Balochistan has come under focus in the last few days with the murder of a member of Balochistan assembly and his wife, a Supreme Court hearing on the missing persons case, unabated violence in the province and a US Congressional hearing on the Balochistan issue.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rehman Malik recently said that there were reports indicating involvement of foreign hands in the prevailing situation of Balochistan.
“Natural resources are in abundance in Balochistan and it is a conspiracy hatched by the anti-state elements to keep the situation disturbing there,” he said.
The blame game has been going on for decades and while there have been calls for a parliamentary committee’s visit in the province, no clear solution has been presented.
Baloch nationalists lay the blame with the government and armed forces, while the government blames ‘foreign hand.’ Who, really, is to blame?
If a peaceful future of the province is to be envisioned, all major stakeholders must be taken on board. How must the government achieve this?
Dawn.com invites its readers to give their views and suggestions.
Greetings: I noticed hat there has not been one single politician or elected official has taken part in the conversation from either side. It tells you the state of affairs of the country.
come on 17 seats in the national assembly out of a total of 342.. is not a sizeable representation.regardles of that and what has happened in the past .the fact of the matter is that baluchistan does feel itself sidelined denying it is not going to solve the situation…we have lost east pakistan to arrogance so please lets hold on to baluchistan with reality.
equal representation means equal representation, if there is inequality in the size of the provinces make them equal so it is actually equal representation.. what we have done is divided provinces on ethnic bases and hence bred feelings of injustice
Baluchistan is part of pakistan but what have we done to show that we are more concerned about Baluchistan than Kashmir Baluchistan with it’s vast resources has to be exploited and used which also should benefit the region itself , Rehman Malick has no power he can not even sort out the problems facing karachi the government has put in charge people who are incompetent just like any other department like Police it’s about the time that all pakistani unite and do something ourselves rather then wasting our time on Government to do something who is only interested in stacking loads in foreign banks The media in Pakistan is doing an excellent job exposing injustice,corruption and mafia this is an eye opener for the nation the PPP and MLN nawaz exposed by Imran Khan two sides of the same coin taking turns to loot the country a powerful Opposition and media would never let this happen. please please we request to the nation to use your vote wisely don’t waste on the tried and tested parties I am for TIP Imran khan why because I see light in the tunell even if he is strong powerfull opposition that we need in order to put country on the right path to progress and prosper. government must not let other countries intefer in our domestic issues ,we must deal with ourselves instead of sweeping under the carpet resulting in foregn involvement.
I want to ask one thing from all of the writers on the above given subject and to the media
where were you from beginning from Musharaf Era when Balochs been missing and been killed
and there dead bodies were thrown after some time.
when our families demonstrated and gone on hunger strikes in front of Karachi, Quetta press
club, and why now when US started to debate on Balochistan Human Rights Abuses by the Pakistan.
Please for god sake let us live on our own and now its too late to bring the topic of Balochistan in
your media.
Now its too late to discuss Balochistan again and again.
Mir Sahib there is no doubt, you have rightfully mentioned some disturbing facts and your grievances may be justified from many aspects.
you want to be left alone but Believe me it is not just a matter of everybody haunting you,it is not for natural resources either it is much bigger then that.Please look at things from a bigger perceptive. and you may find why we are worried?
i just have one line to say……if some one can save pakistan in this world so that is army and isi…..
I have great concern with Americas interference within Balochistan and what the Sardars are tricking their people into believing the US will promise them.
Having visited Pakistan after 20 years i can honestly say many areas are still underdeveloped. Shortage of gas & electricity, poor housing health and schools lack of food and water and all this was seen in parts of Punjab whom Baloch Saradrs claim to be the ‘real Pakistan’. Pakistan as a whole is poor whichever province one visits!
Baloch separatists do you actually think America cares for your rights? Balochistan is a vital strategic destination for them to have access to Afghanistan Iran and the entire Persian Gulf region. Gawader gives access to China to the entire oil rich middle east, why would they (US) care about building schools and hospitals in Balochistan when in 11 years they have done NOTHING for Afghanistan. Today Afghanistan remains divided on tribal lines with people vowing their allegiance to their tribal war lords.
America does not care a single drop of Baloch worries or tears. They only care for their own interests and greed as they will use you and make your situation even worse! if they cared for human rights and self determination surly today Palestine would be an independent nation and native American Indians (not Hindustanis) would be acknowledged as the rightful owners of the entire American nation.
Balochistan is an issue for Pakistan and it should be taken up by the highest authorities within Pakistan not the US senate. It is an internal matter not an outside issue.
Long live Pakistan and Long live a prosperous Balcohistan province of Pakistan!
Asim your points made here are true to the fact and are worth considering for Balauch separatists.
