Are The Missing Persons the Only Reason Behind the Unrest in Baluchistan?

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A Building less school in Baluchistan

According to the news published in newspapers on 9 August during a hearing about the ghost (nonexistent) schools, the report of the Primary Schools in Baluchistan was presented into the Supreme Court of Pakistan. This report was demanded by SC (Supreme Court) during the last hearing. According to the report majority of the schools does not exist at all except in the record, they have no building or any physical presence, 836 schools are without roof, 5927 schools consist of just one room headed by a single teacher who is himself Head Master, Teacher, Peon, Sweeper etc. 57% schools have no facility for drinking water while 87% have no electricity at all. After reading the report Justice S. Khawaja inquired that the huge funds and great amount per head were spent in the Baluchistan for education, where are all those funds? The remarks of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chauhdary were that in last two years 170 billion have been spent on education.

The above report and amount mentioned is only for education for last two years. Still the amount of funds fixed for health and other development funds have not been disclosed; if these amounts are disclosed one will easily understand the involvement of foreign hand behind poor situation in Baluchistan and its targets. But our free media (the only independent media of the world) is busy in blaming security agencies for all the problems of Baluchistan. Whether it is target killing or missing persons, the target of propaganda are the national agencies responsible for the nation’s security and defense. God knows what Chief Justice wants to prove by giving remarks of registering FIR against heads of MI and ISI.  A member of Provincial Assembly Baluchistan has disclosed that 7 Provincial Ministers of Baluchistan are themselves involved in abduction for ransom maintaining separate camps. After such serious disclosure this statement should have been made the part of the continuing hearing over Baluchistan in SC and alleged persons should have been brought to trial  who are not only involved in human trafficking and abduction but also have embezzled the huge funds issued for the development of the province. In contrast to this the remarks of SC about Pakistan army and ISI have provided basis for the propaganda of few sold out intellectuals who are busy in deflecting attention from the real problems of province. These so called intellectuals are busy in cultivating those disputes that are not linked with army, security agencies or secret agencies but linked with the provincial government of Baluchistan. Every year in the name of development of Baluchistan, billions of these funds goes into the pockets of the so-called selected representatives of Baluchistan sitting in the Provincial assembly which are afterwards secretly transferred to foreign countries in spite of being utilized for the development of the province. The famous politician Sheikh Rasheed disclosed in his TV interview that a big amount of Chief Minister of Baluchistan was lost during its illegal transfer to abroad. Such a big amount was being transferred to Dubai through illegal means. The painful aspect is that the host of the TV program ignored this serious disclosure through changing the topic. He should have inquired that how much money or funds have been illegally transferred to abroad from Baluchistan in last 4 years? If one calculates the amount of embezzled funds one will forget about the Swiss Accounts of Zardari.

Poverty In Baluchistan

Few young men working for the freedom of Baluchistan or for enemies also have only the deprivation of Baluchistan to exploit but what was the role of their forefathers in the development of Baluchistan during their reigns? They have no answer. Look at the Sui, beyond the installation and buildings of the Gas exploring companies the whole area is deprived off any facilities for transportation or metal roads. If we look at the amounts that are paid by PSO to these Baloch Feudal Lords in the name of Royalty during last fifty years, not only Sui or Dera Bugti but the whole Baluchistan could have been developed more than any city of developed countries where these so-called freedom fighters of Baluchistan are hiding to fulfill their lust.

The condition in Baluchistan was such that even if a servant of a Baloch Feudal lord arrived at airport; the officer of Sui Northern or Southern Gas company has to cancel his ticket to provide ticket to servant of Baloch Feudal lord. At least what is the reason for which Baloch feudal lords are against the cosntruction of cantonments in Baluchistan? Musharaf announced construction of 3 Cantonments in the light of defense needs after the construction of Gwadar port, but he has to face a stiff resistance. Although General Kiyani has withdrawn decision to build cantonments keeping in view the Baloch concerns but our so-called defense analysts and self-proclaimed Aristotle did not feel any need to discuss this problem and the need of these cantonments. Or at least inform the nation about the reason behind such violent resistance against construction of cantonments.

The lack of opportunities to earn livelihood force these Poor Baloch to join Militants funded by enemies of Pakistan

Obviously enemies would never like that defense of Pakistan gets stronger in Baluchistan which will create problems for their ongoing armed interference in Baluchistan. It is also a bitter reality that Baloch feudal lords are afraid of eco-social change that will accompany these cantonments. They are aware that construction of cantonments would mean construction of roads, schools, markets, new business opportunities etc. that would change the life style of poor Baloch. Baloch whose thinking is enslaved by feudal lord, the freedom of expression aside he has no freedom of thought as well; but after construction of cantonments when new opportunities to earn livelihood would arise he will start his own business through hand cart or shop, he will not have to visit hundreds of miles away to sell his goats. He is illiterate but he will educate his children in schools, when the poor will get an easy life their thoughts would also change; they will not accept orders of their lord without thinking but would weigh their benefit or loss before doing so. His educated son will not serve feudal lord after getting education; he will find a job as clerk or officer as per qualification in govt. or private sector. All these concerns force these feudal lords of Baluchistan to push away the poor Baloch from education and close and resist all the development. But the painful aspect is that they use the name of Baloch freedom and development for their sick mentality. Although they send their own children to Europe or Russia for education but they force the children of poor Baloch to trod over the Rocky Mountains shoe-less.

another painful pic of Baloch life; at the time of independence they had such miserable and even after  great amounts have been fixed for their development their fate has not changed as these funds were confiscated by Feudal Lords

My purpose is not to support the  construction of  cantonments in Baluchistan, it is to be decided at much higher levels but I want to request my fellow analysts to bring forward the actual problems that are being faced by the poor people of Baluchistan. They should also pay attention to the huge investment of anti-Pakistan forces to delay the construction of Kala Bagh Dam, providing weapons and training to terrorists for terrorism and suicide bomb blasts in Baluchistan. These forces providing Training and funding to target killers who are not sparing any sect or group, is it difficult for them to kidnap people for lucrative ransom? Why the emphasis of Chief Justice is only at cases of missing persons? Is not the embezzlement of funds provided for the development of poor of Baluchistan a much serious crime than abduction or few missing persons?

Written By Khalid Baig,

Date: 12 August 2012.