Shifting sands

The sands that cover vast tracts of Balochistan, and hide the wounds the province has suffered over many years, seem to be shifting. In a development that comes soon after around 400 Baloch nationalist rebels laid down their arms on Independence Day in a public ceremony, Brahamdagh Bugti, the grandson of the late Nawab Akbar Bugti who was killed in a military operation in 2006, has said there may be a possibility he could drop his demand for a free and independent Balochistan. Till now, Brahamdagh has been among the staunchest fighters for Baloch independence, insisting that there can be no turning back on this. In a statement in London, the grandson of the former chief minister and governor of Balochistan, has however said that if political allies, friends and the people of Balochistan wanted it, it was possible to consider a future within Pakistan. This important development comes amidst a host of changing events. Efforts are on to persuade the Khan of Kalat to return to the country, the Balochistan provincial government has said it is talking with other rebels and a renewed effort for calm in Balochistan appears to be on. It is unclear if Brahamdagh met Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan who was also in London, but this is being cited as a possibility.
Of course, we would all want Balochistan to return to peace and link up with the rest of the nation. But despite the statements, gestures and strong words we are hearing, there is a need to step back and look at the situation as a whole. The fact is that anger runs deep among the Baloch people. It stems from their perceptions of injustice that their resources are being taken away and used for the benefit of other provinces. Nationalist leaders will need to join in a combined effort to change such feelings. They can successfully do so only if there is real change too, in the way Balochistan is handled and decisions regarding it made. The people of the province must have a say in their own destiny. The denial of this has contributed to the fury that has hit Balochistan again and again and which, we have reason to believe, still lies within the province. Negotiations would be welcome, but they must also be followed up by true willingness to grant Balochistan its rights and end the long history of human rights abuses that the province has suffered, with hundreds reported to still be missing in what remains a troubled territory.