No conspiracies, please

Prime minister is trying to deflect blame for situation in Balochistan on outside forces and foreigners.

Everyone knows that separatist feeling is on the rise in Balochistan, thanks mainly to the action of the military and paramilitary forces, who have been accused of picking up, torturing and killing Baloch activists. Being able to solve this problem, however, has proved beyond the abilities of civilian politicians. During a visit to Quetta, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani concentrated on incidental matters, talking about more government jobs for Baloch and a greater share of the National Finance Commission Award. While such steps are laudable on their own, they do very little to address the sense of alienation that the people of Balochistan feel. At a time when the entire province is on the verge of exploding, Gilani should have done more to address the question of separatism.

Soon after coming into power, the prime minister announced a Balochistan package that while not perfect, went further in addressing the deep-seated problems of the Baloch people than any previous proposal. It called for a military withdrawal from the province, an end to ‘disappearances’ and a negotiated settlement. It also aimed to rectify the deprivation in the province and tried to fix the inequality between Balochistan and other provinces. Needless to say, the package was dead on arrival. As the government is on the verge of completing its first term, there is nothing it has been able to do to ensure the implementation of its own much-trumpeted package.

Instead, the prime minister is now trying to deflect blame for the situation in Balochistan on outside forces and foreigners, who are allegedly trying to take control of the resources in the province, echoing the head of the FC, who had blamed foreign powers for the insurgency. This has always been a convenient excuse for those who have no intention of doing anything about Balochistan. Rather than look at ourselves and realise that we are the ones responsible for convincing the Baloch people they will be better off without us, we prefer to see conspiracies in our midst.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 6^th, 2012.