Back To Balochistan By Aoun Sahi

Malik Balochsaid that the Prime Minister had not had time to attend to the issue of cabinet formation.

Back to Balochistan

By

Aoun Sahi

There was a perception that after winning elections and forming government the PML-N would strive more seriously to solve the issues in Balochistan. Nawaz Sharif has been vocal on the issue of Balochistan and missing persons since long.

After getting elected and sworn in as Prime Minister, Nawaz has reiterated the resolve of his government to bring Balochistan into the national mainstream by restoring peace and stability in the province.

He has shown political maturity on the issue of formation of government in Balochistan and showed his determination to bring about peace and prosperity in the province by appointing a nationalist, Dr Abdul Malik Baloch of the National Party, as chief minister of the province despite the fact that PML-N was the largest party in the province.

His step was, in fact, directed to pacify the nationalist movement. It has so far not reaped fruit because insurgents in the province have been fighting with the state institutions. Interior minister, Chaudhry Nisar, has already said that there was lack of coordination among state institutions in Balochistan.

The political maturity Nawaz Sharif initially showed for Balochistan faded away quickly as almost three months after formation of the new government, the province has been operating without a cabinet. Dr Abdul Malik Baloch at one point said that the Prime Minister had not had time to attend to the issue of cabinet formation.

All three major coalition partners in the province want to have a maximum number of important ministries. The newly appointed government, so far, has not been able to take the right steps in eliminating ethnic and sectarian violence in the province.

Dr Malik and Nawaz Sharif have also failed to start talks with the nationalist movement of the province. The number of terrorist attacks in the province has increased. The issues of misuse of power by the FC, missing persons, and mutilated dead-bodies are still there.

Baloch nationalists believe the first 100-days of PML-N government show that Nawaz is more interested in promoting and protecting the rights and interests of big business in Balochistan than in solving problems there.

“This is proved by the fact that more time has been devoted to talks with the Chinese than in addressing the problems of Baloch missing persons, abductions and dumping of missing persons in Karachi,” says

Mir Muhammad Ali Talpur, an analyst who has long been writing on Balochistan issues. “Their lack of concern is proved by the fact that in the nearly hundred days their only achievement has been naming a train after Nawab Akbar Bugti. Even their lip service towards Baloch problem is inconsiderate,” he says. (Courtesy: The News on Sunday)