By Sikander Hayat
Government of Pakistan has presented the initial bill for the granting of further rights to Balochistan province. Before we talk about the points of the bill presented, we must know some basic realities about Balochistan. That will help us in understanding the background in which this bill is being presented.
Baluchistan is the largest province in the country by geographical area and due to its scattered population, the most economically challenged as well. Its neighbouring regions are Iran to the west, Afghanistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas to the north and Punjab and Sindh to the east.To the south is the Arabian Sea. Balochistan is believed to be rich in mineral resources. It is the second major, after Sindh, supplier of natural gas to the country. This issue of gas is also a major issue as Balochistan’s provincial government wants more royalty on the gas production in the province.
Balochistan has a population of around 10 million inhabitants. Overall, the Baloch tribes comprise 50% of the province's population.
Quetta, the capital of the province, has a Pashtun majority with Baloch, Hazara, and Punjabi minorities leading to ethnic tensions between different ethnic groups especially Baloch and Pakhtun. Recently there have also been some targeted killings of the people who were perceived to be settlers from other provinces of Pakistan. The responsibility for these targeted killings was usually taken by the terrorist groups like BLA.
769,000 Afghan refugees can be found in the province including Pashtuns, Tajiks, and Hazaras. Many Sindhi farmers have also moved to the more arable lands in the east. There are also a growing number of other ethnic groups consisting of Hazara, Kurdish, Panjabi, Mohajir and Iranians who have made Balochistan their home in recent decades.
The economy of the province is largely based upon the production of natural gas, coal and minerals. Outside Quetta, the infrastructure of the province is gradually developing but still lags far behind other parts of Pakistan. Tourism remains limited but has increased due to the
exotic appeal of the province. Limited farming in the east as well as fishing along the Arabian Sea coastline are other forms of income and sustenance for the local populations.
Though the province remains largely underdeveloped, there are currently several major development projects in progress in Balochistan, including the expansion of a new deep sea port at the strategically important town of Gwadar. The port is projected to be the hub of an energy and trade corridor to and from China and the Central Asian republics. A coastal highway has also been constructed to link Gwadar with Pakistan's largest city, Karachi which was a big demand by the people of Gwadar. Also recently built is the Mirani Dam multipurpose project, on the River Dasht, 50 kilometres west of Turbat in the Makran Division. It will provide dependable irrigation supplies for the development of agriculture and add more than 35,000 km² of arable land. There is also Chinese involvement in the nearby Saindak gold and copper mining project.
Now we come to the current situation is the province. Its reason lies in the history and the tradition of the area. The Baloch tribes have been the most prone to rebellion in Pakistan, in part due to their fiercely independent lifestyle as well as complaints at the lack of development and attention from the central government in Islamabad. These complaints have been partially addressed as the government has set-up schools and improved infrastructure near major settlements.
The Baloch adhere to a clan-like structure and code of honour called mayar that bears some resemblance to Pashtunwali, but with significant differences including the Baloch hierarchy and allegiance to Sardars and subordinate Waderas. The Sardars remain prominent in the province thanks in part to the British who boosted their authority. While many sardars encourage development and progress of their respective regions, many others are undermining federal initiates fearing that development of their regions will result in them losing their traditional and unquestionable authority over the local population. The Government of Pakistan has tried multiple approaches to appease both the local population and the tribal Sardars who exert considerable influence but the things are improving very slowly. In these circumstances and to put water on the fires burning in the province government of Pakistan needs a comprehensive approach which must include military as well as civilian route. This package which was presented today is going to be debated in the parliament and there is a chance of subtractions and additions to the bill but in its current form it looks like a good start towards compensating the past mistakes.
Given the fact that outside supporters of terror like India are fully involved in destabilizing the province of Balochistan it must be taken into account that military must stay in the province, albeit on the fringes of the major cities. If military vacates the province there will be a power vacuum which will be filled by Indian backed terrorists and groups like Jundullah which are being backed by USA to destabilize Iran.
It is a good idea to give frontier constabulary an increased role in the security of the province and when army leaves the interior of the province, it is policed by the frontier constabulary. I am all for the economic development of the province but there must not be a compromise on the security of the people of the province which terrorists groups have repeatedly targeted.
