ALTHOUGH the killing on an ethnic basis is not a new happening in Balochistan, this time this has happened in the chief minister’s hometown, which shows security loopholes within the province.

Also, Pakistan’s national security apparatus should raise its tolerance level and lower its sensitivity. It should understand that one reason of the Baloch disgruntlement is due to their physical alienation from the rest of the communities. It is the lack of community-to-community contact that is fuelling the dissent.

Historically speaking, the Balochistan problem manifests itself in two ways: first, a demand for provincial autonomy and, secondly, a rebellion to seek separation. One of the dilemmas with Balochistan is a pile-up of grievances over the years. One of the grievances is the gap between expections to seek something substantial from the federation and the delivery by the federation on that account.

Another grievance is the product of special (mal)treatment given to Balochistan in the form of military operations in the name of asserting the writ of the state.

Royalty on natural resources is one of the vociferous demands of Balochistan. It is said that Sui gas (discovered in 1952) is not available for use in the area of Sui (a sub-district of Dera Bugti district), but is available in the rest of the country. If that is true, that is pathetic!

Another grave area is the loss of trust between the national security apparatus and the Baloch. A greater responsibility lies on the security apparatus to reverse the tide of mistrust among the Baloch.

There are also some problems with the national security apparatus. It seems the apparatus is over-sensitive to the supposed link between India and the Baloch nationalists (including Baloch separatists).

The point is not only that the security apparatus of Pakistan should be reined in, but also that the Baloch nationalists should understand the sensitivity of Pakistan’s security apparatus and avoid establishing any link with India’s agencies.

Also, Pakistan’s national security apparatus should raise its tolerance level and lower its sensitivity. It should understand that one reason for the Baloch disgruntlement is due to their physical alienation from the rest of the communities. It is the lack of community-to-community contact that is fuelling the dissent.

The apparatus should immediately halt the practice of making Baloch nationalists go missing. It should feel confident that the country has built its muscles over the years and it is impossible for any country to break up Pakistan further.

Now it’s the government duty to implement the National Action Plan, particularly in those areas where it is informed about the safe havens of such anti-state elements.

Muhammad Yasir Kayani
Kasur

(2)

THE massacre of 20 labourers in Turbat has left every Pakistani gloomy and resentful.

These poor people mostly came from remote areas of Sindh and Punjab. The agony of the bereaved families is unbearable. It, however, seems that militant outfits are on the run after having been defeated and flushed out from main battlefields. The government should announce a more handsome compensation than the meagre amount it has already announced.

Besides, this heinous act shows the presence of militant outfits in southern Balochistan. In the wake of Turbat’s linkage with the strategic Gwadar port, there is a need for security and law-enforcement agencies to make security apparatus more proactive and vigilant around Gwadar.

Col (r) Naeem Ashraf
Barja, Azad Kashmir

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2015

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