What the Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry is doing in the context of Balochistan is the basic responsibility of the government. Disappearances, discovery of mutilated bodies and target killings have been on the rise. Of late, sectarian strife has reared its head making the law and order situation still worse.
The people of resources-rich Balochistan are suffering a twin-headed menace of internal and external conspiracy. US Congressman Dana Rohrabacher tabled a resolution in the House of Representatives seeking independence of Balochistan. The authorities’ indifference has created a volatile situation. The federal and provincial governments have only paid lip service to the cause of the Baloch without taking concrete step to undo their sense of deprivation. Under pressure from the Supreme Court, missing persons are being produced. But that is not enough. There is urgent need for the ruling leadership to realise that the policy to please only the ‘sardars’ and ‘nawabs’ would get them nowhere. They must deal with the true representatives of the people and make a serious effort to heel their wounds. The policy of wait and see must be shunned.