Following in the footsteps of his predecessors, the new Prime Minister (PM) has issued optimistic and reassuring statements about Balochistan. He is determined to remove the sense of alienation prevailing among the residents of the province for political, economic and social reasons. He will be visiting the province to meet Baloch leaders and other stakeholders who would matter in resolving the issues confronting Balochistan. Interestingly, the PM appreciated the Frontier Corps (FC) for making all out efforts to bring peace in the province. He reiterated that the army had been recalled from the province to remove that bone of contention, as the army was perceived to have become. Wrapping up his statements and predictions on the future of Balochistan, Raja Pervez Ashraf stressed that all the problems of Balochistan would be resolved within the spirit of the federation. Such statements have been made in the past as well without bearing any fruit. The appreciation of the FC by the PM is an obnoxious observation. A force that is hated by the Baloch, a force that has been accused by none other than the Supreme Court for kill and dump practices, a force that is providing oxygen to the fire of separatism in the province is being hailed. Should one ask the PM, while ignoring his naivety, who heads and manages the FC if not the army? Removal of the FC from Balochistan lies at the heart of the myriad solutions available to restore peace in the province. Revamping the security apparatus of the province in line with other provinces could help bring Balochistan into the mainstream of national politics. Presently, the heavy contingent of the security forces in different uniforms is enough to develop feelings of antagonism and militancy among the people. Holding talks with the Baloch leaders to bring order in the province is important, but how does the government plan to go about it when the main leaders of Balochistan are residing abroad and others are hiding in the mountains? Given the circumstances, the latter would not meet the PM for obvious reasons, and to convince the former on the clean intentions of the government would not be an easy task either. Bringing the Baloch leadership to the table would require credible mediation and reliable channels of communication. Unless these are in place, the war between the Baloch and the government and its security apparatus would not end. The level of distrust has aggravated to the extent that the Bugti tribe is not ready to accept the inquiry conducted by the government into the assassination of Akbar Bugti. In his bid to speed up things, the PM has given a nod to release more funds to the Balochistan government. Funds for what, and that too to Raisani, who is despised by the majority of people living in the province? The puppet government of Balochistan is part of the problem, not part of the solution. Looking at its performance, elections, if held freely and fairly, would send this government packing. For the time being the federal government should monitor closely the allocation of funds to benefit aggrieved people. No development work worth the name has ever been done in the province. If the PM is really interested in mending fences with the Baloch, the policy of planned alienation should be renounced by the government and its security apparatus towards Balochistan. *