Daily Times

Two positive events visited Balochistan last week. The first was the rally of the Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaaf (PTI) in Quetta on Friday and the second was the application moved on Saturday in the Supreme Court by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) for becoming a party to the Balochistan target killing case.

In the recent past, several political parties gave a call for holding an All Parties Conference on Balochistan but later they retreated from their stance on one pretext or another. The government has also not paid due attention to the issue, perceivably because the military or the Frontier Corps is ruling the roost in Balochistan.

It is also known that Balochistan is the only area of Pakistan that has borne the brunt of maximum military operations on its soil since 1947. The latest military operation — the fifth one — launched by General Pervaiz Musharraf did maximum damage, injured the Baloch identity and shattered their confidence in the federation. The killing of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti is considered a great loss to the Baloch tribal distinctiveness. Consequently, Baloch nationalism has surfaced more than ever before.

Against this background, Imran Khan, the chairperson of the PTI, must be credited with the initiative of staging a political rally in Quetta where he was able to assemble the Baloch to hear his voice of concern for their future. Khan must have done some backstage work to have his rally approved by the Baloch dissidents and nationalists. Nonetheless, the event is indicative of the fact that he perhaps is the only politician in whom Baloch dissidents and nationalists repose faith. If this assumption is correct, there is big news for all Pakistanis. That is that the PTI holds the potential to bring peace to the restive province of Balochistan in at least two ways. First, by negotiating with the Baloch dissidents to renounce armed struggle and give them a chance to speak for their rights. Second, by convincing Baloch nationalist parties to take part in the next general elections and secure their rightful political place. In this way, the Baloch, whether they have disappeared into the mountains or gone into exile, can be brought back into the national mainstream.

Khan also recognised the fact that peace must be introduced in Balochistan not through the barrel of a gun or the coercive means applied by the intelligence agencies but through dialogue and by taking politico-economic measures that could develop the Baloch’s confidence in the federation. Khan must also be appreciated for showing solidarity with the Hazara who have been massacred mercilessly.

There is a relationship between the PTI and the Baloch nationalist parties. Both were together on the APDM platform and had decided to boycott the elections held in 2008. The PML-N, the main political party of the platform, could not honour its word of boycott and took part in the elections held under the auspices of General Musharraf. Sticking to their avowed principle of showing mistrust in Musharraf made both the PTI and Baloch nationalist parties experience electoral exclusion and subsequent political seclusion. The absence of Baloch nationalist parties from the political scene aggravated the situation.

In December 2011, Mian Nawaz Sharif of the PML-N met a veteran Baloch nationalist leader, Sardar Attaullah Khan Mengal in Karachi to pave the way for staging a political rally in Balochistan. In fact, several Baloch nationalist leaders were indisposed to listen to the PML-N because of the mistrust that had grown on the APDM platform. The PML-N weighed up the situation correctly and shied away from holding any rally in Balochistan to avoid humiliation. Nevertheless, in this initiative contest, the PTI has gone a step ahead of the PML-N.

One of the major problems shared by both the PTI and the PML-N is to set a mechanism for rendering Musharraf accountable to the Baloch for the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti. Both parties are pledging to the Baloch to do so after they win the next general election. This undertaking is a point taken up strongly by the PML-N and if the PTI falters on this account, it may lose credibility in the eyes of the Baloch.

The only institution listening to the voice of the Baloch is the Supreme Court of Pakistan, which is giving a regular hearing to the case filed in January this year by Advocate Hadi Shakeel Ahmed, President Balochistan High Court Bar Association, through which he invited the attention of the Supreme Court towards target killings in Balochistan.

It is heartening to find that Advocate Hadi Shakeel is not alone now. The SCBA has joined him to fight for the cause of Balochistan. This aspect would strengthen the hands of the Supreme Court to address the grievances of the Baloch in the areas of target killings and missing persons. The provincial bars should also play their roles by passing resolutions on Balochistan, raising awareness amongst lawyers on the issue of Balochistan, showing solidarity with the Baloch and expressing their full support to the SCBA. Secondly, the provincial bars should assure the Supreme Court to go ahead with its proceedings without fear from any quarters and that lawyers would ensure implementation of its decision on Balochistan, even if there surfaces a need to launch a movement. Thirdly, the provincial bars should invite Advocate Hadi Shakeel to address their bars and apprise the lawyers of the Baloch issues, which are still not understood in the rest of Pakistan. Fourthly, the provincial bars should take measures to invite civil society to their forums to play its role and help find a peaceful solution for the problems of Balochistan. In fact, it is a lifetime opportunity for the SCBA to play its decisive role in ensuring the integrity of Pakistan.

Both the PTI and the SCBA are new players in the Balochistan-federation equation and have an ability to reach out to the Baloch. If both become able to win over the trust of the Baloch, the situation in Balochistan can turn towards peace and tranquillity.

The writer is a freelance columnist and can be reached at qaisarrashid@yahoo.com