Here are the main points of the Balochistan package presented in the parliament today:
1. Necessary constitutional amendments would be made to strengthen provincial autonomy as demanded by the small provinces especially Balochistan. These would include abolition of the concurrent list of the constitution, abolition of police order and Balochistan Local government Ordinance 2001 from the 6th schedule and effective implementation of article 153 relating to Council of Common Interest.
2. Effective implementation of articles 154 to 159 and 170 of the Constitution. The restructuring of the NFC award criteria is already underway and criteria of inverse population, poverty and resource generation need to be taken into consideration.
3. Federal government, in consultation with the provincial government, would release all political workers except those involved in heinous crimes.
4. Immediate to the acceptance of all the proposals contained in the package, political dialogue would be initiated with all major stake holders in the political spectrum of the province, to bring them into the main stream of politics.
5. The political exiles who return to Pakistan will be facilitated except those involved in acts of terrorism.
6. The unanimously passed resolutions of the Balochistan Assembly from 2002 till date related to the province would be implemented within the legal framework of the Constitution.
7. The Balochistan Local government Ordinance needs to be amended by the Provincial government keeping in view the administrative needs of the province.
8. Federal government should immediately review the role of federal agencies in the province and stop all such operation that is not related to the pursuit of fighting terrorism.
9. Federal government should announce that the presence of the army in Sui will be withdrawn and replaced by the FC. Proposals should not be formulated for the construction of new cantonments except in frontier areas. The construction of new cantonments in Sui and Kohlu to be stopped for the time being. Army will be withdrawn from Sui after handing over the duties to FC. FC will take over the already constructed cantonment at Sui.
10. A Commission, headed by a sitting member of the superior judiciary from Balochistan, should be constituted in respect of missing persons.
11. The names of missing persons to be identified and if found to be in custody, those persons against whom there are no charges be released. Those against whom there are charges be brought before a court of competent jurisdiction within seven days for trial. Family members of such persons be informed accordingly and allowed visiting rights.
12. A fact finding Commission, headed by a retired judge of the high court or the Supreme Court to be constituted to determined the circumstances leading to the death of Nawab Akbar Bugti Shaheed.
13. Judicial inquiry by the superior judiciary to be ordered to inquire into murder of Baloch political workers namely Ghulam Muhammad, Lala Munir and Munir Ahmad as well as target killing in the province.
14. In view of the decision of the provincial government, the policy of conversion of ‘B’ areas into ‘A’ areas may be reviewed from time to time. Urban areas may have regular police.
15. The role of the FC in law enforcement shall be under the Chief Minister of the province. The powers conferred under Customs Act shall be withdrawn. Coast Guard should perform its primary duty of checking smuggling of arms and narcotics along the coast and the border.
16. There would be judicial enquiry by the superior judiciary into the allotment of land at Gwadar.
17. Special quota of scholarships by the HEC would be given to students from Balochistan to pursue studies leading up to local or foreign masters and PhDs.
18. Rationalization of the royalty formula keeping in view demands of the province.
19. The Federal government will pay royalty worth 120 billion rupees on Gas Development Surcharge from 1954 to 1991, to be payable over twelve years.
20. All new mega projects would be initiated with the consent and approval of the provincial government.
21. There will be a free economic zone at Gwadar and all appointments in Gwadar from scale one to sixteen would be from the local population.
22. Preference would be given to qualified local contractors while awarding contracts related to the port. Two jetties would be constructed on the eastern and western bays. There will be a special development package for Sui area.
23. The Federal government would create five thousand additional jobs for the province immediately.
24.The province will be able to purchase up to 20% of the right shares of PPL, OGDCL and Sui Southern when offered in the open market.
25. The Federal government will transfer 20% from its 30% shares in Saindak project to Balochistan and on completion the project would be exclusively handed over to the province.
26. There shall be uniform price of gas throughout the country for calculation of gas development surcharge.
27. Special incentives would be given to the local tribes in Kohlu district to facilitate exploration in the area.
28. The Federal government would provide one billion rupees for rehabilitation and settlement of the IDPs from Dera Bugti.
I believe that this bill is a good start but it is just that; a start. Further actions need to be taken to improve situation in the province.
I look forward to your comments on this when especially the people who live in Balochistan if they are happy with this start by the government. Off course government is going to take further steps to alleviate the deprivation of the province.
Government of Pakistan has presented the initial bill for the granting of further rights to Balochistan province. Before we talk about the points of the bill presented, we must know some basic realities about Balochistan. That will help us in understanding the background in which this bill is being presented.
