The Other Story of Balochistan – Abul Rohan Baloch

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Author: Abul Rohan Baloch

Inarguably, since accession of Balochistan with Pakistan on 27 March 1948, the federal government and establishment have exploited Baloch in various oppressive methods but, that is the one aspect of Baloch exploitation. There is also another dimension of Baloch nation’s continuous ordeals, suffering, repression and utter backwardness, about which hardly anyone talks or writes. The players of the other story are not outside Balochistan but are within Balochistan. All those forces of darkness are as much awful as the other exploiters of Baloch are, be they from within Baloch nation or without but are equally responsible for agonizing sufferings of Baloch nation.

The backward tribalism in Baloch society evolved as a part of evolutionary process from primitive society to modern era. In the beginning, the tribal chiefs used to be true leaders of their respective tribe playing other respected roles such as administrators, judicial heads and political as well as social custodians. The tribal culture was not only an integral part of Baloch society but in almost all primitive societies, the tribalism was first organized social and political institution to regulate social and political life of a nation. Some societies transformed it into more strong institutions like modern nation state, governments, Parliament and judiciary but, as Baloch society fundamentally stuck to this backward tribal system and due to colonial master’s policy to keep Baloch divided into various tribes and do not let them to develop sense of nationalism through modern education and political institutions, the Baloch nation could not transform into modern institutions. Thus, remained under the yoke of one colonial power to another. The colonial powers began to use tribal chiefs as pawns in their great game. Therefore, the Baloch tribal system and tribal chiefs degenerated into a system and elite to exploit society through repressive acts.

Since accession with Pakistan on 27 March 1948 till date, the majority of tribal chiefs of Balochistan have played as a tool in the hands of establishment to suppress Baloch nation’s true unity, sense of nationalism, socio-economic progress and well-being of the society. As it happened in Indian subcontinent, when the British Raj formed a feudal class to divide society on class lines and then continue plunder and loot. Similarly, the establishment patronised Baloch tribal chiefs as an elite class to acquire political and economic power to serve their masters and keep Baloch nation backward and unadvanced. After accession  in 1948, instead of granting provincial status to Balochistan, on 3rd October 1952, the former four states of Kalat, Las Bela, Kharan and Makran were merged as an administrative unit called Balochistan States Union (BSU) headed by Khan of Kalat, which lasted till creation of One-Unit set up in the country in 1955. The BSU was an early attempt to appease tribal elite at the cost of Baloch nation’s servitude status.

Since 14th October 1955 till 1st July 1970 Balochistan remained part of West Pakistan and on 1st July 1970, the Balochistan was for the first time granted status of a province but since gaining status of province till date Balochistan has been ruled by one tribal chief to other on turns. All have been getting dictations from mighty establishment, with only few exceptions who could not hold power for long due to their principled stance.

One cannot imagine how much destruction, plunder, exploitation and suffering has been inflicted upon Baloch society by these tribal chiefs, so-called middle class and local bureaucrats educated from elite English educational institutions who ruled Balochistan for its major part of history. Due to their nasty designs and ulterior motives, Balochistan is the most poorly governed province of Pakistan and owing to bad governance, the entire Baloch society is grappling with numerous socio-economic problems. The entire provincial government set up is abysmally corrupt and inept. Hence, the Union government based in Islamabad has easily been able to exploit natural resources of Balochistan and deny Balochistan its due constitutional rights because of corrupt and inept leadership in power.

The Federal Government and mighty establishment in order to appease corrupt tribal, middle class and bureaucratic elite, have given them complete freedom to loot and plunder resources of Balochistan without any accountability because both have been partners for decades to exploit oil, gas and other natural resources of Baloch masses mercilessly.

