The Balochistan province of Pakistan forms over 43% of Pakistani landmass. However, it is thinly populated and constituting only 5% of the total population of Pakistan. Strategically and economically, the province is the significant part of the country. Ever since 2004, the province has been in socio-political turmoil which allowed external powers to exploit the situation in their favour and to the disadvantage of Pakistan and the province. During this tenure, there emerged many fault lines in the province which could not attract the attention of the federal and provincial elites, thus situation kept on deteriorating with each passing day.
Among many fault lines, sub-nationalism is the most dangerous trend, nurtured over the years and needs special attention. Those involved in this unholy game of promoting sub-nationalism in the province are making maximum investment on the youth of the province. Resultantly, the youth of the province is getting into an unsatisfactory mode and many of them are being dragged into the militancy and undesired activities which goes against the state and particularly the future of the youth. The entire development needs a retrospective evaluation and critical assessment as a course correction sooner than the later.
A set of measures are being suggested as a package for the federal government, the provincial government and state institutions to play the role towards bringing normalcy in the province. The first and the foremost is immediate engagement with the youth and general masses of the province at an extensive level. This engagement must be initiated at three level; social, political and economic. Social engagement is the most essential comment among all, since masses and youth needs immediate attention and motivation to remain away from any activity which goes against their interests and interests of the state. More so, clarity among the masses and youth would save those standing at the fence who can decide to go anywhere. The social engagement has to be real and sincere while exploring the cultural, traditional and religious aspects of the province. While engaging the masses and youth, it has to be kept in mind that, local customs and traditions have to be respected. Baloch are very respected people, thus this aspect must be given the utmost significance while interacting with them. After social engagement, the economic and political engagements will act as catalyst and as the booster. This would include creating stakes of the masses in the major decision making process of the province while engaging the local notables and literate youth at gross-root level. Indeed, the political engagement is all about empowering the masses and local notables through ownership. This strategy would entail the dual process of engagement and stakes where elders of the society provide wisdom as per the Baloch traditions and the youth act as organizers and implementers through a process of transformation in line with the contemporary requirements. The social engagement must include a rigorous campaign of identifying the socio-economic vulnerabilities of the masses and youth in the first instance. After a clear identification of these vulnerabilities, the government must address the issues not as an economic assistance but as a futuristic investment which act as a multiplier for them on long-term basis. This would include twin-process of economic well-being and social engagement. The modalities of this strategy can be deliberated further for the maximum socio-economic benefits of the masses and the various parts of the province especially the rural areas and the deprived class of the Balochistan.
Empowering the locals; the deprived class through a gradual strategy on social issues through a collective resolve will greatly reduce the socio-economic problems of the masses. In this regards, the educational institutions need a special attention. Within educational institutions, the teachers must be motivated and institutionalized to play a positive role towards uplift of their institutions and students. In order to do that, there is a need to address the educational and logistic needs of the educational institutions throughout the province. A facilitated teacher community will have nothing to talk against the state with their students which could promote hatred among the students.
Besides, provision of basic civic facilities; health facilities and convenient availability of food and water is yet another area which needs governmental attention. The process of confidence building measures (CBMs) between masses and the provincial administration is yet another aspect needs attention. Apart CBMs are needed between locals and the security forces on the sound basis of s sense of security rather a sense of insecurity. The local masses must have a confidence that security forces are there to protect them against any militancy and terrorism.
There has to be an innovative process of isolating and alienating the militants through local masses for subsequent engagement. This would means paving the way for mainstreaming the militants by providing them economic incentives rather pushing them to walls. Restoration of trust of the local masses over the state is most needed at the moment.
There is a need to create anenabling and upright environment for the youth of the Balochistan province. Let’s bring them in the mainstream by enhancing their stakes and responsibilities simultaneously. Through a visionary strategy and sincere determination to implement, these suggested measures must start functioning on priority with tangible engagement and optimistic outcomes. As a way forward, the state, society, political leadership and institutions must work together to put the youth of Balochistan on the path of education, progress, development economically empowered and socio-politically viable.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
