As Balochistan struggles through ethnic and sectarian violence, there are elements capitalising from the unrest.
Property dealers are increasing panic among non-Baloch residents by sending threatening letters, which scare people into fleeing Quetta and selling their property at low rates.
Nadir Sumalani, a property dealer in Saryab, an area where incidents of target killings are high, confirmed that some property dealers were involved in sending threatening letters to people from non-Baloch communities.
Sumalani also blamed Baloch militants for increasing unrest and throwing hand grenades, and killing people based on their ethnic and religious background. However, Baloch militant groups have contradicted such claims on several occasions.
A senior investigator from the police department, requesting anonymity said: “We have arrested some property dealers red-handed when they were threatening Punjabis and other non-Baloch to leave their houses.” He added that the dealers were backed by “influential people”. “They used the names of Baloch militant groups to threaten people, who panic and sell their houses and shops at low rates.”
An influx of Afghan refugees has also increased the demand. “A lot of property has been sold to Afghan nationals in Jinnah Town,” the investigator added. Afghan nationals now own plazas and bungalows in the city.
“These people hurl hand grenades at settlers in Saryab Road and Jinnah Town only to decrease property prices,” another police official said. Several other high ranking officials also confirmed the issue, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
The property business in Saryab has witnessed unprecedented decline and people want so sell their houses as quickly as they can, said Din Mohammad, a property dealer.
“A man purchased a double story house for Rs5 million a few years ago. Now he is willing to sell it for Rs3.5 million,” Mohammad said. “There has been some improvement, but still a lot needs to be done,” he said.
“My uncle had been living in Quetta since 1947,” said Arsalan Ahmed, a 26-year-old resident of Jinnah Town, where target killings were on the high last year. He believes Baloch are not killing people randomly. “My uncle, his four daughters and two sons migrated to Karachi last year as target killings increased.”
“However, my uncle is still worried because Karachi is witnessing more killings than Quetta,” he added.
“There are hundred of thousands of Punjabi and Urdu speaking people working at government offices. Colonies like Multani Mohalla and human settlements in the main commercial district of Quetta continue to exist,” said journalist Arzo Rehman.
However, Arzo and Ahmed were scared to go or travel in Saryab Road, which they say is the “Gaza strip” of Quetta.
Mohammad Din, an ethnic Punjabi from Multan works in Quetta as a contractor. He is working on a house on Sariab Road, but is often hesitant to go and work in the Baloch-dominated part of Quetta.
“I don’t go to Saryab. I began construction here after the owner assured me that the situation is stable,” Din told The Express Tribune.
Until recently, many labourers from other provinces were working in Mastung, Kalat, Naushki, Khuzdar and other parts of Balochistan. However, a recent attack on labourers in Naushki, which left five people dead, has sent shockwaves and is an indication of the worsening situation in the province.
Around 113 people from other provinces were killed in Balochistan last year, while 123 were killed in the previous three years.
Target killings and attacks on settlers started in 2006 after the assassination of Nawab Akbar Bugti followed by the killing of Balaach Marri, son of veteran Baloch leader Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, a guerrilla commander who had reportedly been leading a militant group since 2002.
Things used to be different here. When there was peace, people from all sects and ethnicities would live together peacefully, but the last decade has taken all that away.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2011.
COMMENTS (15)
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Why is that Pak leaders always keep saying that they have got irrefutable evidence of India's interference in Balochistan but never showed/produced even one. The evidences are not shared with India nor with US nor with European countries. This makes one to think that there is no evidence at all and all Pak leaders want is to divert the attention from real culprits which is the establishment: Pure sound and light show And bloggers will start dragging Kashmir/UN resolutions etc forgetting that it is Pakistan which made it impossible to implement the resolutions in 1947/48 and it will never be possible again with Pak army in control of POK and the demography of POK completely changed now.
From 1970-1973, ZAB-the Civil Marshal Law Administrator of the country, was engaged in putting down the insurgency in Balochistan, with the help of the Shah of Iran. He was supposedly the "First" ruler who came to power by a democratic election!
Let's give credit where it is due.
@Dinesh Chetti - UN has ignored harms that are being caused to Pakistan's sovereignty. UN's inability to settle decades old problem of Kashmir is one Big living example!
