Hairbiar
Why can they not leave Balochistan to its own pace if the intention is not to vivisect it in haste from what remains of Pakistan. They were at peace without the new system of adjudication of disputes, they were doing well without the lawyers pleading their versions with fat fees, their jirga system was fair, and their customs not out of the world and this is a matter of late eighties when judiciary was not completely separated from the now vanished executive in the largest province.
Sardar’s had jails, but not long ago only a lone levies-man after apprehending an accused on foot would rest at dusk and draw an irregular circle on barren land and put the accused in that circle without handcuffs or tying his arms and legs and pronounce the circle as his jail and himself go to sleep. At dawn the circle and the prisoner would be intact. Sounds like a fable now when the province has become hard to be kept intact.
What befell on the common sense of policy makers of Islamabad that they thought of overnight doing away of their local system of adjudication of disputes, their rural police and the jirga laws and throw a well run province it into a quagmire of confusion. This is what you get.
Jail-breaks, kidnappings suicide bombings, no go areas, hatred unlimited and ethnic cleansing of sorts. The army uniform is where they practice their bull’s eye, poor police is a sitting duck and why not, what have they done to their youth. I remember one Hanif Baloch, later Doctor Hanif Baloch, a young man with verve and fire, with dreams and hopes for a better tomorrow, is missing for no rhyme or reason. He might have abused an FC man, a policeman or an agency man for their excesses but nothing more. If he is alive and in captivity or even free I can fathom his hatred. He was only enthused to change the unfair system and that system he might have labelled as ‘Pakistani’. Not big deal when I compare him to UNHCR American whom I asked which country he comes from, spat came the reply: ‘California’. I said, ‘What?’ He said, ‘Yes’ and added he does not believe in United States of America under (obscenity) Bush.
Did we not lose faith in Pakistan under Ayub, Yahya, Zia and the latest blessing Musharraf? What about now? That American never went missing, he is married to a Japanese, has a son and doing well in some other international organisation. What has happened to my Dr Hanif Baloch resident of Balicha, a village of poets in Kech district of Balochistan? There are thousands of young men like him we never heard of. But we hear about daily killings of innocent settlers, policemen, FC men and army men only because of the policy-makers in Islamabad and their blind following of external dictate.
The killing of Nawab Akber Bugti would forever haunt this country and the outfit that carried out his killing. The dark prince was the best administrator this country saw, a man with impeccable integrity, courage, vision and persona so kingly. My heart bleeds when I think of him. He was trapped through a petty tribal conflict by invisible hands. Kalpars killed his son and then the hell broke loose. Blood-soaked piece of his son Salal’s shirt was a memento of vengeance that he took home when he was pronounced dead. The Nawab went berserk inside but his poise for the public was better than the scene in the film Troy, the King, Peter O’ Tool breaks down before the victor Brad Pitt, but the Nawab never did and therefore he lives in the hearts of all those who dwell in Balochistan and more so in the hearts of now besieged Punjabis who got unqualified protection from the Nawab. The modern day Chakar Khan. Thoughtlessly those who killed the Nawab took away the shadow of protection from the settlers. His grandson has now waged a full scale war of liberation in open collaboration with our enemies and aided by head of mission in Afghanistan.
We cannot seem to find ready-made remedies to stem the rot in Balochistan except to undo what has already been done. Public apology by the president, general amnesty and withdrawal of all cases against the “freedom fighters” has not found much support in improving the situation. Perhaps the Chief Minister, Nawab Aslam Raisani, once the arch-enemy of Nawab Akber Bugti, may have one in store, for nobody understands an adversary better than the enemy. The continuing problem in Balochistan has roots in Dera Bugti, or perhaps the chief minion who was once like Nawab Bugti’s most obedient son for he was taken by his prostration. The same is true for the present Nawab. For now Balochistan continues to bleed and the strong arm decays at a pace which we could not imagine. We should focus our prayers for the former and numb the weakening arm, if I read the tea leaves well.
http://www.thepost.com.pk/OpinionNews.aspx?dtlid=187522&catid=11 |
