The Balochistan blackout
By Sanaullah Baloch

Usually, in the wake of natural disasters, people-friendly governments tend to exaggerate, even manipulate, facts to grab attention and generate public and donor interest and outside help for relief and long-term recovery efforts. But for Balochistan, Islamabad has a shutdown policy – no information, no access, no outside help and no foreign aid workers.

Despite the Islamabad-backed provincial government’s repeated appeal for international help, and despite help offers by UN agencies, international donors and other countries, the National Disaster Management Authority’s head, a powerful major general – before visiting the area – said no, repeatedly emphasising “our own available resources” for rescue and relief.

In a nutshell, security forces control relief work without a long-term rehabilitation framework.

An official of the provincial disaster management authority said, on condition of anonymity: “After the Kashmir earthquake Pakistan mobilised all diplomatic instruments including paying major media outlets to highlight facts to get the international community to generate funds. But in Balochistan’s case we are not allowed to release any information without prior approval of the ‘superior authorities’”.

This attitude continues to affect all aspects of Balochistan’s affairs, including disaster management.

There is a persistent policy to portray Balochistan as a handicapped province full of illiterate, corrupt, lazy and incompetent tribal chiefs. This narrative helps Islamabad reinforce its colonial rule by neatly managing all aspects of governance, security, natural resources, and disaster management.

Assessing the flood damage and response mechanism in 2010, the UN agency for human settlements, UN Habitat, had clearly warned that Balochistan had fewer resources than the other provinces and its capacity to cope with calamity was very limited and that a major humanitarian response would be required to assist the people. Despite these grave realities and generous offer for humanitarian assistance, the NDMA prohibited international agencies, aid organisations and INGOs from directly assisting the flood-affected people of the province.

Balochistan’s miseries multiplied when the ministries of foreign affairs and interior imposed the ‘project no-objection certificate' condition for humanitarian organisations. Since Punjab and other provinces were declared open-access areas, all aid agencies redirected their efforts towards Punjab. The effects of those policies can still be felt in Balochistan, with half a million affectees living in makeshift tents in appalling conditions.

The NDMA’s biased decision vis-a-vis Balochistan led to distressing developments. In 2010, the director-general of the provincial disaster management authority informed the media and the provincial cabinet that the ‘project no-objection certificate’ condition had slowed down the pace of relief operations, resulting in countless deaths related to water-borne diseases. In addition, the 2010-flood defacement of eastern Balochistan remains unrepaired.

Previously, in July 2007, the then prime minister Shaukat Aziz used the same blackout policy and announced that “Pakistan will not take foreign aid from any country to overcome the losses and devastation caused by Cyclone Yemyin”. The 2007 floods severely affected the Makran region and resulted in massive loss of lives and property.

Balochistan has been in crisis since 1999, facing the wrath of both nature and the state. Between 1999-2003 a drought hit the province – economic resources vanished and disease killed thousands of people.

In 2005, Musharraf’s ruthless military operation resulted in 200,000 displaced people, hundreds were killed and disappeared, and political assassinations of senior Baloch leaders were committed. It not only destroyed the social fabric but put an irreparable dent on the fragile economic situation.

The current earthquake too will have a devastating impact on the socio-economic conditions and aggravate the inequality that persists among the provinces as result of Islamabad’s discriminatory policies.

Disallowing or discouraging international aid organisations and persistently imposing an information and humanitarian blackout will further harm Islamabad’s already tarnished and anti-Baloch image.

The policy of humanitarian blackout or shutdown is contradictory to the principles of human rights and humanitarianism. Countries with clear-headed leaders and credible institutions use such crises as opportunities to reach out to people and as a means of reconciliation. The Pakistani state, however, uses all such means to inflict more pain and misery and exploits a crisis as a tool to strengthen its grip on all affairs including the ‘humanitarian’ aspect.

The situation in the affected areas is unspeakably bad, with hundreds of thousands living under the open skies in scorching heat. Only experienced humanitarian organisations, not military or security forces, understand the basic principles of emergency response.

Disallowing international aid agencies, declining assistance from friendly countries and shutting down an entire province in its hour of need is not humanitarian service – it is a crime.

The writer is a former senator from Balochistan. Email: balochbnp@gmail.com