province, whether it is the era of General Musharraf or the government of political parties, every government has always given priority to Balochistan. Major posts in the centre as Prime Minister, Chairman Senate and major ministries have all come to Balochistan, which is always more than Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Sindh.

While, no substantial revenue comes from Balochistan in the national exchequer, yet Balochistan has always been given its share and other opportunities have also been provided so that Balochistan always remains a part of the national stream.

On the other hand, the mystery of ‘missing persons’ and ‘enforced disappearances’ is a topic that has given rise to different opinions and perspectives. The controversial nature of the ‘missing persons’ issue has long been used by hostile elements, including India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and the Baloch separatist organizations. They take advantage of the local public’s reaction and use them against the state.

Whereas, state of Pakistan has recorded 9,133 disappearances in 11 years (of which 75.8% have been resolved), with the current number of missing people standing at 2,207 – a figure lower than that of the world’s leading liberal democracies. According to a report, the highest number of missing person cases is currently in the United States, where more than 600,000 people go missing annually, of which 4,400 are unidentified bodies.

Pakistan’s eastern neighbour India has a record of 88 people going missing every hour, 2130 people every day and 64851 people every month.

It is noteworthy that despite the relatively low number of missing person’s cases in Pakistan, the state is not absolved of its responsibility to address these disappearances. Given this responsibility, Pakistan established a Commission of Inquiry into Enforced Disappearances in 2011. Since its inception, the commission has received 8463 complaints of missing person’s cases and has solved 77% of the cases registered with it.

Furthermore, during investigations at the Commission on Missing Persons, many cases have come to light, where persons have voluntarily disappeared to avoid arrest by law enforcement agencies. A significant number of persons who were reported missing, were abducted or killed due to personal enmity and their fate only known after the arrest of those responsible.

Although the actual data does not support such a grim portrayal, the whole narrative is overstated. While it is also worth mentioning that not a common citizen of Balochistan, but a few nationalist parties have always been propagandizing against the state and misleading the innocent Baloch people in order to increase the bargaining power and favour them.

The issue of Balochi nation was always presented in the media, especially the international media. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed in one of his speeches that we will soon separate Balochistan from Pakistan. To achieve this aim, they are attacking both the state of Pakistan and the Baloch nation in the form of various terrorist groups. 

Whereas, those who love Pakistan are being killed by BLA, sometimes on the charge of informer, treason and sometimes in their enmity. They have their own courts which are called national courts and give them sentences and then hang them on the mountains. They pick up these patriots and kill them and this is their real face, which everyone should know.

They fulfil their nefarious jihadi goals by keeping women and children in front and if state try to remove this shield of women and children, they make noise all over the world that Baloch women are being raped and tortured.

Baloch people need to understand and know what is the truth and how they can fight against these conspirators so that Balochistan can develop more and compete with other provinces of Pakistan.