Baluchistan is the only province in Pakistan with warm ocean coastline on one end, and snowy peaks at 8,850 feet from sea level on the other end. There are deserts, and vast rocky mountains and also the second largest Juniper forest in the world. Besides, it has a mixture of interesting languages like Barahui, Persian Pushto, Baluchi and Urdu and the speakers of these languages have a kind of sub culture of their own, making the society like symphony. It is so sad to see its people so poor.
I am not a Baluchi. But I love the people of this place. I am sure they have oil, gas, precious stones, coal and numerous other minerals.
was once told that King of Iran talked to Pakistani government asking them never to dig for oil, because all the oil from Iran, which is on higher ground, will flow towards Pakistan, and Iran would become dry!
Is that true?
And is that fair?
I dont know the facts but I dont think one nation can prevent another nation from digging on their own soil just because the oil may flow towards them, it is our fault if that is true and we should not have stopped digging.
However I think this is an urban legend.
If balochistan problem is addresses in the right earnest it can bring prosperity to the entire Pakistan and this prosperity shall augur well for the entire region including India. We in India want a prosperous neighbor
In Pakistan, with vibrating economy, good education and health. It is the poverty and backwardness that haunts Pakistan that depends heavily on U S who in turn dictate their terms to the chagrin of the entire region by promoting arm race while the poor crave for two square meals. India has no designs on any part of Pakistan. Pakistan and India both must freeze the contentious Kashmir and other
Issues for 20 years without prejudice to their respective stands. The money thus saved should be religiously spent on welfare schemes. Man made barriers shall disappear automatically. However, the politicians would have no issues to play with. Chawla
As far as concern Pakistani government is totally responsible they are doing nothing for the solution and only saying that foreign hand is harming Baluchistan. I have a question from Rehman Malik which foreign hand is there describe it and show to the people of country, Baluchistan have so many natural resources but still there is a lot of places in Baluchistan that’s having no gas no Light so what you people call this things isn’t it in-justice with the Baluchis. Punjabis have been ruling over pakistan since pakistan got freedom and they are neglecting Baluchis and working only for their punjabis so it means that only punjabis are pakistani no one else..
Manzoor can you kindly elaborate on the fact that,what have all the Sardars done in essence for the people of Baluchistan?
Being directly responsible for the affairs under there control,nobody has shown the true sympathy and concern about the average man. The state itself or the so called sympathetic heart bleeding Sardars. It is all talk, nothing else.
Why not blame all the stakeholders including Baloch Sardars and the people as well.
Greetings to all: Can someone come up with actual numbers to make one’s case in favor or against the issue. Calling names will not help. Please someone take time and present a well writen paper.
The Baluchi tribal leaders get very decent royalties from their mineral reserves. Where does the money go? Back to Islamabad or to concealed foreign bank accounts? Baluchis have a right to know before they pick up the guns. Where has all this wealth gone? Why is it not trickling down to the common Baluch? Should the Pakistani government ensure that the wealth gets to the Baluch common man?
It has also been mentioned that on a per capital basis, the NFC award for Baluchistan is 2.8 times that of Punjab. You see some development in Punjab, however where this money disappears in Baluchistan remains a mystery.
There is a international law concerning the Mineral right royality. If the land is owned by a individual or this is a family property, the royality money goes to the land owners. If the property is owned by state the royality goes to province. In case of offshore, outside the legal boundry, being in the international waters such as oil wells in deep sea, the money goes to the central govt. In the case of Baluchistan if the land is owned by a sardar or nawab ( recorded in court by the registrar and abstract report can authenticate this. ) then the legal owner gets the revenue. There can be an exception however if the exception defined and approved by the lasgislation.
That is true. What is happening to very decent royalties from their mineral reserves?
A question which needs answer!
If something is wrong within a country, is it always the responsible body (government) to blame?
I think that in this situation the people of Balucistan are innocent But in some aspects Pakistani Government as well as Baluch extremists are responsible : Pakistani Government is responsible because It continually says that Foreign hands are working in the deteriorating Balucistan and proofs are exist but the problem is that why it cannot show the names those subversive elements?
And the Baluchis extremists are also responsible because why they are destroying the gas pipelines and other government assets in the Baluchistan which are for the Baluchi people if they are not receiving their proper share then why they destroy the available resources? And why they are taking and working for foreigners? Why their representative in their assemblies not doing their respective duties in proper way?
So remember my Baluchi brothers and government the enemies are clapping on you.
