Daily Times

The message has been sent loud and clear to the PMLN.

Recent manoeuvrings in Balochistan, from the ousting of a sitting chief minister to the recent election of the Chairman of the Senate, were aimed first and foremost to further weaken the Centre. But just in case such subtleties were lost on the ruling regime — the province’s dissenting lawmakers have launched a new political party.

That the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) was announced from the CM Secretariat is significant, given that Abdul Quddus Bizenjo is also part of the new set-up; thereby dealing an almost fatal blow to the PMLQ given that he was seen their man. Similarly, Saeed Ahmed Hashmi has also jumped ship.

Yet what does this mean for the Balcoh people?

The BAP is all set to contest this summer’s general elections. Though it has still to sit down and come up with a manifesto; something it says will be done over the next month. All of which suggests that this grand finale of sorts has been some time in the making. Indeed, there have long been contentions that the military establishment may have backed the political shake-ups that have hit Balochistan since the beginning of the year. But be that as it may, there is no getting around the fact that when ordinary citizens are kept in the dark — this significantly reduces the power of accountability. For a political party should have at its core the mandate of the people. And this includes addressing the views of separatists.

The latter have said they are committed to a joint and peaceful struggle to secure their demands; holding a couple of meetings in Geneva towards this end late last year. And it was there that the spokesperson of the proscribed Baloch Republican Party (BRP) categorically dismissed ideological links to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or any other sectarian groups. Similarly, claims of being funded by India’s RAW were rejected; with the focus remaining on reforming exploitative power imbalances. Tellingly, the BRP has said that the security apparatus alone is empowered to hold dialogue with the resistance movement.

And while the possibility of provincial autonomy is off the cards for now — the question of resources is no longer one that can be ignored. Not when documented evidence exists of how Balochistan supplies around 40 percent of Pakistan’s needs. Not when Sui gas provides 38 percent of national gas yet local communities have access to just 6 percent. Not when total CPEC investment amounts to $62 billon yet only $7.1 billion is being spent on Balochistan. Not when this remains the poorest of all the country’s provinces.

Meaning that a better way to go about things would have been if the puppet masters had put the welfare of the Baloch people above such political opportunism. And maybe, just maybe, Imran Khan should concentrate on the area where he actually holds power.  *

Published in Daily Times, March 31^st2018.