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 serious 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 a disappointing mode and many of them are being dragged into the militancy and undesired activities which goes against the state and future of the youth. The entire development needs a retrospective evaluation and critical assessment for 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. Among these, social engagement is the most important, 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 either way. 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. Balochare egoistic people and do not compromise over their honour and respect, therefore this aspect must be given the utmost attention.
After social engagement, the economic and political engagements will act as catalyst and the booster. This would include creating stakes of the masses in the major decision making process about 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 in the implementation process. 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.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 through training and education of the 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 them.
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. Indeed, CBMs are needed between locals and the security forces on the sound basis of creating a 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 rather by security forces. Those having inclination towards any militancy or sub-nationalism must be pursued by locals through an engagement process. 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 and its institutions is most needed aspects in the province. The situation in the province warrants a large scale engagement of local population especially the youth of the province through tangible CBMs. Restoration of trust through socio-political engagement will be the best way forward. Deprivations of the people must be tangibly addressed rather empowering the feudal lords and political elites. Through a visionary strategy and sincere determination to implement, thesuggested measures must start functioning on priority with dedicated and tangible engagement and results. Let’s work together to fail the evil designs of the rival forces against the province of Balochistan and the state of Pakistan.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
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views expressed are writer’s own.
