Recently, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has rightly observed that if all other state institutions also ensure holding of free, fair and peaceful elections in Balochistan like other provinces, it will go a long way allaying the reservations of the estranged elements. The observation came from Secretary ECP Ishtiak Ahmad Khan during a discussion with the media. The observation is based on the recent visit of Chief Election Commissioner Justice (R) Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim and Election Commission Member Fazalur Rahman to Quetta, where they met the leaders of different political parties including the Baloch nationalist groups.

This is a very apt observation of the situation in Balochistan because the only way to address the issues in the province is empowerment of the people. Empowerment in Balochistan, in turn, is possible only through holding free, fair, transparent elections. Importantly, empowerment in the context of Balochistan has to be multidimensional and participatory. The roots of the Balochistan crisis are in the denial of the political, socio-cultural and economic rights of the people. Elections directly is about politics and indirectly about everything, whether economic or cultural.

It goes without saying that the security and political situation in Balochistan today is very similar to the 1971 crisis in East Pakistan, which led to the dismemberment of the latter from the mother country. Here it is important to note that why different governments and state-initiatives have failed to put an end to the unrest in Balochistan despite making allocation of billions of rupees. The foremost reason is that these initiatives could not empower the people in any way let alone meaningfully. The federal government and the state authorities have been claiming implementing a number of development programmes in Balochistan.

However, if one physically travels in the province, nothing is visible; even in Quetta one cannot see any worthwhile development. If it is supposed that development has taken place in Balochistan then at the same time no one can deny that the impact of 'development' is nowhere to be seen. Again the reason is the non-participatory nature of the development initiatives taken by the state in the troubled province.

Apart from that the impact of the development is not visible because whatever development interventions have taken place they have been through a top-down approach instead of the desirable bottom-up approach process. In other words the demands for development programmes and areas of development should have come from the local and grass root communities instead of from the bureaucracy, which has been the case in Balochistan.
In the above-mentioned context, the importance of free, fair and transparent elections in Balochistan become critically important. Secretary ECP was also quoted as saying to the media that "if the state institutions cooperate in holding the elections in peaceful and transparent manner in Balochistan, it will not only facilitate real public representatives reaching the legislatures but also have a pleasant impact on the country's solidarity and security." He aptly described the situation in Balochistan by saying, as quoted by media, that Pakistan stood at the crossroads that underscored the need for the national leadership to take a decision to put, what he called, balm on the seething
wounds of Balochistan.

This observation from the ECP suggests that the onus of holding free and fair elections in Balochistan entirely rests with the state institutions. This could only happen if there is a fundamental change in the country's strategic mindset. Here one could only request the powers-that-be that as it is an issue of the very survivability of the state, therefore they should have a completely hands off approach during the next elections in Balochistan. The state institutions should not worry who gets elected from the province.
Because given the opportunity, the people of Balochistan would elect those people who would initiate a real development process and once development in Balochistan takes places, its natural corollary would be peace, end of conflict and human and state security. This needs to be realized by all the state institutions, in spirit as well as in letter.

Keeping in view the pro-democracy record of the present Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani, one has full faith that the support from the most important state institution for fair elections in Balochistan would be total. Here the role of the mainstream national political parties is also very important. Historically these parties have colluded with the Khans and Nawabs of Balochistan and made them their candidates in elections.

It is heartening that the largest of the Baloch nationalist parties, BNP-M, chairman and former chief minister, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, has announced to take part in the next elections. Mengal has justified his decision in face of stiff resistance from within his party and other Baloch nationalist groups, which want a complete boycott of elections, by arguing that the party considers it the last chance to get the rights of the people of Balochistan within the constitutional and political framework of Pakistan. He further argued that if the party would not be able to get the rights of Baloch people that it will have no other way but to abandon the struggle within the constitutional confines of the country.

Therefore, he also stressed on the need of ensuring an atmosphere in which free and fair elections could be held in the province. The state authorities must take this very seriously as Mengal's words have a lot of substance. The state can ill-afford to let the genuine political leadership of Balochistan go the other way. Here it is important to note that fair and free elections are also a very important litmus test of those political groups who claim to be the champions of Baloch rights. If they come to power and will not carry out development in the way they have been claiming, they would get exposed and people would reject them in the next elections.

On the other hand, if these forces are able to initiate real development programmes and also implement them meaningfully, it would result in an enhanced standard of living, education, health and civic facilities. This would defeat fissiparous and centrifugal tendencies as only the frustrated and insecure indulge in such activities.

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