Some analysts and friends who are using the election of Senate Chairman — who by his political standing is a non-entity and has been elected as a scripted and manufactured outcome — as an example of some earth-shattering move and a beacon of light for Balochistan, are really stretching their imagination into an illusional territory. Sorry, there is no other way to say it, this pedestrian stuff just doesn’t wash. While their fundamental views on society and governance maybe sound and noble, any analysis without an understanding of politics, history, issues of Balochistan, the power equation, devolution of power to provinces, federal structure, the political landscape of different provinces and what usurping the Senate means, is wishy-washy and meaningless. It would be naive to think this will pan out well for the people, polity and the country. The incumbents are not the proverbial villains they are being made out to be and the new ones being cobbled together are anything but the panacea and much touted ‘change’. Vested interest, personal affinity and rabid anti-incumbent calculus must give way to a broader consciousness on issues of national import. Published in Daily Times, March 17th 2018.