Daily Times

The pre-election violence in Balochistan and KP signifies how people in some parts of the country still strive to exercise their fundamental political right i.e. to use their power to elect their leaders. The unflinching resolve of the people of Balochistan is certainly commendable in the face of such horrific adversity, especially the Hazara community that has been treated appallingly over the years.

An example of the hardships faced by the Baloch community was the attack at Mastung that injured around 200 and killed nearly 150 people, among which was the candidate for PB-35 (Mastung) Siraj Raisani. The blast was claimed by ISIS and it was one of the deadliest such attacks in the country’s history. This was yet another in a long line of attacks Pakistan has endured.

Balochistan faces serious challenges related to politics, economy, security and governance. These need to be tackled before any progress can be made within the region, especially with regards to CPEC.

The recent manipulations within the Balochistan assembly, and the surfacing of massive corruption cases allude to weak institutions and governance mechanisms. This is a primary reason for the underdevelopment of the province, especially with regard to poverty alleviation and health and education facilities. These lapses over the years helped the ethno-nationalist parties in the recent elections to secure a majority, with the BAP emerging with the highest number of seats. Other major parties failed to perform well due to their lack of grassroots connectivity with the Baloch people. In the future they would be better served if they actually did something to improve conditions in the province, and gave its people the rights they deserve.

Sectarian violence and ethnic targeting has been rife in Balochistan in recent years. In the case of the Hazara community, conditions are even worse, and at times they are even treated as outsiders. Terrorist attacks have been growing as well, like the one in Quetta in August 2016 that killed over seventy lawyers or the one two months later that targeted the police training college in the city, which claimed the lives of over sixty people and injured around 170. Both the ISIS and a faction of the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. On top of this, separatist groups in the area also threaten to disturb the peace, and hinder the process of development. All these issues need to be resolved before any headway can be made in improving the province.

Terrorist attacks have been growing, like the one in Quetta in August 2016 that killed over seventy lawyers or the one two months later that targeted the police training college in the city, which claimed the lives of over sixty people and injured around 170

Even during the elections, while the rest of the country saw a reasonable turnout, people in Balochistan had to vote amid an insecure environment, due to the violence prevalent in the province. Yet their plight was not acknowledged by the ECP or other concerned authorities, which is surprising since the security of this province is of the utmost importance, especially if CPEC is to be a success.

In order for the current situation to improve, there needs to be a complete revamp of the policies that govern Balochistan today. All issues need a comprehensive look, to determine the exact nature of problems so that effective solutions can be formulated. Functional governance and effective, transparent security and accountability mechanisms can help in alleviating Balochistan’s problems. It is now the job of the new government to see that this is accomplished as soon as possible.

The new government both at federal and provincial level will have to provide recourse for these challenges. For CPEC to truly reap benefits, the stability and prosperity of Balochistan and its indigenous people is crucial. Due to its abundant natural wealth it holds great opportunities for FDI if the conflicts and disillusionment are addressed and people are integrated in the process of development. State authorities in Pakistan need to take effective, rights-respecting measures to protect the Hazara community. This entails disbanding all armed militant groups and holding to account those responsible for planning, ordering, inciting, or enabling sectarian violence.

A recent book by Dr. Hafiz Pasha on Growth and Inequality also discusses the low growth in Balochistan. Its growth rate has not exceeded three percent at any time during the last fifteen years, and as the Pasha states in his book, “the people of Balochistan are probably suffering today from a greater sense of deprivation and exclusion” because of it. Despite this slow rate of growth one industry that has flourished in recent years is agriculture, with production of fruits and vegetables growing at unprecedented rates.

Therefore it will be pertinent to formulate policies that enhance social development in Balochistan. Improving conditions of schools, providing healthcare and maternity care, skill development for youth are all fundamental facilities that need to be made accessible to people across the province. Higher education, coupled with employment opportunities, will help in truly harnessing the talent in the province to benefit from the opportunities arising from CPEC. The wealth arising from extractive operations must be distributed and managed transparently. Otherwise, it can easily end up funding corrupt practices, promoting social and economic inequalities, and generating intra-state or even inter-state conflicts. Balochistan has borne too much, and now it’s time to pay attention towards its welfare and integration into the national mainstream through economic development.

The writer is a freelance writer and an Economic Analyst based in Lahore

Published in Daily Times, August 16^th 2018.