THE confrontation between the security forces and armed tribesmen which started in Kohlu had already reached the Bugti area, but now it is taking a nasty turn. The tribesmen are targeting FC personnel and installations while in response the security forces are pressing helicopters and artillery into service. As is bound to happen in such a situation, innocent tribesmen are being caught in the crossfire, which will fuel resentment. Three people were killed and four injured during a skirmish around the Sui area on Wednesday A JWP spokesman has claimed three women and 11 children were also injured as a result of shelling.
Sporadic rocket-versus-artillery duels between the two sides which started on Sunday have continued unabated. The gas pipeline supplying the Uch power plant has been damaged. A rocket has also destroyed the water plant of the Loti gas field and if it is not repaired urgently, the gas supply from there may have to be suspended. An attempt to repair the plant on Wednesday was abandoned after a landmine blast injured four security personnel, including an officer.
The DCO Dera Bugti suspects the miscreants might have mined other areas also. If the situation is not brought under control, it has the potential to cause irreparable damage to the Sui gas field. The confrontation is also having an impact outside the immediate area of hostilities. In the latest such incident, unidentified terrorists blew up the railway track near Dera Ghazi Khan on Wednesday.
The government has accused a foreign power of being involved in the situation. While this may be so, outsiders can manipulate the domestic situation only when those in power fail to stop simple disputes from developing into complicated conflicts. There is a perception that this is precisely what is happening. There is a broad agreement in the country that Balochistan has suffered a lot, not only because of its Sardars, but also due to neglect by successive governments, both military and civilian, for over half century, and there is a need to urgently move towards redressing its grievances.
It was in view of the widely held opinion, shared also by the President, that a parliamentary committee headed by Ch Shujaat Hussain was set up last year with the express purpose of recommending measures to alleviate the sense of deprivation in the province. If the recommendations of the committee, duly debated and finalised by the Parliament, had been implemented, this would have foreclosed the possibility of any outside force creating trouble in Balochistan.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior has decided to go to Quetta to review the situation. This is welcome. Members of the committee from the opposition parties have underlined the need to resolve differences through talks rather than force. In other words there is a need to initiate the type of dialogue that stopped the eruption of hostilities in the Bugti area last year. The success of that dialogue indicates that there is a keenness on all sides to resolve the issue peacefully. There is still time to revive the initiative. The best way to foil the attempts of outside forces to spread dissension is to set our own house in order.
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