Once again a suicide attack has rocked Pakistan. This time the shock waves are more astonishing and flabbergasting. For the first time, an attack has been carried out inside the university in Karachi which targeted Chinese nationals. Baloch liberation army claimed the attack. They termed it a warning for China. It is nothing new as BLA has frequently carried out attacks all across the country. However, the profile of the suicide bomber in this blast shocked many people.
The female suicide bomber named, Shari Baloch, was an MPhil scholar, an educator by passion, daughter of a lecturer, wife of a dentist, an avid reader of Garcia and Arundhati, and a mother of two. Why then did such an educated lady choose this extremist path? The question begs thoughts and analysis. Such atrocious acts cannot be justified by any ideology. However, we need to explore the causes which drive educated individuals to indulge in extremism and chalk out a way forward.
There is no denying the fact that Balochistan is the most hostile and unruly province of Pakistan. For decades state machinery has tried to tame the separatism through the use of force and ruled it with a heavy hand. But even after militarizing it and deputing the Armed forces there, the peace is far from being achieved. Why is it so? It is because the problems in Balochistan and grievances of Balochistan cannot be solved through the use of guns. There is an acute shortage of water in Balochistan and the ‘Karez’ system is dying gradually. Lands are increasingly becoming barren which renders food scarcity. The education sector is in shambles in Balochistan today. More than half of the women in Balochistan have never seen schools. The Health system exhibits an even bleaker side. While all around Pakistan mother mortality rate is 186 per 100000 live births, in Balochistan it is 650 per 100000 live births.
The same is the case with infrastructure and development. Only major urban centers are developed. The rest of the areas are underdeveloped and lack basic facilities and electricity supply lines. Unemployment and poverty are rampant in the province. Moreover, the feudalism prevalent in the province has further contributed to the repression of the people.
Balochistan shares a long porous border with Afghanistan. This proximity has rendered ‘strategic paralysis’ in Pakistan many times and terrorists find it convenient to roam free across the borders. Owing to this compulsion, the security forces of Pakistan carry out intelligence-based operations routinely and root out the extremists from the land. The job is doing by Pakistan’s armed forces is commendable but it serves us twin disadvantages. One, our soldiers unremittingly sacrifice their lives. Two, collateral damage is always a possibility in military operations. Often students, activists, and other people are mistakenly targeted for being insurgents. Such a thing raises resentment among Balochs.
Baloch people have repeatedly protested against all forms of marginalization they face. Recently, the residents of Gawadar registered their protests over Chinese ‘petty-hegemony’ in fishing and lack of clean drinking water. All around the country, Baloch students have often staged protests for the release of missing persons. Women of Balochistan protested over the killings of ‘Keghad Baloch’ and ‘ Maliknaz Baloch’ by security forces in 2021. Maliknaz Baloch was killed in front of her four years old daughter, Bramsh. Activists started ‘Bramsh movement to get justice but the movement died eventually. Do you the name under which Shari Baloch operated? ‘BRAMSH’.
In such conditions, can one expect Balochistan to produce individuals brimming with hopes, exhibiting patriotism and discussing the ideas of Plato and Aristotle? Saying yes will only display naivety and idealism. In such circumstances, even educated and sane minds can be radicalized by little brainwashing.
Guns have never solved the problems. Violence has never brought peace. Authoritarianism can only infuse momentarily fear and not respect. The state needs to transform its approach while handling the Balochistan conundrum. Now is the time to shun an aggressive approach toward this issue and kick-start the reformation of Balochistan. The state can start by cracking down on the feudal lords and rip these demi-gods off their privileges. The advantages of CPEC and development in Gwadar must reach each and every corner of Balochistan so that the sense of alienation can be constricted. Then the infrastructure, health, and education sectors need to be overhauled. May that be share in water, share in a financial pie, or political representation, in every sphere Balochistan must be treated equally and on par with other provinces. Finally, the Baloch students studying all over the country should not be silenced. They should listen and their grievances ought to be resolved by the state. Baloch Students should be saved from over-checking on security posts and judging all Balochs by the same standards must be halted. Such practices instill a sense of alienation and marginalization among students and push them towards extremist activities.
All of the above-mentioned suggestions may sound like cliches; indeed they are! For decades these policies have been put forward by different thinkers and scholars, but what’s missing is implementation. The state needs to implement these. State must remember that it is its’ duty and responsibility to uplift Balochistan. Balochs air their grievances because they look up to the state to make their conditions better. State ought to soothe them.
On the other hand, Baloch separatists and the Majeed brigade must keep in their mind that we do not have any future without a strong Pakistan. Pakistan is essential for our survival. Chanting slogans of separatism and vying for ‘Azad Balochistan’ is going to lead them nowhere. An independent Balochistan would be more vulnerable and more prone to all types of ills and will have a bleaker future than Afghanistan. BlA and all the separatist groups ought to do away with violence and share their grievances in an amicable and peaceful way.
Balochistan does not have any future without Pakistan and Pakistan needs Balochistan for its socio-economic stability. Both sides need to understand this.
