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BY: DR IJAZ AHSAN
The Balochis are up in arms, and the flames of the fire are spreading as far afield as Punjab and Sindh. The militants are damaging all means of communication and all utilities. They are attacking electricity pylons, Sui gas pipelines, and railway lines. More recently they have started blowing up telephone lines, so that tens of thousands of telephones are disconnected from the world at large.
The miscreants fired rockets on a telephone repeater station and tower near Nushki, as a result of which communications to eight large cities of Balochistan have been cut. It is quite possible the militants are being incited, nay even trained, by the Indians or even the Americans. However, one thing is difficult to understand. Every Baloch leader has said this issue will not end until the main accused in the gangrape case at Sui is arrested and tried. What is then preventing the authorities from doing this, which is something they should have done on day one in any case? To protect one accused, peace in the entire country has been laid on the line.
It has always been said that Balochistan is not East Pakistan, which was separated from the western wing by over a thousand miles that East Pakistan was difficult to defend militarily, and that India took advantage of that fact. However, now that the insurgency is in Balochistan, why have the security personnel not been able to contain it promptly? Why are attacks on means of communication, as well as gas and electricity, continuing unabated, in fact increasing in frequency and severity?
Not only is the leader of the ruling party Chaudhary Shujaat saying that the Balochistan problem should be solved by negotiation, every politician, every newspaper, every commentator on every TV channel is saying the same thing. Yet the one thing that all are agreed should be done by the government to start the process of negotiation with the Balochis, namely the arrest of the main accused in the gangrape case, is not taking place. The question is: if the whole nation is united on this issue, that the person should be hauled up and tried in an open court, what is holding up the process?
In 1971 there was martial law in the country, with complete censorship of the press; this piece could not have been written then. This was one very important reason for the break-up of the country, that no one could influence the course of events ever so slightly. This time there is a good deal of freedom to write. And yet the result is the same: nil. This is even more difficult to understand than in 1971.
And another thing: on previous occasions whenever, in connection with the solution of any national issue, it was proposed by anyone that if necessary, even the Constitution may be changed to solve the problem, the unanimous reaction all over the country used to be: No, the Constitution should not be tampered with. This time this also is not the case. It has been said both by Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain and also by other important political figures and commentators that if the solution of the present Balochistan imbroglio demands even amendment of the Constitution in order to increase the quantum of provincial autonomy, it should be done unhesitatingly, so that the provinces can be at peace with the centre, and the country can move on the path of progress and prosperity.
You see, the Concurrent List of subjects, i.e. those subjects which were in the purview of both the centre and the provinces, was to be abolished over a period of time and the subjects were to be handed over to the provinces. However, this was not done. This was a grave injustice to the provinces. It should be done now, and we will be able to say: better late than never. If there is unanimity of opinion on this issue between the government and the opposition, we should take advantage of the situation.
Interestingly, if the Constitution is amended to increase the political space for the provinces, and if this restores peace and harmony between the provinces and the centre, we will be able to close a chapter of unease between the two. In that cause the losses suffered by the country and the community during recent weeks will not have been in vain. Let us hope that even at this late hour better sense prevails all around.
E-mail: drijaz@nation.com.pk
http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/feb-2005/11/columns2.php |
