Daily Times

In an attempt to diminish his reputation as a Punjab-centric politician and in what seems to be an effort to move towards reconciliation with the disillusioned and angry Baloch, Prime Minister-designate Nawaz Sharif has named the president of the National Party, Dr Abdul Malik Baloch as the next chief minister of Balochistan. Initially it seemed as if there was going to be a tussle between two senior PML-N leaders in Balochistan, namely Sanaullah Zehri and Jangaiz Marri. However, the inability to come to an agreement led Mr Sharif to do the needful, which was bring the province’s embittered nationalists into the fold despite the PML-N being the single largest party in the assembly. This is a timely compromise, which will further Nawaz Sharif’s steadily growing image as a mature politician who can reconcile with all. He has further gone on to state that the governor of Balochistan will be a Pakhtun member of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, strengthening the two major ethnic players in the province to form a coalition government.

In trying to keep all happy and onboard with the PML-N, Nawaz Sharif has given a chance not just to Dr Abdul Malik but to himself as well to prove that, no matter how trying the situation in Balochistan, with the right kind of policies anything is possible. For Dr Malik that would mean handling what, till now, has been a status quo stronghold on the province of the tribal sardars who have been ruling Balochistan for decades. Whilst the tribal structure may be starting to fade away, the sardars still hold sway. Will this new chief minister be able to handle them and their egos? For Nawaz Sharif, the challenge is more complex. Balochistan is a killing field with the militant nationalists waging a war to wrest the province from the clutches of the military and its paramilitary wing, the Frontier Corps (FC). The kill and dump policy adopted by the FC has become a bone of contention for the whole country. It is this kind of situation (among others) that seems to have prompted Nawaz Sharif to hold onto the defence ministry, vowing to bring the military under civilian supremacy. This very move, if successful, will have a huge effect on the Baloch people and perhaps help open a channel of communication with the nationalist insurgents so that a much-needed political solution is reached. Democracy as seen in the assembly has not translated into democracy on the ground in Balochistan in the past but it is hoped that the new government continues with its attempts at reconciliation so that the grievances of the Baloch are properly addressed. *