On 30 May 2025, Hidayat Ullah Buledi, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Surab, a district of Balochistan, was martyred in an attack by militants. He belonged to a humble family from an underprivileged area of Bagh Nari, where educational opportunities are almost non-existent. He broke these barriers by earning a district merit seat in BRC Loralai, excelling at GC Lahore, being accepted into LUMS under the prestigious NOP scholarship, and selected as a Global UGRAD fellow from Pakistan. After graduating from LUMS, he decided to join the bureaucracy to serve his community; however, it cost him his life.
This is not an incidental issue but a governance failure and a youth concern in Balochistan. Just as the general public has long suffered from these issues, the lives of high officials are not safe either now. The increasing abductions, attacks and killings of even bureaucrats have resulted in distrust among the youth toward pursuing these positions. It means that even if they work hard, clear competitive exams and join prestigious services, they may end up losing their life for nothing.
Rather than taking concrete steps to deal with these issues, the government only addresses episodic ones and believes that condolences to the victim’s family and media statements are enough. They only focus on the symptoms rather than the cause of the issues. Due to this policy failure, those who once saw civil services as a platform to make a difference now fear for their lives. Unless the government takes real steps to address insecurity, poverty and unemployment, the people of Balochistan, especially the youth, will remain alienated.
Malik Ghous Bakhsh
Sibi
