Balochistan Point Voice of Nation
By: Syed Aurang Zaib
Balochistan has got a very different political social and economic standing as compared to other provinces. It has remained a finer field for “Nationalist, Democrats, and religious fundamentalists” who always have had very crunchy slogans to humiliate people. Each of them, whether he is leftist or rightest, enjoyed the resources for own good. Same is the case with the recent era which just has come to end. Therefore, the last five years saw no political progress, change in political behavior or any trend of development. Both PML (N) and Pashtoonkhwa Mili Awami Party (PMAP) ruled the province with all their old and out-dated debates of constitutional enlargement, provincial rights and democracy. PMAP, the native party of the province, was seen more critical even offensive in pre-election eras and it was expected by the common man that it is going to bring the stars but the expectation counted a blow when things went inverted. This happened largely due to the over generalization when people highly focused slogans and failed to examine the elected body.
They truly failed to outline a single dexterous policy of economic welfare and social security. Where education, health, security, empowerment and water management were the top pre-election priorities but went to back foot as they drove into the power. All the statistics can be seen in the independent economic and social reports carried out by different research organizations. Construction of the dams, for instances, had a vital importance and was a topic of debate in the initial days, heavy budgets were released to work for the cause and Yes, they are now fully functional in government papers. Yet, the truth is much harshening on the visit of the sites. It seems that a very bad has done to the face of the earth. On the other hand, the water level goes down up to 3.5 feet every year in Balochistan.
China Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC) was the other hotter debate mainly remained active in the elite social and political spheres of Balochistan. Government played it well. Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Mulana Fazal Rehman joined and facilitated Nawaz Shareef in the inclined. Mahmood Khan, when there was uproar in the province that government is trying to fabricate the projects and bring deprivation to the province, said: “People are politicizing the CPEC, where we are supposed to support this cause of development”. But when his fellow was ousted from the office in heavy corruption cases, he held floor, and said, “NO CPEC can succeed, it’s just a misapprehension”.
Social relations of the province went worst. There was a power game between Pashtoon and Baloch power holders. Nice attempts were made to spoil the social and economic stability of ethnicities. PMAP, to sing its song of “Pashtoonistan” and Baloch to called Pashtoons “Afghan Mohajir”. Discussing such non-issues was to divert both Pashtoon and Baloch from the real matters of social and economic securities. Religious revelries and Pahtoons (in-group) also took part in such blames game. Even there were feuds among PMAP members. In a meeting with Mahmood khan Achakzai in parliament lodges. In response of a question of my friend, he said, “I have left Killa Saif ullah to Usman and Nawab (Ayaz Khan), Loralai to Babat and Pashin to Laiquat and Mustafa”. There was least level communication and understanding among the party members and they had issues with respect to power and its distribution.
The vacuum created by such ill-equipped political administration pushed the province in serious political crises. And when the vote of “No-confidence” was moved it was called a move by establishment. The question that rises here is that what is the justification of two chief ministers in a single tenure in such a fragile province? Yes, it was done to have equal chance for each stakeholder to have equal opportunity to loot. It resulted in a third CM which they now called a “Bad Boy”.
In short, after five years, the province is more politically stressed and people feel more isolated. Common Baloch and Pashtoon people are still in sense of great deprivation and the political setup to realize pressure, blame establishment and others. The budget that each MPA gets never goes to the pocket of the establishment but to the concerned MPA yet the scenario is highly disappointing. Constructed roads are unable to bear a motor bike, dams were macro money making projects, and schools are converted into vegetable stores. On the other hand, PMAP, has joined the PTM movement to fool the people again. They have stabbed the people and seized their constitutional rights now they are in a dramaturgical alteration and putting their all efforts to prove selves as the liberators of Pashtoons.
Published in The Balochistan Point on June 12, 2018
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are those of the author and The Balochistan Point not necessarily agrees with them.