@Amjad: why not even once your country protested against India with proofs in UN regarding so called activities ? conspiracy theorists and spin masters get work constantly in Pakistan.
NAGB
Pervaiz Musharraf was not a Punjabi General.
We neglected Balochistan and its people for decades. If our American and Indian enemies are now exploiting our weaknesses and using them against us then we have only ourselves to blame. The solution, however, is not wet-behind-the-ears liberalism but reason and pragamatism.
It is very important that the news media expose the ethnic cleansing of Punjabis or any one in Balochistan. No one has the Godly right to commit ethnic cleansing. It should be punishable by strict law.
While its sad that ordinary Punjabiz are facing the wrath of some Insurgent groups, this is however not without a reason. They are unfortunately paying the price of the policies of the Punjabi establishment for 60 years. Their crime being staying silent when Balochiz were killed. They say what goes around comes around. Its sad that ordinary Punjabiz have to pay the price of Punjabi Generals and establishment.
Militants groups and their sponsor political parties (BRA, BNA, BMN etc) in Balochistan are fast loosing their authority in the people. By and large most of the people consider them anti human, anti people and selfish elements doing every thing to satiate their lust for money and unfathomable greed. The so called Nawabs and Sardars involved in these activities are as a matter of fact beggars and scroungers who cannot earn their living honestly. The blasting of electric towers affect Balochs more than a non Baloch. Similarly killing innocent people, rocket firing, looting on highways and kidnapping for ransom has created more joblessness adding more to their miseries with an additional disrepute to their good name. The militancy and inept political authority in place has compelled the Pashtuns and non Balochs to push for a separate province as existed in 1947 and before 1970. The revival of the Chief Commissioners province will bring peace to a large part of area and allow development.
Indian spy agencies are best at instigating ethnic rivalry and ethnic cleansing as that is the best way they can fight and weaken Pakistan. It is the responsibility of the Pakistani Government, the public relations and news media to speak loud and clear in condeming any kind of ethnic cleansing and show ZERO tolerance towards such criminal acts with stiff laws. Unless Pakistani Government takes stiff action in protecting its people from foreign handlers and executers of ethnic cleansing - Pakistan will face terrible obstacles in its progress. Ethnic cleansing cleans no body but kills the entire nations back bone and its very existance. Pakistan is made of many ethnicities and that is its foundation and back bone. May God Bless Pakistan and save it from harms way.
@muhammad jawed:
our media doesn't care when punjabis die but if a single person from other ethnicities is even wounded we get breaking news ticker immediately.yesterday on our independence day two more punjabi labourers were killed in lasbella for their crime of being punjabis but no one in our media mentioned this at all. in today's pakistan are punjabis not even humans? are the targetted murders of punjabis not newsworthy?? why this media discrimination against punjabis?
the ethnic cleansing of punjabis has been taking place in balochistan for the last many years but no one in our media bothers to cover it.there are never any talkshows on these murders.hundreds of talkshows have been held on the missing persons but never a single one on the genocide of the punjabi civilians living in balochistan. over 2 lakh punjabis have been forced to flee balochistan but no one takes their interviews on tv,punjabis are routinely taken down from buses in balochistan after their id cards are checked and are then shot dead only for the crime of being punjabis.but they cry in the dark because none of our anchors is willing to give any sort of airtime to them.
According to the news media, it is believed that India has been working with instigating Baloch terror insurgent groups from England with full support and funding. India is continously back stabbing Pakistan from one hand and talking about doing business on the other. Pakistani media and communication has been very weak in exposing this loud and clear and holding India accountable. Pakistan needs Big improvements in its public and foreign relations department especially when it comes to exposing India and its hand in Balochistan unrest. Staying silent and doing nothing is a sign of weakness!
It shows that the unrest there is really a conspiracy. I wouldn't be surprised if the funding for this anti state activity is coming from across the nearby border in Afghanistan where India has its bases / consulates from which they send their agents. These need to be brought under control and protests lodged with Afghanistan government.
Lots of things are happening in Balouchistan and our Government should get serious action against that all troubles and make a peaceful progressive and strong Balochistan which is most important for Pakistan and Government should get immediate action on this issue which is pending since long ago have to do work hard for the people of Balochistan.