I still remember the long barren stretches of roads during my trips of Baluchistan. The serenity gave a lot to think about. If I may share, I took the biggest decision of my life whilst on an official trip to the Rekodiq Gold mine project. Amazed as I was of for the black desert parallel to Black Chaghai Mountain, Koh-e-Suleman & Koh-e-Dalil volcanoes. No one told me that this province gives us not only gas but resources like iron ore, zinc, gold & copper etc. It was the night of 13th August whilst on my return to Quetta I heard loud explosions during my dinner in a place called Naushki; that I immediately headed to Quetta only 3 hours or more away. The hours of solitude due to lack of any communications all the way from Taftan to Lakh Pass gave a lot for me to think about.
There were several grenade attacks on 14th of August. I found minimal news on these incidents of serious nature on reaching Karachi. My friend Mr. Mengal told me the reason of these attack is hatred against Punjab. They felt that they were already an independent state in 1947, sense of deprivation, anger because of no access to the money linked to natural resources and top of that the gas reached Quetta only in 1984 though discovered in 1958 at Sui.
I always ascertained that the subsequent governments, establishment and Baloch Sardars were equally responsible for the plight of the poor Baloch brothers. Whilst the governments didn’t do much effort in the most resourceful province as this was a cash cow for them and the local Sardars also didn’t do much as well. I wonder how many hospitals, schools or any other facilities they can boast of?
The other political parties; rich or poor have ploughed back something at least for their people for welfare. It is something else that some are using it now days for their election campaign. Unfortunately, could not see the same done by the famous Sardars like Bugtis and Mengals especially in their areas of influence.
The real victims are the poor & educated Baloch who are no doubt the most deprived. I just met a dear Baloch friend who told me that even though there were over a hundred jobs for telecom engineers in Quetta. One talented telecom Engineer from Quetta had to go to Islamabad for a month if not more to move some strings to get what is rightfully for him; since I am sure there would not be many in the province.
Though Sardars are the important being a tribal society, but I wonder if some efforts are being done to talk to Mr. Allah Yar & co ; a survivor of brutality & who has inspired this movement. The common man has taken up arms to my knowledge like doctors, engineers & lawyers for their rights. I don’t think the Sardars are any more effective to reverse the cycle in Baluchistan; in fact would be afraid to go against the tide.
The time for intellectual APC is gone and it is time for action as rightfully said by Mr. Altaf Hussain. Start resolving the issue by announcing a relief package to the loved ones for the missing persons and by giving rights to the real victims of Baluchistan. The day a common Baloch irrespective of his tribe can get elected to the assemblies would the day the tide would change.
I think in the upcoming elections the Sardars should withdraw themselves from nominating for elections but bring forward the common Baloch to run the province if they are truly sincere to them. I wonder they call them their children on the TV but yet enslave and ruthlessly rule them. Establishment should start reconciliation; if they can talk to baby killers, soldier executors like Talibans why not the Baluch people. Pakistan would have to be patient and would need a big heart to await the resolution. I pray whatever happens the common Baloch people rise as they are the real victims of this decade’s old tyranny.
Very shallow analysis of issues. Even Altaf hussain can not ascertain ground realities whilst sitting in london/90. It would be far better to read point of view of nationalist os sindh and balochistan to have fair view of second side of coin.
Well Baluchistan is still part of Pakistan. The nationalists have screwed their own people all these years. Infact in my view they are touts of establishment to keep the volatality in Pakistan. Aren’t the Sardars like Bugti, Mengals and Marri’s abroad as well ? What do they about thier own people since this is their fiefdom. Still their views are accepted. On the dot Baluchistan would be a better place w/o Sardars …
Had Altaf Hussain taken the other side the blogger’s point of view would have been different. Similar was in case of Dr. Aafia who belongs to Karachi but these political followers never cared until one day AH realized and called for a rally. These people never care for real issues except politics.
At least AH is raising the bar like always for other politicians. Well the Sardars are also doing politics at the cost of their own people. What do u do in democracy is politics not back door paid entries ? ain’t it !
Good to see that some pakistani’s have started writing about the atrocities & injustices the indigenous baloch peoples are going through since the 1948 illegal occupation. The article is well written, however due to the state wide propaganda’s the writer missed focusing the system of this country which is responsible for all this rather than focusing on sardars, as sardars are only a very small part intact with this system for their on survival otherwise if they raise their voice against this system will be wiped out like nawab akbar bugti shaheed. Secondly most of the sardars are always with the state / establishment, and the widely propaganda they do against sardars only meant about the 3 sardars raising their voices for their people rights i.e. marri, bugti & mengal. Bugti shaheed who voted in joining pakistan was brutally killed in his 80′s when he raised his voice for Balochistan rights, and further till today nobody can pay visit to his grave which is heavily guarded by pok army & surrounded also with mines, thats how the state treat the Baloch even after their demise which even the israeli’s not doing to the palestinians. Another proaganda of state that these 3 sardars doesnt allow their people to get educated is totally baseless as the one & only engineering university is sardar mengal area, and these 3 doesnt allow why the state doesnt do anything in the areas of those sardars are always with the state/system. The normal people going to the parliament can never serve the purpose as the whole balochsitan members are even less than the karachi city members as its the number game no body listen to their voice, and from mekran region always normal people / middle class is going to the assemblies but no use because of the number game so till any revolution doesnt come changing the whole system the Balochistan problem cannot be sorted out, and no hope with this civil society as they kept silence when million of bengalis were killed and hundred of thousand bengali women were raped and this society that time called it jihad even the ulemas so ALLAH rewarded them with defeat by hindu’s hands, more than 90 thousand of their brave army personnel got arrested which nobody can see in world history but this society kept silent and till now they are sleeping, never asked for the accountability of those were responsible for the massacres and shameless act, definitely is no other than the pok army.