Balochistan is the biggest province of Pakistan, with almost over 40% of its land mass. In league with the evidence, for the first time Balochistan has come in the radars of western corporate media, the power brokers of the world. Why did this happen? Quite obviously the province is rich in natural providence, uranium, copper, iron, gold, chromite, natural gas and the potential of richness as the 21st century reservoir of oil. The Great Game is about to enter its final phase; the indigo traders, East India Company and opium wars are about to be replayed through the concentric circles of history. Once again the local rulers are inept to grasp the seriousness of situation.
The recent visit of Mr. Cameron Munter to Balochistan is a clear phase line in the current history of the region as well as at the template of Great Game, well come to the ultimate prize the virgin lands of Balochistan. Balochistan is mouth watering, it is east of Iran, south of Afghanistan and Central Asia, and a territory boasting three Arabian seaports along with the Strait of Hurmuz, in fact it is a bastion looking the complete outreach to Arabian Sea, in coming decades anyone controlling Balochistan will control the 80% of world oil. It is not a mere tall claim, it is pure mathematics in which the western corporate world and media is very good at. The proposals of IPI and TAPI pipe lines are pipe dreams without this landmass, people in lighter sense call Balochistan the Pipelinestan.
Gawader even with its present shortcomings is going to replace Dubai because it is at the natural trade and power crossroads. What is going on there which has turned all the spotlights? The BLA, BLF and BRA are trying to stir the hornet net without realizing that the same will result in an uncontrolled anarchy of political chaos as the Baloch society is not naturally designed for such a change, the best, they can evolve through like all the other tribal society. Before drumming of such ideas the societal engineering is required. Merely basing the insurgency on the grounds of Punjabi Chauvinism is a non starter as this is not true; the exploitations are of other natures, there is surely the development differentials and the generic backwardness which is the real cause of some unrest. For Brahamdagh Bugti, Harbaryar Mari and Ghazain it is very difficult to make political waves, not that they can’t do it but because it can’t be done without a political medium in a quasi tribal society. This can be a bottom up struggle but the top down effect is absent which is the sin-qua-non for such sub-national movements.
On the other hand it is cruel statistics which is to be blamed; in the complete province only Quetta and Khuzdar are two cities with a population crossing the figure of one lakh, rest 14 cities have areas bigger than Karachi with population of thousands. This is a plus for anyone who wants to do societal engineering, without which the problem of Balochistan cannot be solved. Harping the melodious tunes of development initiatives without the change in the mores of a Balochi tribesmen will bear no fruit. Mr. Munter is told by the chief minister of the province that taking the same development paradox as an excuse USA cannot be granted the permission to open a consulate in Balochistan. He is also told that nothing like Quetta Shura exists in the province. Both of these things are a difficult pill for Americans to swallow, the coming days are likely to bring more wrath of a friend and ally in the war on terror. Baloch people like that of Kurds are uniquely placed in Afghanistan, they are found in Nimroz province , in Iran they are in Iranian Balochistan – Sistan province and off course in Balochistan they in ideological majority.
This makes them an interesting study. They are politically not as active as Kurds, neither they are conscious of any of their historical endowments and claims, so they are different. This academically proves that present crisis is only a ground swell in favor of separatism and it lacks political direction. This is the plus upon which the Pakistan government and the army should built upon, not the mere development initiative. A friend recently on one of our usual discussions asked me that what I will tell General Kayani if I happen to meet him, I instantly replied that there is a very distant probability of this anyway if it still happens then I shall tell him to go for building 3 to 4 new cantonments in the Balochi heartland, this will prove to be the hubs of change, new towns will emerge in a decades time which will be cosmopolitan in nature, an anathema to sub national groups. Aaghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan should be a social movement rather than being contractor laden physical one, development should follow not lead. Different sub national movements with vague goals are operating in the maze of uncertainty, the most famous is the BLA, a front for armed resistance which has started a systematic campaign of ethnic and target killings, Balochistan autonomous movement which has trans frontier objectives, partisan of national liberation of Afghanistan which is based in Nimroz, the BRA, Balochistan Liberation United Front and Jundallah (a Iranian based organization). There is no requirement to give a full pat –down searches to people by the security forces in the province, the structure of society if enhanced with anthropological vigor will do the job. The sub nationals are trying to take the grandson of nawab of kalat on board; they are perusing him to declare that the nawab was made to sign the ascension documents under duress, instead the grandson on two different T.V channels asserted that his grand father willingly signed the documents whence the holy prophet(PBUH)came in his dream and told him to do so .Divine connections . The anchorocracy is complicating the issue by confusing people at their matinee hours .Big brother India is trying to infuse the ideological colors in these activities , in 2010 RAW sponsored a seminar to draw parallels between Kashmir and Baluchistan ,similarly the observer research foundation organized a baloch conference in Dehli ,IDSA an Indian internationally reputed think tank is at the fore front in providing the intellectual fodder to the baloch movement. Pakistani policy makers should take this is in its complete perspective and work out viable options leading a workable solution, rest assure the divine help will be forth coming .
