Savagery in Nushki
Lawlessness, coupled with barbarism, seems to be the order of the day in Balochistan. The cold-blooded murders on the highways are literally an act of terrorism, wherein the people are on the receiving end with no recourse to security. The killing of at least 11 persons in Nushki district at the hands of militants simply confirms that they are undeterred and are free to choose their targets. Three different incidents of savagery on the Quetta-Nushki-Taftan N-40 National Highway underscore the grim reality that a synopsis of ethno-lingual and sectarian friction is being enacted to further the sense of divide and to harm national harmony. At a glance, the incidents on the Eid holidays suggests that armed men are scot-free, and have a lot on their nefarious agenda apart from looting passengers. Their prime intention, perhaps, is to send down a message that the reclusive province is off-limits for fellow citizens, and there is an aura of rampage on display.
The shooting down of labourers from Punjab in Balochistan, after profiling their identity, is disgusting. Likewise, the same highway up to the Iranian border of Taftan-Zahedan has been a theatre of sectarian killings in the recent past as pilgrims were exclusively targeted. With free flow of men and material taking place across the porous borders, the restive province has evolved many stakeholders and it seems all are out to extract their booty. Moreover, the presence of non-state actors and the wayward sleeping cells, many of them funded by foreign elements, makes the province a perfect case of unruliness where crime thrives. This aspect is now coming to impact foreign relations as well, as is evident from skirmishes between Iran and Pakistan, and the Chinese falling prey.
Balochistan needs a holistic solution. Dealing with it from the barrel of a gun is not helping find a lasting solution. Apart from exterminating militant outfits, it must be supplemented with a genuine political roadmap; and empowering the masses and putting them at the vanguard is the way to go.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 14th, 2024.
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