Elections brought in a new government in the province but it seems as if change has actually worsened the problem.
MELBOURNE: Quetta has been in the grip of ethnic and sectarian violence for a long time now. Elections in 2013 have brought in a new government in the troubled province but it seems as if that change has actually worsened the problem.
Apparently, the nationalist chief minister is said to be running the show with reservations from all sides of the political spectrum. The problem in Balochistan is multidimensional. There are separatists, who are running a movement for independence and have openly declared a war against the Pakistani state, and to pacify them the PML-N has allowed a nationalist government. However, this action doesn’t take into account the fact that the insurgents are fighting the state and a change in government will not solve the problem unless state institutions work with the provincial government. The situation is alarming and demands stern and immediate action to address the problem — lack of coordination between government and state institutions — before there can be any chance of peace being restored in Balochistan. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif seems to have realised this and his recent trip to the provincial capital did suggest that he was very serious about getting to the root of the problem.
Unfortunately, the country seems to be in the grips of right-wing conservatives who are ideologically close to the banned outfit responsible for the poor law and order situation in Balochistan.
Malik Atif Mahmood Majoka
Published in The Express Tribune, July 7th, 2013.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
