.:: SAMAA - Has the package really pacified the ignored child?

On Qaum key Saamney with Amir Zia

ISLAMABAD: The government finally paid heed to the threatening cries of its most ignored child- Balochistan and proposed the ‘Aghaz-e Haqooq Balochistan package’ Tuesday in a joint sitting of the parliament. The province has only bawled over this package, let alone appreciate it in any way. The leadership of Balochistan rejected the package within hours of its proposal. Some called it a ‘mockery’ to the Balochis, some said it was a fraud, while some said it was exacerbating the already ailing status of Balochistan. This has given rise to a new litany of concerns and suspicions from the Balochis, and that was what the topic of discussion was on ‘Qaum Key Saamney’ Tuesday. The guests in the show were Senator Hasil Bizenjo, Senator Zafar Ali Shah of the PML-N and Lt (rtd) Gen. Qadir Baloch, a former Balochistan governor.

The package was presented by PPP stalwart Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, who heads the seven-member parliamentary committee, which finalised the package in consultation with the political leadership in parliament and other stakeholders. It proposes judicial inquiry into Bugti, other Baloch leaders’ killings; no new cantonments; FC to replace Army; missing persons to be traced; Rs 120 bn as gas royalty and end to all operations except anti-terror actions.

Senator Hasil Bizenjo was asked about whether the package was sufficient as compared to the needs and demands of the Balochis, to which he said that it is not satisfactory.

“We told the PPP not to promise things you cannot fulfill because this will lead to disappointment among the Balochis who are already feeling deprived and left-out. All of the things they have proposed could’ve been done earlier, e.g the investigations of the murders, the issue of missing persons, etc. We are not that powerful yet to do those things. If u wont fulfill those promises, there will be reactions from the Balochis,” he said.

He got very morose here and said, “I am ready to invite anyone to Balochistan. The people are living in the 17th and 18th centuries. There are no basic amenities available to them. Things are worse than they are in Cholistan. If I accept this package, I cannot move in the political circle in Balochistan. You should atleast offer gas to 80% of the people. They still make fire through primitive methods. When the youth sees their mothers blow on fires and the people in Quetta wasting the Balochi gas, the reaction is natural.”

He said that there should be some criteria of administration. The education expenditure is Rs 10 per person and the medicine expenditure is also Rs 10 per person. How can they not be upset?

“I ask the people in the assemblies that what are they doing there?” he said.

He said that the package can only make the people in Islamabad happy but not the ones in Balochistan.

Musharraf said that Rs 140 billion were spent in Balochistan but the World Bank report says that poverty has increased by 3% in the region after that. If the demands of the people are met, there can be no progress in this issue.

Bizenjo, when asked about the solution said that it should’ve come after constitutional amendments. Let the constitutional committee decide what’s best. The 60-year old wounds cannot be cured in five days through one package.

Senator Zafar Ali Shah of the PML-N said that a week before this package was announced, the Prime Minister and Nawaz Sharif had met. The focus of the meeting was the package. Mr Nawaz had explained explicitly not to give such a package without consulting the tribes and leadership, but they went ahead with it without any consultation.

“Mr Nawaz had said that the package will have a reaction. And there was. Our party loves Balochistan and we think their concerns are only natural. I haven’t seen such a funny document in my life. They were called recommendations and then they were written as proposals. But whose are they and who are they directed to? The document has nothing that those people were crying for for 60 years. Their grievances are there and they are genuine,” he said.

He also said that the government is saying that we have done this for Balochistan, but they have not consulted or included anyone in the package. “The government is in trouble now,” he said.

Lt Gen Qadir Baloch was asked whether this package will allay the troubles of the people and he said that he doesn’t think there will be any positive reaction from the affected people. No respite or satisfaction will be received. It is because those people who were involved in target killing and sabotage, were the ones talking of independence, not allowing the waving of the Pakistani flag, or allowing to play the national anthem. Their issues are where they were.

Amir Zia asked him what was missing from the package and he said that those people from whom the problems are arising should’ve been kept in mind. Not the economics and administration of the region. “That isn’t what people were expecting. Its all related to the future. Those people talk of independence, their demands are out of constitution. The requirement of the time is to bring them in the mainstream politics so they make demands democratically and take the constitutional path. They were not given this in the past, that’s why they have taken arms,” he said.

Amir Zia asked him why is it that that it is the sardars mainly who are objecting to the package and not the people, so the Lt said that there is a very small minority of sardars in the assemblies. It wouldn’t be right to blame the sardars only.

When asked why people were feeling left out, he said, “we joined Pakistani voluntarily. We have had 6 governors from other provinces. The Balochis were not trusted for governorship. There are more than 100 corporations in the country but not one is headed by a Balochi. Even our firms like Sui southern, PPL, the port are not headed by Balochis. There is no balochi representation in the. Now people in Islamabad make a package saying they’ll give this much money thinking we’ll be happy. The governors will be elected by them and they’ll use the money and be happy. The Balochis will not be happy.”

When asked to comment about the Bugti case, he said that Nawab Akbar Bugti never asked for separation from Pakistan. There were rockets fired in the Balochistan people killing so many in Dera Bugti. Then a package was worked out, even after which the President rejected it. The President was taken to Kohlu where there were no deaths. Even then the Dera Bugti operation was started. The Marris and Bugtis have never been in good relations and could’ve never agreed on a common purpose of firing rockets there.

“Mr Bugti was in the fort but was not arrested, which would’ve been the legal thing to do. But what happens is that when he goes to the mountains, he is killed there,” he said.

“This package is nothing. They should’ve said that within 7 or 10 days, there will be no barracks, agencies or operation there. Within 10 or 15 days the arrested persons will be brought to justice,” he said. “Only then can be some headway and people will stop talking about independence there. The condition is very serious and the government should take serious notice of it, rather than making a package in the air.” SAMAA