Abdul Wahid Gul
The development phenomenon has always been very closely attached with the spirited and sincere mindset of the ruling class in a province, state or country. Pakistan is a federation with developing economy, political system and integration. The unequal and unjust development in its units is constantly persistent maintain the low level of progress in the country particularly in small provinces. Balochistan has long been lagging behind the other provinces in almost all of the life’s standards and perspectives. This is less or more all because of the ongoing politics on the name of underdevelopment in Balochistan.
In the 21st century even the culture in Balochistan is a parochial and subject one. In today’s era of global democracy, people in Balochistan still act upon what their barons say. They cannot deny or go against the authority of their Sardars. In such a culturally underdeveloped area, people who are literate even are unable to have their due right in the governmental and authoritative settings of the province. If it comes to the ballot and election system in Balochistan, one would often find that the voters’ turn out in Balochistan has always been the least. People either do not know about the significance of their vote or know that the ballot boxes would not change their fate. This political culture is actually the catalyst of underdevelopment problem in the province.
Some people in the academia think that mega projects like CPEC would change everything in the province in a positive way. They think that such projects would prove as game-changer in multiple dimensions and thus would also resolve the issue of underdevelopment of Balochistan. Such people might not have gone through the history of this issue or might not have in mind enough about the culture of the province as well as the responsible actors and institutions. No doubt, the CPEC like projects can still work for the prosperity of not only Balochistan but the entire Pakistan if the intentions of the ruling elite in Pakistan go to be people-oriented. It would also compel China to seek other alternatives because China cannot wait anymore to rise. So, CPEC is definitely an incredible opportunity to mitigate the underdevelopment of Balochistan.
It is time for the politics of underdevelopment in Balochistan to end now. Balochistan and its people feel must now feel normal regarding the relationship with the Centre. For this, an appropriate and feasible list of priorities for the authorities to resolve this issue of underdevelopment in Balochistan, can work enough if taken seriously. Therefore, firstly the Constitution of 1973 should be implemented its true spirit. Secondly, Federal Government should immediately enforce an education and development based emergency in Balochistan. Thirdly, Civil-Military Leadership should work for ending the intra-institutional differences sensing the intensity of this issue as soon as possible. Fourthly, provincial government and political leadership should work unanimously for the development and progress of the province putting behind their mighty differences and interests. Fifthly, a better border management should be immediately worked out both with Afghanistan and Iran so as to bring the international involvement in the province to the minimum level.
Finally, Balochistan must be given its due share in the CPEC Project, which may ail the issue of underdevelopment of the province to a greater level. Consequently the problem of underdevelopment in Balochistan would begin to settle down and the province will thus start moving towards peace, progress, prosperity and development.
Writer is a former student of MSc Political Science, GC University, Lahore
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are those of the author and Balochistan Voices not necessarily agrees with them.
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