Dissident Baloch sardars have been demanding that army should be withdrawn from Balochistan to perpetuate their system of exploitation. They want to keep the Baloch commoners illiterate so that they could continue their hold over enslaved humanity. Since Balochistan is part of Pakistan, army can be deployed anywhere in Pakistan. Secondly, Balochistan is a province with enormous resources, and other big powers and other countries of the region have rivaling eyes on those resources.

That point besides, whenever efforts were made by the government for building infrastructure for roads, educational institutions and healthcare system in the past, there was resistance from the sardars who took to the mountains, and the civilian government had to deploy military. It is indisputable fact that without peace, there could be no investment or development. During the last ten years, army has been on the forefront in the efforts to bring peace, stability and tranquility in Balochistan with the objective of development of the province and welfare of the people of Balochistan.

Army initiated numerous schemes and launched projects for the development of Balochistan to improve the lives of the people. Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani took keen interest in the affairs of Balochistan. To improve and uplift the economic conditions of Baloch people, army created 10,000 vacancies for youth of Balochistan in 2009-2011, with additional 5000 vacancies for enrolment in 2012. So far, 10,082 youth of Balochistan have joined Pakistan Army as officers and soldiers. Some of the development projects undertaken by Army in Balochistan are Military College SUI Balochistan, Balochistan Public School at SUI, Quetta Institute of Medical Sciences, Gwadar Institute of Technology, Chamalang Beneficiary Education Program, Balochistan Institute of Technical Education, Army Institute of Mineralogy, Assistance to Ministry of Education Balochistan, Baloch Youth Enrollment in Pakistan Army, Dera Bugti Development Projects, Development Projects Kohlu and Nasirabad Division, Pakistan Army Assistance in Development of Road Networks, and many other projects.

Thousands of Baloch have joined the army as recruits and cadets, which will enable them to play their part in the defence of the motherland. It has been decided to provide them health facilities in Combined Military Hospitals; health camps have also been established. Schools and vocational centres have been opened to help Baloch youth to become productive citizens. These steps will increase income of the Baloch youth and lessen their dependence on sardars and centrifugal forces. There is some let up in insurgency due to the efforts of the army, yet insurgency has hampered the growth and development of the province. Balochistan is indeed in the throes of ethnic, sectarian and tribal schisms. There have been targeted killings of Punjabi settlers in Balochistan. Ethnic and Shia-Sunni fracas has shaken the erstwhile ethnic and sectarian harmony, as criminal gangs are stoking ethnic and sectarian divisions. Centrifugal forces often blame the federation for lack of development of the province. At the same time they do not want to see skilled workers from other provinces.

It is quite common that wherever new projects come up entrepreneurs, engineers, skilled and unskilled manpower swarm the area. As these projects will have favorable impact on the lives of millions of Balochs, the projects cannot be abandoned or postponed because the categories of personnel were not available in the province, or there were unfounded fears that Balochs would become a minority. Measures can, however be taken to ensure that local talent, local manpower and local enterprise are given preference. Baloch Sardars and other nationalist leaders should understand that hundred and thousands of Balochs are settled in Sindh and southern Punjab and have equal rights. Legharis, Mazaris, Marris and other tribes have a respectable place in Sindh and Punjab, and nobody has every mentioned about migration from Balochistan, because we Pakistanis they have the right to settle wherever they want.

In view of the largest land mass and scattered population, Balochistan needs massive investment for its residents to prosper and progress. Baloch leaders therefore should try to create climate conducive to investment, so that employment opportunities are there to be availed by unemployed youth of Balochistan. The provinces, indeed, require financial resources to be able to maintain the social and physical infrastructure, which is needed to provide basic services to the people. Since the bulk of the resources of the provinces came from the divisible pool, they had little room to maneuver so far as their capacity to tax was concerned. Which is why, at the time of National Finance Commission award, weightage was given for lack of development in the past, its large area and scattered population, and its cumulative effect will be substantial. In addition, the mega projects of Gawadar deep-sea port and coastal highways, revival of Saindak Project along with lead-zinc project Balochistan province would improve the living standards of its people.

Some mega water projects have been completed or on the verge of completion, which will not only generate job opportunities but also enhance the income of the farmers, which is still the mainstay of the majority of the population in Balochistan. The provincial government should try to accommodate Sardars and other opposition members of the assembly, so that contradictions or feuds do not impede the efforts to develop Balochistan.

The government that was installed after 2002 elections was accused by the opposition in Balochistan assembly that instead of spending on the projects that were planned, the ruling alliance members were diverting the funds to projects in their constituencies. The outgoing provincial government that was installed after 2008 elections was given enormous funds for the development of Balochistan, but due to corruption, wastage and mismanagement a lot of funds went down the drain.

The dissident sardars blame the government for lack of development of Balochistan. However, fact of the matter is that provincial government often does not use the development funds provided for the welfare and uplift of Baloch masses, and for developing infrastructure in the province. For example, during the last five years, every year each MPA of Balochistan was allocated Rs. 25 crore for developmental projects for Baloch people, which meant that an amount of Rs. 125 crores was released for every MPA.

The question arises as to where this huge amount has gone if it has not been spent on the welfare of common Baloch people? So far as Sui gas royalty is concerned, it directly goes into a Bugti scion’s pocket. Not a dime is going to the Bugti tribe’s betterment and welfare. No school, no clinic, no public service has it got from this fabulous money he receives. In fact, one should question the political eminences for supporting dissident sardars demanding the right of self-determination.

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