Balochistan law and order: FC ill-equipped for challenges, says Maj Gen Ejaz

Paramilitary force is struggling to establish state’s writ along border with Iran, IGFC tells Senate panel.

ISLAMABAD:

Inspector General Frontier Corps (IGFC) Maj-Gen Ejaz Shahid on Wednesday warned the government that lack of equipment and scarcity of funds may deal a devastating blow to his force’s fight against separatists in Balochistan.

“We are struggling to establish the writ of the government along Balochistan’s western border. We are quite far away from even playing the national anthem in state-run schools in Panjgur, Turbat [Kech] and adjacent cities in Makran Division,” he told the Senate Standing Committee on Interior. He said security personnel deployed in the northern area were being moved to western areas along the border with Iran.

Maj-Gen Shahid said the FC was underpaid, facing financial constraints and ill-equipped to deal with challenges in Balochistan. “We are currently using only one helicopter… it takes us two to three days to move from one part of the province to another,” he said.

The IGFC said the paramilitary force was short of 600 officers and 173 junior commissioned officers. “As of now, only 236 men are leading a 47,298-strong force… we need more senior officers, religious teachers and other staff to strengthen our ranks,” he informed the committee.



The IGFC complained that of Rs28.5 billion promised to the FC Balochistan for 2013-14, the government had released only Rs15 billion so far. He said a further 30% had been slashed by the finance division.

“Many FC personnel have not received their monthly salaries and millions of rupees owed to the families of FC martyrs are still pending,” he said.

At the same time, Maj-Gen Shahid said the FC had captured more than 16,000 foreigners suspected of subversive activities in Balochistan over the last three years, including Afghans, Iranians, Tajiks, Turks, Bengalis and Germans.

The IGFC also apprised the committee on the ongoing crackdown on separatists which began five months ago.

“The flag of Pakistan is fluttering over many schools [in the province] for the first time after we removed the flags of banned outfits… in many schools, anti-state literature was being taught on the state’s expense,” he said, urging the lawmakers to visit the province.

“You need to visit Balochistan and see for yourself how the FC and other forces are performing their duties in areas where even water is not available.”

Maj-Gen Shahid said the Baloch Liberation Front killed Mir Chakar Baloch – a 10-year-old boy who is suspected of being tortured to death. He also revealed that many of those involved in such incidents and other crimes in the province had political links.

He said the FC had arrested a politician in Quetta after recovering 1.5 tonnes of explosives from his possession. “He was released later due to poor prosecution,” he complained.

The IGFC criticised those who were urging the government to talk with separatists in Balochistan. “You must label estranged Baloch elements ‘miscreants’… their struggle against security forces has become tougher than ever… please encourage us and keep our morale high.”

Following the IGFC’s briefing, Minister of State for Interior Balighur Rehman said a summary would be moved to reverse the 30% deduction of funds for the FC Balochistan. Committee chairman Senator Talha Rehman, meanwhile, said the panel would forward the IGFC’s recommendations to the government and its members would also visit Balochistan soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd, 2014.