Baluchistan is the largest province in the country by geographical area and due to its scattered population, the most economically challenged as well. Its neighbouring regions are Iran to the west, Afghanistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas to the north and Punjab and Sindh to the east.To the south is the Arabian Sea. Balochistan is believed to be rich in mineral resources. It is the second major, after Sindh, supplier of natural gas to the country. This issue of gas is also a major issue as Balochistan’s provincial government wants more royalty on the gas production in the province.
Balochistan has a population of around 10 million inhabitants. Overall, the Baloch tribes comprise 50% of the province's population.
Quetta, the capital of the province, has a Pashtun majority with Baloch, Hazara, and Punjabi minorities leading to ethnic tensions between different ethnic groups especially Baloch and Pakhtun. Recently there have also been some targeted killings of the people who were perceived to be settlers from other provinces of Pakistan. The responsibility for these targeted killings was usually taken by the terrorist groups like BLA.
769,000 Afghan refugees can be found in the province including Pashtuns, Tajiks, and Hazaras. Many Sindhi farmers have also moved to the more arable lands in the east. There are also a growing number of other ethnic groups consisting of Hazara, Kurdish, Panjabi, Mohajir and Iranians who have made Balochistan their home in recent decades.
The economy of the province is largely based upon the production of natural gas, coal and minerals. Outside Quetta, the infrastructure of the province is gradually developing but still lags far behind other parts of Pakistan. Tourism remains limited but has increased due to the
exotic appeal of the province. Limited farming in the east as well as fishing along the Arabian Sea coastline are other forms of income and sustenance for the local populations. Though the province remains largely underdeveloped, there are currently several major development projects in progress in Balochistan, including the expansion of a new deep sea port at the strategically important town of Gwadar. The port is projected to be the hub of an energy and trade corridor to and from China and the Central Asian republics. A coastal highway has also been constructed to link Gwadar with Pakistan's largest city, Karachi which was a big demand by the people of Gwadar. Also recently built is the Mirani Dam multipurpose project, on the River Dasht, 50 kilometres west of Turbat in the Makran Division. It will provide dependable irrigation supplies for the development of agriculture and add more than 35,000 km² of arable land. There is also Chinese involvement in the nearby Saindak gold and copper mining project.
Now we come to the current situation is the province. Its reason lies in the history and the tradition of the area. The Baloch tribes have been the most prone to rebellion in Pakistan, in part due to their fiercely independent lifestyle as well as complaints at the lack of development and attention from the central government in Islamabad. These complaints have been partially addressed as the government has set-up schools and improved infrastructure near major settlements.
The Baloch adhere to a clan-like structure and code of honour called mayar that bears some resemblance to Pashtunwali, but with significant differences including the Baloch hierarchy and allegiance to Sardars and subordinate Waderas. The Sardars remain prominent in the province thanks in part to the British who boosted their authority. While many sardars encourage development and progress of their respective regions, many others are undermining federal initiates fearing that development of their regions will result in them losing their traditional and unquestionable authority over the local population. The Government of Pakistan has tried multiple approaches to appease both the local population and the tribal Sardars who exert considerable influence but the things are improving very slowly. In these circumstances and to put water on the fires burning in the province government of Pakistan needs a comprehensive approach which must include military as well as civilian route. This package which was presented today is going to be debated in the parliament and there is a chance of subtractions and additions to the bill but in its current form it looks like a good start towards compensating the past mistakes.
Given the fact that outside supporters of terror like India are fully involved in destabilizing the province of Balochistan it must be taken into account that military must stay in the province, albeit on the fringes of the major cities. If military vacates the province there will be a power vacuum which will be filled by Indian backed terrorists and groups like Jundullah which are being backed by USA to destabilize Iran.
It is a good idea to give frontier constabulary an increased role in the security of the province and when army leaves the interior of the province, it is policed by the frontier constabulary. I am all for the economic development of the province but there must not be a compromise on the security of the people of the province which terrorists groups have repeatedly targeted.
Here are the main points of the Balochistan package presented in the parliament today:
1. Necessary constitutional amendments would be made to strengthen provincial autonomy as demanded by the small provinces especially Balochistan. These would include abolition of the concurrent list of the constitution, abolition of police order and Balochistan Local government Ordinance 2001 from the 6th schedule and effective implementation of article 153 relating to Council of Common Interest.
