Gwadar : Burning Issue of Balochistan

By Dr. Hassan Isfahani • Jun 23rd, 2008 • Category: Politics • (3,475 views) • One Response

Asif Ali Zardari is doing a commendable job of facilitating and addressing the core issues of the biggest province of Pakistan, the Balochistan. Due to the negligence of the establishment and the stubborness of General (r) Pervez Musharraf, the situation in Balochistan has become very precarious and alarming.

Grandsons of assassinated Nawab Akbar Bugti, Brahamdagh Bugti and Mir Fathu have indulged in a guerrilla movement, while the Balochistan Student Federation is growing restless. In these circumstances, the release of Sardar Akhtar Mengal is a sagacious decision, but the government must take him into confidence with concrete measures.

Right now the burning issue for the Baloch people is Gwadar. Yes Gwadar, which is being touted as the new gateway to Pakistan, and the most natural port in the world, and there is lots of talk about the Gwadar megacity. The total population of Balochis in Balochistan is about 6 million. Balochis fear that if Gwadar is built and people from Sindh and Punjab come to Gwadar, then they would become a minority in their own province.

If you think in the national perspective, these are very sad fears. These Punjabis and Sindhis are not some aliens or enemies, they are Pakistanis and Balochistan and Gwadar are the part of Pakistan. These ethnic fears would drown Pakistan. Despite of that, its the responsibilities of the Punjabi and Sindhi leaders to quash these fears of Balochi brethren. They need to ensure Balochis that they would be given priority in the Gwadar in terms of investment, jobs, business and return on investment. They need to build a conducive environment for that.

Enough neglect and shenanigans have been handed over to the Balochistan by the establishment, and now it’s time for the leaders to earn their keep.

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Tagged as: Akhtar Mengal, Balochistan, Brahamdagh Bugti, Gwadar, India, pakistan, punjab, RAW, sindh

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One Response to “Gwadar : Burning Issue of Balochistan”

1
Aftab S. Alam Says:
June 23rd, 2008
Good points. Asif Zardari is doing a good job. My liking or disliking him does not have any significance in it, I am not a supporter of the PPP but I have to respect and appreciate their efforts. I do wish them great success. Alone this would be an achievement which will ensure Asif Zardari and his party a high place in our hiostory, otherwise a sad record of failures.

Assurances and promises are not enough. Bring them into main stream of Pakistan, provide them opportunities on some priority basis. Paid vocational training crash courses in various trade and vocations can provide marketable skills reasonably fast. Investors, local as well as international, should be enticed into creating industry in that region. They are asking for automony, give them, why not, the Federation of Pakistan has promised the Federating Units through the constitutional gurantee. They are agrieved and we have caused grievances to them, now it is time that we, all of us, sacrifice a little and show them that we care.