Balochistan turmoil: No chance of talks?

Former chief minister Sardar Akhtar Mengal says govt is willing to hold talks with TTP but not with Baloch people.

A recent statement by former chief minister Sardar Akhtar Mengal about the prevailing political situation of Balochistan brings forth a scathing criticism of the government’s ‘selectiveness’ in deciding over what conflicts to resolve and which ones to ignore. Mengal says that the government is willing to hold talks with Taliban extremists but not with the Baloch people.

He even told the prime minister that as a tribal chieftain he could not go Khuzdar because of the deteriorating law and order situation.

Mengal is not a hardliner Baloch; he is quite unlike Bramdagh Bugti, Harbiyar Marri and Dr Allah Nazar Baloch who are seeking the complete independence of Balochistan. Mengal’s party bagged two seats in the last general elections but still, his importance in Balochistan’s political game cannot be denied. His party leaders are targeted and killed mainly in his hometown, Khuzdar, where the administration fails to maintain law and order.

The current chief minister himself says that Mengal could play a significant role in bringing other nationalists into mainstream politics. A year has passed, but the coalition government, despite having strong support of the prime minister, could not address the grievances of Mengal alone.

Balohistan has a coalition government. But it is still struggling to restore peace in the region. The grisly discovery of mass graves of decomposed bodies, targeted killings and bombings on passenger trains were just a few incidents that show the volatile situation of the province.

The killing of unarmed, innocent people is not justified by any means. But it is the responsibility of the government to take all necessary steps to address the grievances. Carrying out operation and dealing with the conflict aggressively will not yield any result but fuel further hatred. The problem is political and it should be dealt with politically rather than by using brute force. There are decades-old injustices and atrocities done to Balochistan and the Baloch people. Despite being rich in natural resources, majority of its people live below the poverty line.

Blaming the tribal system and so-called tribal chieftains for this mess is nothing but mere point-scoring because the constituencies of all those tribal chieftains, who supported previous governments, still face the same problems.

The federal and provincial governments need to revisit their policies and should take confidence building measures which will help restore the trust of the people. Not a single political leader will come on table until the government caters to some positive reforms in the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th, 2014.