Stabilising Balochistan : The ball is in the militants’ court, says Dr Malik

APC will formulate a strategy to address problems: CM.

QUETTA: People have pinned high hopes on Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch. They believe he can steer Balochistan out of a vicious cycle of violence. Dr Malik is not sure about the success of a peace initiative his administration plans to launch within a few weeks. However, he’s sure that if the Baloch insurgents come to the negotiating table he can achieve what his predecessors couldn’t since 2004.

“It is up to them [Baloch militants] to come to the negotiating table,” the chief minister told The Express Tribune in an exclusive interview.

“I’m not sure whether the dialogue will be successful or not, but it is my desire that they be successful … all I can do is try my best to improve the situation in Balochistan,” he added. “My first objective is to bring political and economic stability to the province. I want to provide both security and basic amenities to my people.”

Dr Malik, who survived several attempts by militants on his life while campaigning for the elections in Kech, spoke at length about his desire to resolve the festering issues of the province. He discussed the rationale behind his decision to convene an all-party conference (APC) in an attempt to restore law and order in the province. A parliamentary committee Dr Malik leads has been tasked with preparations for the proposed huddle.



“The main issue in Balochistan is political. As such, I want to take all political parties on board to find a solution,” he said. “The APC is an attempt to bring all the issues [Balochistan currently faces] in the limelight and formulate a strategy to address them.”

According to the chief minister, the APC would focus on finding a solution to militancy and sectarian violence in the violence-wrecked province. “The parties [attending the APC] will be asked to develop a mechanism for steering the province out of the quicksand of militancy and religious extremism,” he said.

“Maybe they [the parties] will authorise me to hold talks with militants, or maybe another committee,” he added.

Asked whether any militant group would be invited to the APC, Dr Malik said: “We need to develop a mechanism to  approach them first … therefore, they will not be invited to attend the conference.”

On the other hand, he urged the government to address the issues of missing persons and the dumping of bullet-riddled bodies to create an environment conducive for negotiations.

He, however, acknowledged that there has been a marked decrease in such incidents. “Incidents where we find the dead bodies of missing persons have gone down in Balochistan … I hope they end soon.”

Dr Malik also said there had been a shift in Islamabad’s mindset towards Balochistan. “[Prime Minister] Nawaz Sharif endorsed me as the chief minister despite the fact that his party has a majority in the Balochistan Assembly. This shows the Center’s attitude towards the province has changed,” he said.

Asked what his government had achieved so far, Dr Malik said no member of his cabinet has been accused of corruption. Though recent kidnappings, such as that of ANP leader Arbab Zahir Kasi and cardiologist Prof Munaf Tareen, have raised concerns about his government’s capacity to tackle the problem, he said it was doing everything it could within the resources available to bust kidnapping gangs.

The chief minister also cited allocation of 26% of the provincial budget to education as another significant achievement of his government.

Responding to criticism over the prolonged delay in finalising a cabinet, the chief minister said such challenges were inevitable for a coalition government. He quashed the impression that his party was coerced by its coalition partners. “We have a good understanding and I’ve never been pressurised by any coalition partner.”

Explaining the dynamics of Balochistan’s politics, Dr Malik said they were influenced partly by tribalism and partly by feudalism. “Individuals are stronger than parties here… National Party is an institution-oriented party, that is why it has not been able to muster wide support in the province,” said the chief minister, who is also the head of National Party.

Dr Malik, who has been hailed for being the first chief minister of Balochistan from the middle class, admitted that there were challenges in working with a cabinet dominated by tribal chieftains but added that it did not intimidate him. “I do what is right and I do not give undue favours to anyone.”

Talking about earthquake relief efforts in Awaran and Kech, the chief minister said he had sent a letter to the federal government requesting international aid agencies be allowed to carry out relief operations in the area.

“The federal government should either allow international aid or do more for the rehabilitation process itself. Someone has to do it whether it is the provincial government, federal government or international aid organisations,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2013.