Killings will go on happening in Balochistan as there is no accountability and has been no accountability and there will be no accountability. Institutions are weak and there is a very strong PERSONALIZED form of system intact. A system where might and power has become the law and the law of might and power is the law of the jungle, and the law of the jungle is prevailing in our society. There are touchables and the untouchables in the society where one is targeted due to it being weak and the other, an invisible hand that can hit wherever and whosoever at will and desire with no regrets. There can be seen no magnanimity. If we become merciless against one, we gradually become merciless against all and eventually we have turned into a merciless society where the value of the life of a human being is nothing but a priceless target on a shooting range. A society may it be a law enforcing agency or an individual, that has become trigger happy, wants to shoot and kill at will with no resolve or emphasis to the law or humanity or the revelations of the Almighty in the Holy Quran.
The animosity of our society has now reached new heights where the innocent wife and daughter of Mir Bakhtiar Dhomki were so mercilessly killed in this so called mega-city. In the Baloch Soceity, Culture and History, sanctity of a women’s respect prevails and there is never found an instance where revenge is taken from a woman or a child. Their killers will never be identified same as those tortured and killed and their mutilated corpses thrown around in the Balochistan Province. If there is a government, is it not the responsibility of the government to unearth the facts and bring the killers to task, the killers of young Pakistanis in the Balochistan Province and now killers of women and children too. Where and when will this end? Or will it ever end! Or can we as citizens of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan bring it to an end. The retaliation and reaction to such actions is again devastating where innocent human lives are wasted.
The memory of East Pakistan is still fresh in our minds, let us not make history repeat itself and should try to bring a turnaround before its too late or perhaps it is already too late.
Greetings to all. For the love of God Almighty, the kiling of a young mother and her child is limit of cruelty. Even Mafia never touched the family members and their relative, Have we become animals or we were always that way.
Tahir your comments are factual and your questions real.These are valid point.
Why destroy things and murder people to make a point.
Dear all, I m thank full to DAWN has provided us chance to comment on such a important and serious issue. I read comments but the issue is little bid difficult to understand, some said that in NFC Award Balch has got alot, still 82% distribution on population, the shere of Punjab is 51.74% and Balochistan 9.09%. The govt of Balochistan is bearing all expenses of F.C with all security agencies, thy all get back from provincial govt and the remaining amount goes in expenses of ministers and other hand Pakistan is icluded in most corrupt countries of world.
Second issue is about forign hand, it may be, but forign hand is that much power full to kidnape political workers and other notable persons, students from cities, streets, shops, resturants and also from there homes. and from 4 years such kind events happenig daily and after some days or months throw the mutilated bodys. and target killing is daily rutine. no one arrests why? why are the agencies, F.C, Police and other Law enforcement agencies. If we concern the statement of interior minister he sys the killing of Baloch woment at Karachi also forign hand is there the bullets used are not made in Pakistan. In the biggest city of Pakistan RAW is that much active to stops the car and pull out woment and children to burst them on road? if forign hand is that much powerfull so what will happen?
This issue has been discussed in U.S Congress, in second arised in National Assembly by Opposition leader all oppeosed the step of U.S Congress. This is the right of Parlimentarians but this is not a right to discuss the issue of missing pereson, mutilated bodies, target killing, role of agencies and other grivances of Balochs. The role of Govt, Opposition, Army, F.C and Agencies are very much crucial.
These issues need to be discussed.
Give me one sincere baloch leader in past 50-70 years who has worked for the prosperity of this province. Every leader that came from Balochistan unfortunately was a tribal leader. These leader, the so called representatives of the province and their people have been getting royalty on Sui and other government grants for development work …which never took place.
Practically every province has to fight for its right and the leaders of that province are responsible to represent their people and work in ordination with the federal government to get benefit. Unfortunately the leaders in Baluchistan were more interested to keep their authority and did not work with sincerity for their people. I am being blunt but this is a reality and baluchis should face it. Dont take me wrong but the problem is not only the centre, but the main problem is absence of sincere leadership in the province.
The past leaders never tried to bring prosperity for the province and always kept the people at a distance from the centre. Now since the crackdown was made to bring prosperity in the province, these leaders including Akber Bugti, could not face diminishing authority that his family had since generations.
We talk about Sui Resources and why the villages near Sui have not benefited. We should ask this question from the Bugti Tribe that has been pocketing billions of rupees as royalty from the nation.
Tough questions but this is no time to continue drag what these leaders made us do. This is the time to put is right and understand that together we rise.
If you get one sincere leader in Baluchistan, this province will be rise to give highest revenues to Pakistan economy
Irfan some interesting points, what has been said here is true also.
In my view government is totally responsible for this condition of Baluchistan.
If we peep in history, they are treating this province like they had done with Bangladesh.Result was the partition of country, even though Bangladesh played a good role in the economic developing of new born country but this province was totally ignored by the government.
like wise: that situation is repeating now with Baluchistan though this province is good economic developer by its natural resources but it is totally ignored by the government.
