Southern Balochistan issue and recommendations
(10).Government should revisit the national and international mega contracts and projects and should discriminately provide a major and fairer share to Balochistan.
Be it Saindak, RekoDiq, Sui gas, CPEC, etc (11).Issue of electricity shortage and drinking water needs urgent attention, Iran can be engaged for the provision of electricity.
(12).Special incentive packages for teachers especially females, health workers in far-flung areas: for the universities, schools and colleges and hospitals be provided to willing employees.
(13).Fast-tracking Turbat Airport and related development is an economic generating scheme and need to be prioritised.
(14).Targeted subsidies and tax concessions for the poor and middle-class Balochis be sanctioned, at least for 10 years.
(15).Protection and incentives for Baloch fishermen should be ensured
(16).Balanced Security and intelligence strategy: Proactive, preventive and rehabilitative strategy with minimum deterrence and combative operations is the need of the hour.
Mapping of hotspots, personalities profiling, threats analysis and mitigation should be part of it.Border ceiling and enhanced surveillance are critical to Balochistan stability.
The issue is more political than the military and likewise is the solution. There is a delicate fault line and the authorities should strike that balance between engagement and operation.
(17).Bridging the Trust Deficit: The implementation of the above would automatically address a larger portion of that trust gap.
However, to further consolidate, winning the people’s hearts and minds is a time-tested recipe.
The issue of dissidents calls for a comprehensive strategic détente.This strategy would engage, rehabilitate and mainstream the willing benign dissidents.
Provide them with livelihood and ensure their best utilization.The student’s dissidents should be made free if not engaged in serious anti-state activities and be put under rehab.
Local Army- community interaction should be made more frequent and meaningful.Where required army leadership can participate in selected locations.Opportunities should be searched for such interactions.
(18).Perception management: The mercury is at its higher level, to obtain a scientific assessment of the problem a “Community Perception Survey” in hotspots could be conducted through reliable, neutral and reputable agencies.The survey findings would guide the development of a community perception strategy.
(19).Optimum, effective and productive utilization of media outlets, social media and local religious scholars can’t be discounted here.
(20).Rational utilization of local clergy and pro- state seminaries is another workable option.
(21).Engaging enlightened forces like Sanaullah Baloch, Dr Abdul Malik, Rauf Mengal, Ayaz Jogazai, Dr Masood Jogezai can prove a win-win.
(22).Taking on-board Raisani, Rindh, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, MFR, Sarfaraz Bugti, and Akhtar Mengal can pay off.
Nelson Mandela once aptly said “All conflicts no matter how intractable are capable of peaceful Resolution.
” —Concluded.
—The writer (Tamgha-i-Imtiaz) is an internationally recognized public policy, health expert and political analyst.