The recent visit of Mr. Cameron Munter to Balochistan is a clear phase line in the current history of the region as well as at the template of Great Game, well come to the ultimate prize the virgin lands of Balochistan. Balochistan is mouth watering, it is east of Iran, south of Afghanistan and Central Asia, and a territory boasting three Arabian seaports along with the Strait of Hurmuz, in fact it is a bastion looking the complete outreach to Arabian Sea, in coming decades anyone controlling Balochistan will control the 80% of world oil. It is not a mere tall claim, it is pure mathematics in which the western corporate world and media is very good at. The proposals of IPI and TAPI pipe lines are pipe dreams without this landmass, people in lighter sense call Balochistan the Pipelinestan.
Gawader even with its present shortcomings is going to replace Dubai because it is at the natural trade and power crossroads. What is going on there which has turned all the spotlights? The BLA, BLF and BRA are trying to stir the hornet net without realizing that the same will result in an uncontrolled anarchy of political chaos as the Baloch society is not naturally designed for such a change, the best, they can evolve through like all the other tribal society. Before drumming of such ideas the societal engineering is required. Merely basing the insurgency on the grounds of Punjabi Chauvinism is a non starter as this is not true; the exploitations are of other natures, there is surely the development differentials and the generic backwardness which is the real cause of some unrest. For Brahamdagh Bugti, Harbaryar Mari and Ghazain it is very difficult to make political waves, not that they can’t do it but because it can’t be done without a political medium in a quasi tribal society. This can be a bottom up struggle but the top down effect is absent which is the sin-qua-non for such sub-national movements.
On the other hand it is cruel statistics which is to be blamed; in the complete province only Quetta and Khuzdar are two cities with a population crossing the figure of one lakh, rest 14 cities have areas bigger than Karachi with population of thousands. This is a plus for anyone who wants to do societal engineering, without which the problem of Balochistan cannot be solved. Harping the melodious tunes of development initiatives without the change in the mores of a Balochi tribesmen will bear no fruit. Mr. Munter is told by the chief minister of the province that taking the same development paradox as an excuse USA cannot be granted the permission to open a consulate in Balochistan. He is also told that nothing like Quetta Shura exists in the province. Both of these things are a difficult pill for Americans to swallow, the coming days are likely to bring more wrath of a friend and ally in the war on terror. Baloch people like that of Kurds are uniquely placed in Afghanistan, they are found in Nimroz province , in Iran they are in Iranian Balochistan – Sistan province and off course in Balochistan they in ideological majority.
This makes them an interesting study. They are politically not as active as Kurds, neither they are conscious of any of their historical endowments and claims, so they are different. This academically proves that present crisis is only a ground swell in favor of separatism and it lacks political direction. This is the plus upon which the Pakistan government and the army should built upon, not the mere development initiative. A friend recently on one of our usual discussions asked me that what I will tell General Kayani if I happen to meet him, I instantly replied that there is a very distant probability of this anyway if it still happens then I shall tell him to go for building 3 to 4 new cantonments in the Balochi heartland, this will prove to be the hubs of change, new towns will emerge in a decades time which will be cosmopolitan in nature, an anathema to sub national groups. Aaghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan should be a social movement rather than being contractor laden physical one, development should follow not lead. Different sub national movements with vague goals are operating in the maze of uncertainty, the most famous is the BLA, a front for armed resistance which has started a systematic campaign of ethnic and target killings, Balochistan autonomous movement which has trans frontier objectives, partisan of national liberation of Afghanistan which is based in Nimroz, the BRA, Balochistan Liberation United Front and Jundallah (a Iranian based organization). There is no requirement to give a full pat –down searches to people by the security forces in the province, the structure of society if enhanced with anthropological vigor will do the job. The sub nationals are trying to take the grandson of nawab of kalat on board; they are perusing him to declare that the nawab was made to sign the ascension documents under duress, instead the grandson on two different T.V channels asserted that his grand father willingly signed the documents whence the holy prophet(PBUH)came in his dream and told him to do so .Divine connections . The anchorocracy is complicating the issue by confusing people at their matinee hours .Big brother India is trying to infuse the ideological colors in these activities , in 2010 RAW sponsored a seminar to draw parallels between Kashmir and Baluchistan ,similarly the observer research foundation organized a baloch conference in Dehli ,IDSA an Indian internationally reputed think tank is at the fore front in providing the intellectual fodder to the baloch movement. Pakistani policy makers should take this is in its complete perspective and work out viable options leading a workable solution, rest assure the divine help will be forth coming .
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