Government should take some serious steps to over come this issue otherwise the day is not so far Pakistan can loose this province too.
Dear Friends ! Lets see the facts . One of my friend from Kharan told me that we use to go for medical check to Iran as it is near most hospital , Sui is well established because of gas and just 4 km of sui u will see women fetching woods for cooking , more than 70% children are without basic education , more than 85% are below povert line , my question is WHO IS RESPONSIBLE ?
Complete Pakistani nation is responsible if something happened to Balochistan
The truth is that rest of Pakistan is no better. Brother Balochis should be made to be aware of that.
The truth is that rest of Pakistan is no better. Brother Baluchis should be made to be aware of that.
That is the Truth.shafi is right but that does not solve the problem in hand but may help them to look at the problem from a different perspective.
non of the country in world is perfect, we have to made it.
Balouchis are the brothers of the rest of Pakistan. We all are same people. However, we have to admit that we all are greedy and corrupt people. If we really want to seriously do something about each other, we need to be honest and trustworthy. This can all be done by us. Nobody from outside will be able to do this for us.
The government is indicating the symptoms but not going after the cause of the problem, if our own behaviour with the Balochs become right in regard to the development of Balochistan then all the external and internal hands would disappear automatically, we are providing them an oppurtunity to get involved, whatever announced must be delivered to the bottom level means to poor people of Balochistan.
Brother Mubashir, what is the ’cause ‘ of the problem? How can one develop a country/province if there are gun totting feudal lords trying to impose their own will for their own purpose. What we need is peaceful negotiations to achieve equilibrium not bombs. All stakeholders should sit down together without being emotional and come to agreements.
Shafi that will never happen,nobody has the interest at their heart for the masses.
everybody is being lead,there is no awareness of the root cause of any of the problems being faced by the people of Baluchistan or the people of the country on the whole.
Until an average person develops below surface understanding of the issues, they will be played like rouge dolls. Jaha n hai manzil wahee n lutaira
dear dawn,,foreseeing the situation in balochistan is heartening,,the situation in complete country is bad and there is no solution,,,i was born in quetta,,, than again my father served in quetta twice,,,,,in late 1980s the security situation in quetta were very good,,,so good that once moving in the cantonment there were no check posts,,,than again in mid 90s u could easily move to any part of quetta without any worry,,,,chaman,,,,noshki,,,all were safe places to visit,,,there were no problems,,,,the real problem occurred with the death of nawab akbar bugti,,,,now all those people who use to hate akbar bugti are now cashing his death,,,the more time v give to this problem,,,the more grave the situation will become,,,,,,in pakistan no body is fighting to liberate any area or wants islamic law,,,its all war of existence and earning money,,which is directly helping our enemy,,who is putting in more money,,,,,,,now question arises what is the solution,,,,,,,,,very simple,,,,,kal the bad guyzzzz(no names) give them money as much as they want,,,give them autonomy and let the time and literature solve the issue,,,the most important thing is getting hold of the stake holders,,rather than them playing into the hands of the enemy,,,,because a simple baloch is not getting any thing out of it,,,,,and no baloch wants the pakistan to be broken,,,,,,rather they dont have any interest,,they are more busy in earning there day to day lively hood,,,,,,,,,remember it takes 10 years to create a generation,,,,,v have lost 10 years ,,,,,,the enemy has created a generation,,,,,,,,now v need to earn 10 more years,, get it back,,,before it slips away……
Which foreign hand was continuously harming Baluchistan for 65 years ?????
I would like to share few facts with my fellow pakistanis and then ask a question to the political leaders of Balochistan. The biggest province of Pakistan i.e Punjab with a population of 73 million people had a financial outlay of 653 billion rupees for the Budget 2011/12, meaning there by a per head budget of Rs 8945/- only. On the other hand Balochistan with a population of 6.5 million announced a budget of Rs 164 billion for the year 2011/12, meaning a per capita budget of Rs 24977/-, which is 2.8 times higher than Punjab per capita budget. Now my question to the provincial government of Balochistan, ” Where the hell is this alll money disappearing?”
foreign hand is definitely there in the situation of balochistan. there are foreign powers who want to dismantle Pakistan. But to a fair extent Pakistani govt negligence is also to be blamed as well.
Shahid,
Finding foreign hands is the most convenient way to sweep our problems under rug. If there are powers who want to dismantle Pakistan, have we ever thought why they chose Baluchistan and why our Baluch brethren agreed to play into their hands.
i would not blame any government directly for causing depression in baluchistan.its military and establishment in joint who should be held responsible for current situation in baluchistan. one of the biggest problem with underdeveloped countries like Pakistan is unequal income distribution at individual and aggregate level.