Resultantly, Balochistan confronts with myriad of economic problems. Over decades almost all successive provincial governments and members of Provincial Assembly have made Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) a good source of earning money by receiving commissions in drinking water, small dams, buildings of schools, colleges, hospitals, livestock, agriculture and women development schemes. The contracts of these essential development schemes are handed over to their favourite contractors and in return, 50% of total funds are received as commission and remaining 50% are siphoned off by bureaucracy and contractors. Thus, the scheme exists only on papers and it cannot be seen on ground.

In recent times, the Chief Minister’s Inspection Team (CMIT) unearthed thousands of such developments schemes that exist only on papers, but no action was taken against corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. Therefore, presently, Balochistan is facing serious problem of scarcity of drinking and irrigational water which has plagued the vital production sectors of agriculture, fisheries, power generation, tourism and daily life. The underground water levels have dropped about 2000 feet below the sea level and almost every city of Balochistan is grappling with extreme water shortages. The agriculture and livestock industry are shrinking, which are the main source of income of Baloch nation. Consequently, the unemployment rate is sharply increasing in the province, yet the ruling elite feels no qualms about intolerable sufferings of Balochistan and these wounds are being inflicted upon Baloch by none other than their own elite.

The so-called middle class leadership under National Party has always been part of coalition governments and after 2013 general elections, the National Party came into power by connivance of establishment. Dr. Abdul Malik became Chief Minister of Balochistan. It proved to be the most corrupt government of Balochistan. It was this government in which Rs.630 million was recovered from Secretary Finance’s home when the portfolio of Finance Department was also with National Party. Corruption of billions of Rupees was committed in P & D, agriculture, health, PHE, irrigation, education, home, C&W and energy departments.

The infamous Malik government victimized honest Baloch officers in most cruel manner to silence them from exposing his ministers’ corruption scandals. It was also National Party-led government that left its two coalition partners such as Pashtoonkhaw Awami Party and PML (N) to undermine Baloch interests in Balochistan. They were scot-free to commit unbridled corruption in their respective departments. The National Party did not even hesitate to make alliances with those forces who were involved in brutal massacre of Baloch political activists and intellectuals on the eve of general elections of 2018 to enjoy more plunder of Baloch resources. The governments of Nawab Raisani, Sanaullah Zehri and presently Jam Kamal are also famous for loot, plunder and immense corruption scandals.

In 2011 the then Governor of Balochistan, Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi appointed one of the most corrupt persons, namely, Ashraf Magsi as Chairman of Balochistan Public Service Commission. Mr. Ashraf Magsi was neither competent nor honest enough for such important position. He began selling key posts of Assistant Commissioners, Section Officers, Tehsildars and hundreds of other Gazetted posts by taking huge amount from candidates and incorporated a corrupt lot in the bureaucracy of Balochistan province who have been playing havoc upon Balochistan Civil Service by promoting culture of open corruption.

Thereafter, Sanaullah Zehri also appointed most corrupt retired bureaucrats in Balochistan Public Service Commission to carry out injustices against educated Baloch youth who burn the midnight oil to fulfil their dreams to carve out a good professional career but, the tribal and so called middle class political elite have always mired the dreams of poor Baloch youth. None of the successive provincial governments made any attempt or sincere effort to improve provincial civil service and governance structure to make it an effective machinery to deliver to the destitute Baloch masses.

The provincial civil service has become rotten, obsolete and totally inefficient, inept to work for the welfare of province. Jobs are sold, schools, hospitals and other public service delivery departments are dysfunctional. Law enforcing agencies and local judiciary have turned into organs of injustice and torture. Educated youth have no prospect for dignified life and future career. Millions of children are malnourished, uneducated, unemployed and facing injustice and lack of esteem. The Baloch body is bleeding not only due to inflicted wounds by outer enemies but also enemies within. Educated Baloch youth, intellectuals, political workers, leftists, feminists, Marxists and those who are struggling for transformation of unjust society are not terrorists, but terrorists are those who are destroying lives, dreams, civilization, human rights, basic liberty, freedoms and not allowing infrastructure to be built in Balochistan.


Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Balochistan Post or any of its editors.

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