The Balochistan conundrum

Balochistan CM will need the support of all institutions and federal government, if he is to succeed in his endeavour.

There are few who doubt the good intentions of Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, the man who leads Balochistan’s coalition government. The chief minister has a reputation as a man deeply committed to the welfare of the people of his province — and this alone adds to his credibility and standing in a time when few politicians command respect.

The question though is if Dr Malik can succeed in bringing peace to his turbulent homeland, and in an exclusive interview with this newspaper, he has said the key to this question lies in the hands of the militants themselves and whether they will agree to negotiate. An All Parties Conference (APC) is being organised to discuss how best to approach this matter with Baloch militant forces based both within and beyond the borders of the country.



The matter is a delicate one and will undoubtedly play a key part in determining the future of Balochistan: it currently stands at a point of great uncertainty. Ahead of the APC, and what we hope will be a programme of talks in some form with the militants, Dr Malik raises extremely relevant points when he says the ‘picking up’ of people and the surfacing of bullet-riddled bodies must stop. Quite obviously, an environment of trust needs to be created in Balochistan, if nationalist elements, driven on by feelings of injustice and resulting anger, are to stop their campaign and work towards seeking a political settlement in Balochistan as the chief minister has said this is the only option.

About this too, there can be no doubt. But Dr Malik will need the support of all agencies, all institutions and also the federal government, if he is to succeed in his endeavour. Intervention in Balochistan comes also from other quarters, and this must stop if mainstream parties in the province are to have any hope at all of initiating talks with those who have taken up guns and grasping what may be our very last hope of restoring order and harmony in a province where hatred thrives and where new episodes of violence seem to occur almost every day.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2013.

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