It was hoped that after the May 2012 general elections and with the formation of the PML-N, PKMAP, NP coalition government, insurgency-hit province of Balochistan would be able to apply a salve to its troubled past and move forward towards a more prosperous and stable future. PM Nawaz Sharif’s decision to invite Dr Abdul Malik Baloch to head the government, and the appointment of Muhammad Khan Achakzai as Governor, was greatly appreciated by all the stakeholders as they agreed that such steps would play a vital role in the normalization of affairs. However, the results so far have been disappointing. Secessionist militias still wage a war against the state, sectarian violence continues to claim innocent lives and the overall law and order situation in the province shows no noteworthy signs of improvement. Most recently, Jaffar Express, a passenger train en route from Rawalpindi to Quetta, was targeted in a remote controlled bomb blast as it passed through District Naseerabad. The explosion killed at least 7 civilians and injured several others including women and children. The Baloch Republican Army (BRA) claimed responsibility for the attack, and informed the media that the primary objective was to target the security personnel aboard the train, who were returning to Quetta after Eid ul Azha.
Those who claim to be struggling for the rights of the people of Balochistan, must realise that blowing up gas pipelines, attacking relief convoys in Awaran and Mashkay, and handing death sentences to innocent civilians on the basis of their ethnicity or religious beliefs will not achieve anything. Instead, with each such attack, they push themselves deeper into a pit which has swallowed many before them. The political leaders in the provincial assembly are reminded of their promises of bringing stability to the region. Their ‘close ties’ with the aggrieved parties, which they claimed gave them an edge over everyone else resolved to solve the long-standing conflict, have not yielded any results. Instead of pandering to hardliners at home for political expedience, they must take charge of matters, and present a clear policy which paves the way for peace. So far, the provincial government appears clueless as to what needs to be done to curtail the ongoing violence. The persistent, unlawful policy of the security forces isn’t helping either. The tragedy of missing persons, among many others, is a hindrance in the way of progress. Human rights violations only add legitimacy to the cause of separatists. Therefore, it is essential for all parties involved - political leadership, military establishment, secessionists - to deviate from their misguided paths. They have tried their ‘methods’, and they have miserably failed; all of them. For the sake of Balochistan and its suffering populace, it’s time to change.