Suppressed, Caged until Broken

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Salma Soomro
Hyderabad: 29 May 2022: Imagine you have billions of dollars’ worth, of gold, and other precious resources that the rest of the world can only imagine. But you cannot have them, you cannot utilize those resources to improve your standard of life. you and your family are still in the torn clothes, jhuggi /tent (houses not properly built), sitting under the direct sun, and harsh weather. Whether it is summer or winter, Baloch miseries remain the same for 74 years. This is Baluchistan. Our lovely land of kind people. In 1970 Balochistan was recognized as a province, it took 23 years for Pakistan to adopt Baluchistan as a province, but the resources continued to be extracted from there. We have very little knowledge about Baluchistan. A good graduate student of Pakistan cannot even name the 5 cities of it. This is the level of lack of information available at your hands about the Baluchistan Then our people ask why the Bloch does what they are doing. There are shortcomings, mismanagement, and misunderstandings on both sides. That needs to be resolved.
Operations in Balochistan:
To date there have been 5 operations in Baluchistan, the first operation was on the orders of Quaid. Because there was a lot of opposition to the accession document. Native People opposed it even in the start.
The second operation in Balochistan: As a result, Khan of Kalat was arrested, and opposition was at its peak. A native of Balochistan raised the question of why Islamabad is arresting our leaders.
1962: The 3rd operation continued for a year.
1973 operation: Bhutto did a deadly operation there in Balochistan, 33 thousand soldiers of the Pakistani army lost their life and 5000 Baloch died. Bhutto used fascist policy against the Balochs. Do or die but never say why Bhutto stood for the enlightened valley. BNP Government in Baluchistan. Was broken by Bhutto. Bhutto calls this bloody conflict for whoever goes against the Pakistani govt and state, will face the music.
Miseries OF ONE UNIT:
Attack on the Baloch identity: Provinces were made into one unit, and their identity was lost and suppressed.
Their identity and ethnicity were lost, which was near and dear to them. Balochs have been cautious of their identity since the beginning. And few steps were taken in a way where they were made more cautious.
Musharaf Bugti fiasco: in 2000 This was a deadly fiasco, never happened earlier in the history of any other state. The fear was to the level where the dead body of Bugti was locked and then put into the grave. There was fear that a clash might erupt. Current Fresh waved of insurgency resulted in a total of 17 attacks this year in which 51 people have died this year
The irony is native people the Baloch are sitting on resources worth billions but had no clean water and roti to eat. They are deprived of medical facilities and education.
Balochistan projects :
3 biggest projects: Sendak:
The Sendak project is worth 2 ARAB dollars, it was decided in (aghaz huqooq e Balochistan that this project will be transferred to the Provincial Balochistan government)But it could not go as planned.
RIKODEK and DODAR Project: They are also worth billions of dollars projects. But the province is deprived of its prosperity. Thar coal resources are as big as the rest of the Gulf State energy altogether.
Sui Gas: Balochistan provides gas to the Rest of the country but the people of Balochistan and residents of Sui do not have the GAS in their homes.
Let's talk about facts and figures:
85 percent of people do not have access to clean water.
60 to 70percent of students are in the streets than in schools. Only 30 percent are in school as per UNICEF.
In the whole province, there are 134 hospitals in Balochistan whereas Punjab has 3000 hospitals. Other clinics mostly are private and not included.
Balochistan's Feeble children: There are 47 % of children are stunted growth. Moreover, there is a high rate of child mortality. Civil servants of Balochistan are outsiders too, which enhances the miseries of Balochistan.
Missing Person issues: VBMP( Voice of + Balochistan missing person) 6000 Baloch are still missing.
Article 10 protects the rights of detainees, this article pressurizes them on bringing them to court and then having a trial. Article 10 Says a person who is arrested shall be detained in custody without being informed, as soon as may be of the grounds for such arrest, nor shall he be denied the right to consult and defended by a legal practitioner of his choice”. Fishing in Gawador: Molana Hidayatur Rehman said Big Fisherman plunders the sea, is done by trolly, and left nothing for the small fisherman to even catch a fish for his lunch.
Who failed here? Balochs or the administration? Or the political system of our country.
Every underdeveloped country is the target of separatist movements like Xinjiang and east Turkmenistan. You would hardly see any developed area going for separation like Mumbai, or New Delhi people of India will not desire separation, because their basic needs are being fulfilled by the state. Whereas in Pakistan Karachi and Lahore would not go for separation, because they have food to eat, and shelter to live in.
Talks with Baloch leaders: Mostly failed, because Mari, Mengal, and Bugti always resisted the political system (allegedly it is said by the corridors of Punjabis) although there have been flaws in dialogues as well.
Sardars don’t let development happen. Rest of them: jam, Jamali, magsi, and zehri have always found a route to work with Government, but their areas are in shatters; underdeveloped. Underdevelopment and poverty ratio instigated the insurgency
Baloch demands that outsiders are buying lands in Gawadar and changing the geographical demography of Balochistan. Thus it will affect the political decision making. The Punjab lens has been harsh when it comes to dealing with Balochistan. Pakistan is only 75 years old, but the ethnicity of Baloch is like Sindhis 5000 years old, why respecting their roots is termed as negative? Yes, they are Pakistani, but at the same time, they are tied with their indigenous roots as well. Once Shehdad Baloch , he was Quaid e Azam University, asked a question Ahsan Iqbal, does CPEC has anything to offer for Balochistan? He did not get the proper answer. Unfortunately, he joined those who were already angry and were in the mountains. His dead body was found 2 years later.
The way forward: is Development, Work, giving them Due rights, Education, health, and Addressing their Grievances Apologies for shortcomings in governance. The political process must start in south Balochistan there is no political system developed. People like Akhtar mengal must be paid attention carefully, If ladies are going for terrorist attacks it must be serious, and one must not take students from the classes of the university. They are the future, they must be protected and respected.

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