2. Effective implementation of articles 154 to 159 and 170 of the Constitution. The restructuring of the NFC award criteria is already underway and criteria of inverse population, poverty and resource generation need to be taken into consideration.
3. Federal government, in consultation with the provincial government, would release all political workers except those involved in heinous crimes.
4. Immediate to the acceptance of all the proposals contained in the package, political dialogue would be initiated with all major stake holders in the political spectrum of the province, to bring them into the main stream of politics.
5. The political exiles who return to Pakistan will be facilitated except those involved in acts of terrorism.
6. The unanimously passed resolutions of the Balochistan Assembly from 2002 till date related to the province would be implemented within the legal framework of the Constitution.
7. The Balochistan Local government Ordinance needs to be amended by the Provincial government keeping in view the administrative needs of the province.
8. Federal government should immediately review the role of federal agencies in the province and stop all such operation that is not related to the pursuit of fighting terrorism.
9. Federal government should announce that the presence of the army in Sui will be withdrawn and replaced by the FC. Proposals should not be formulated for the construction of new cantonments except in frontier areas. The construction of new cantonments in Sui and Kohlu to be stopped for the time being. Army will be withdrawn from Sui after handing over the duties to FC. FC will take over the already constructed cantonment at Sui.
10. A Commission, headed by a sitting member of the superior judiciary from Balochistan, should be constituted in respect of missing persons.
11. The names of missing persons to be identified and if found to be in custody, those persons against whom there are no charges be released. Those against whom there are charges be brought before a court of competent jurisdiction within seven days for trial. Family members of such persons be informed accordingly and allowed visiting rights.
12. A fact finding Commission, headed by a retired judge of the high court or the Supreme Court to be constituted to determined the circumstances leading to the death of Nawab Akbar Bugti Shaheed.
13. Judicial inquiry by the superior judiciary to be ordered to inquire into murder of Baloch political workers namely Ghulam Muhammad, Lala Munir and Munir Ahmad as well as target killing in the province.
14. In view of the decision of the provincial government, the policy of conversion of ‘B’ areas into ‘A’ areas may be reviewed from time to time. Urban areas may have regular police.
15. The role of the FC in law enforcement shall be under the Chief Minister of the province. The powers conferred under Customs Act shall be withdrawn. Coast Guard should perform its primary duty of checking smuggling of arms and narcotics along the coast and the border.
16. There would be judicial enquiry by the superior judiciary into the allotment of land at Gwadar.
17. Special quota of scholarships by the HEC would be given to students from Balochistan to pursue studies leading up to local or foreign masters and PhDs.
18. Rationalization of the royalty formula keeping in view demands of the province.
19. The Federal government will pay royalty worth 120 billion rupees on Gas Development Surcharge from 1954 to 1991, to be payable over twelve years.
20. All new mega projects would be initiated with the consent and approval of the provincial government.
21. There will be a free economic zone at Gwadar and all appointments in Gwadar from scale one to sixteen would be from the local population.
22. Preference would be given to qualified local contractors while awarding contracts related to the port. Two jetties would be constructed on the eastern and western bays. There will be a special development package for Sui area.
23. The Federal government would create five thousand additional jobs for the province immediately.
24.The province will be able to purchase up to 20% of the right shares of PPL, OGDCL and Sui Southern when offered in the open market.
25. The Federal government will transfer 20% from its 30% shares in Saindak project to Balochistan and on completion the project would be exclusively handed over to the province.
26. There shall be uniform price of gas throughout the country for calculation of gas development surcharge.
27. Special incentives would be given to the local tribes in Kohlu district to facilitate exploration in the area.
28. The Federal government would provide one billion rupees for rehabilitation and settlement of the IDPs from Dera Bugti.
I believe that this bill is a good start but it is just that; a start. Further actions need to be taken to improve situation in the province.
I look forward to your comments on this when especially the people who live in Balochistan if they are happy with this start by the government. Off course government is going to take further steps to alleviate the deprivation of the province.
Sir, I have not commented on this " package" earlier because I want to clearly observe the change on ground situation after the announcement of this package. Well putting my observations in words I would say nothing has changed on the ground. Nationalist forces of Baluchistan have already rejected this so-called package. In this package 24 clauses are just considerations. Missing persons have still not being recovered even some more have been whisked away. So this package is " too little, too late". I would call it an eye wash. Regards.
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