Actions, not words, are needed

By Qurat ul ain Siddiqui

The government on November 24, 2009, announced the recommendations that constitute the ‘Aghaz-i-Huqooq-i-Balochistan’ (Beginning of the Rights of Balochistan) package. Although some of the recommendations are groundbreaking, many in the nationalist and separatist circles of Baloch leadership remain suspicious of the government’s intentions and have rejected the proposals point-blank.

‘In my opinion, bureaucratically drafted and promise-oriented (as opposed to action-oriented) announcements would not be useful to appease the aggrieved and politically conscious Baloch masses,’ says Sanaullah Baloch of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNPM).

His concerns are echoed by Senator Hasil Bizenjo, the senior vice-president of the National Party. ‘People were expecting something decisive and much more significant given the hype that the government had created about it. In a matter of months, we will know that things will not change and that dissatisfaction in Balochistan is only going to increase.’

‘The government is saying that the military operation will be halted. Well, we know that will not happen. From what I see, the government is in fact gearing up for an even more intense operation in the region while constantly alleging Indian involvement in the nationalist and separatist movements,’ Ameen Baloch of the Baloch National Movement (BNM) says.

A vital clause in the package calls for ‘dialogue with all major stakeholders in the political spectrum of the province’ so they can be brought into the political mainstream. To that, Baloch leader and former minister Hyrbyair Marri, who has declared the recommendations ‘a package of lies,’ says, ‘I have not been contacted by the government and if they had contacted me or would do so in the future, my answer would be the same: we want our due right to independence.’

Reiterating that, Sher Mohammad Bugti, a spokesman for the Baloch Republican Party (headed by Brahmdagh Bugti), told Reuters: ‘People shouldn’t be deceived by such things. It’s a trick to weaken our struggle.’

‘Our campaign would go on despite the government’s proposals,’ Bugti said by telephone from an undisclosed location.

While nationalist voices reject the package’s recommendations, some in Balochistan wonder whether such an approach will alleviate the current political mood in the province.

‘Some of these recommendations are very major. Who would have thought that the government would even think of, let alone speak about, announcing a course of action regarding the political prisoners and the missing persons,’ asks 24-year-old Mahrukh, a private school teacher in Quetta. ‘Has anyone ever suggested that the Frontier Corps (FC) in Balochistan can come under the control of the Chief Minister?’ she adds in an effort to give the government ‘its due credit.’

On the other hand, Ali Changezi, a Hazara student from Quetta, who is studying at a university in Karachi, feels ‘the negative reaction from the nationalists to such announcements is quite understandable.’

‘It is difficult to simply put away what Balochistan and the Baloch have experienced in the past with such announcements. I know Baloch men who have been missing for months. Their families do not care about political declarations; they want action. They want their brothers and sons and husbands back home,’ says Changezi. He also warns that past experience with the government has made many Baloch ‘wary and stubborn.’

In order to build real confidence, implementing these proposals is key. ‘Among the most important clauses of this package is the withdrawal of the army from Sui, bringing the FC under the chief minister’s control, and the political prisoners’ recovery. These measures, if and when implemented, will really boost the government’s credibility and alleviate some of the distress of the Baloch people,’ says Senator Rehana Yahya Baloch of the Pakistam Muslim League – Quaid (PMLQ).

BNPM’s Baloch also points out that the government lacks a clear political roadmap to follow through with its proposals. ‘The package lacks a clear political vision for the region. The Baloch are demanding an overall control and transformation of the Civil Armed Forces (CAF), including replacement of more than 50,000 aliens [non-Balochis] of the CAF, by unemployed Baloch youth.’

With these recommendations, pressure will mount for action; immediate and effective action. For his part, Bizenjo can’t help but wonder whether ‘this entire clamour was really necessary to recover the missing and to bring about real reforms in Balochistan.’

Courtesy :  DAWN NEWS