Balochistan Point Voice of Nation
By: Ali Jan Maqsood
Balochistan is the centre of discussion in Pakistan these days for the priceless territory owned with numerous ongoing businesses such as CPEC and Reko Diq. Besides it, the province possesses the natural resources in shape of coal and mining and the natural gases. With uncountable resources gifted from the nature to the Baloch, the province is called to be the poorest from 2007 with the lowest literacy and the minimum population.
According to the recent census, Balochistan’s population is somewhat 12,344,408 including 52% Baloch, and other 48% includes Pashtunes, Sindhis, Punjabis, Hazaras and many more. The poverty of the province seems increasing year-by-year; it was 48% in 2001, 50% in 2005, 71% in 2015 and 86% in 2018. The major cause of the fast increment in poverty is a great negligence from the federal and provincial governments to stable the province. Despite Baloch own the capabilities in various aspects to have a smooth go, they go beyond the notice when it comes to providing the maximum number of opportunities.
More importantly, Balochistan’s territory is called to be the best when it comes to having set a business or project. Sadly, most of the International companies are in fear to have their businesses set in Balochistan calling the situations worse in the province due to law and order situation.
Secondly, because of no use of the precious land of Balochistan, unemployment is increasing annually. For, every year almost more than 25,000 students graduate from different universities and colleges in the province and hardly one third of the graduated students accomplish to have secured jobs and the rest go unemployed. Each year almost more than 15,000 students wait from the graduated batch to get jobs and the figure becomes double every year. Unfortunately, government is yet measuring Balochistan as a province with minimum population as far as in 1987 when Balochistan’s employment ratio was up with most of the people employed. But the recent population of Balochistan is not the same as in 1987. Not creating job opportunities has also become a cause to increase the black businesses in the province which ultimately brings down the economy of the state.
Besides this, in Balochistan we find a number of employed individuals belonging to the other provinces. Their salaries are being transferred to their own respective provinces which affects the provincial government in having a smooth go with the objects of the province. In such cases, politics get into a deep failure in the province. Long speeches are delivered by the political leaders of giving the posts to Baloch which come for Balochistan but from a hidden source, they go to other provinces. This has, on the other hand, caused Balochistan to suffer badly in the last couple of years.
Finally, Balochistan is rich in any regard and so as the Baloch potentially. But when the potentials are not brought into usage at the correct times, they get apart from the people. Therefore, it becomes very important for the provincial and federal governments to have some strategies to take Balochistan along, since Balochistan is the sole province which can contribute much for the well development of Pakistan in the coming future. Ignorance to Baloch and Balochistan has proved very much costly for the last seven decades for Pakistan.
The writer is a part time teacher at DELTA and a student of Law at School of Law University of Turbat. He can be reached at alijanmaqsood17@gmail.com
Published in The Balochistan Point on December 22, 2018
