Pakistan is dominated by one of its provinces and that often only its say matters
KARACHI: It is generally believed that Pakistan has four provinces, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). However, if we take a closer look at the state of affairs prevalent in the country, we can say with considerable certainty that Pakistan is dominated by one of its provinces and that often only its say matters. When we compare Punjab with other three provinces, then we can clearly find a huge difference. Major problems such as illiteracy, poverty, unemployment and terrorism are seen mostly in Sindh, Balochistan and K-P but not in Punjab. Resource-rich Balochistan, despite being the largest in terms of land, and Sindh, which is known for its agriculture, are particularly underdeveloped. However, Punjab has thousands of large, small and medium-scale industries and the irony is that these are dependent on gas from Balochistan and Sindh.
The sad reality is that neither the government of Balochistan nor the federal government has given any attention to resolving some of the many challenges that the province faces. Education, which could propel development and prosperity, is not even valued in the smaller provinces. Sindh and Balochistan have the lowest number of schools and teachers compared with Punjab. It is estimated that the number of schools and teachers in Punjab are two times higher than the numbers present in Balochistan and Sindh. Besides this, poverty has played its part in creating havoc in these provinces.
The great philosopher Aristotle once said that poverty is the “parent of revolution and crime”. So if he is correct, then it means Pakistan is itself inviting the people of Sindh and Balochistan to commit crimes and to move the country further into the shadows of darkness.
Bahram Sayad
Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2014.
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