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THE HUMAN RIGHTS CRISIS IN
BALOCHISTAN
ANKIT ARVIND S.G.T.B. KHALSA COLLEGE DELHI UNIVERSITY
ABSTRACT
Balochistan, the largest province of Pakistan has been a victim of extremism and flawed policy making. The province is in a state of unrest and is facing grievous crisis in the form of human rights violation and socio economic instability. Deteriorating law and order situation and strident political demands threaten to destabilize Balochistan. With a growing sense of deprivation and empowerment of the recalcitrant local authorities, the province is in a complete state of anarchy. Human rights violation is at its peak and the men responsible for maintaining law and order are majorly involved in its abuse.
The paper basically focuses on the grave human rights crisis in the province of Balochistan. It deals with two primary reports highlighting the state of affairs of the province. Firstly, the report of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and secondly, Report of the Parliamentary Committee on Balochistan. The idea is to present a complete picture by giving a detailed account of the prevailing conditions that by and large have created a sense of catastrophe in Balochistan.
KEY WORDS
• Federalism- pg 4 ( The governmental mechanism adopted by the Republic of Pakistan) • HRCP-pg 4,5,7,13 Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (report on human rights crisis in Balochistan) • Parliamentary Committee report on Balochistan pg 4,10 (a detailed report on the province of Balochistan) • Sectarianism, Extremism, Nationalism and Separatism pg 4 ( playing a vital role in the creating a sense of dismay in the province) • Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Asian Human Rights Commission and International Crisis Group. Pg 5 ( organizations looking into the affairs of Balochistan) • Balochs pg 6 (the local population of Balochistan) • Pukhtoon, Punjabis pg 6 (the ethnic group of Balochistan) • BLA- pg 6 Baloch Liberation Army (nationalist elements in Balochistan) • FC- pg 7 Frontier Constabulary ( state security force) • The Hindus, Ahmedis, and Hazara/Shias pg 8 ( minorities)
INTRODUCTION Constitutionally, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary republic consisting of four provinces and four federal administered areas including a federal capital territory. Federalism has been considered an important means to secure political harmony in the country like Pakistan having a heterogeneous society being divided into a number of ethnic and linguistic groups. It is impossible for any province by itself to make a decision to run off the Union. Since its inception in 1947 to the present, the history of Pakistan has been described by the periods of military rule and political instability. The issue of federalism been a subject of intense political debates and occupied an important position in all the constitutional debates.
The major threats to the federal structure in Pakistan are language, ethnicity, water disputes, funds allocation, and disputes over the share of employment quota in the civil and the military services, which are to be the major sources of friction among the provinces and the federally administered areas. Considering the gloomy case of the province of Balochistan, it can well be highlighted that for once and all it is a victim of a severe crisis, even after repeated out cry by the civil society and the firm commitment by the civilian government of Pakistan to prioritize the development agenda of the province. The adverse geopolitical dimensions of the region have created a catastrophic situation so much so that the province has been classified as one of the most underdeveloped part of Pakistan. Three fundamental issues have been fuelling this Baloch crisis: expropriation, marginalization and dispossession. The rudimentary resultant is the increased polarization and radicalization of Baloch society. The facts and figures collected by the Human Rights Commission Pakistan (HRCP) and the Parliamentary Committee on Balochistan have clearly revealed a decisive point that the current state of affairs is the direct result of policy failure and ignorance on part of the central government of Pakistan.
The current situation in Balochistan is so awful that people suspect, even resist, development projects. The violent behaviour and aggression in Balochistan plague the minds of Pakistani citizens. Regardless of the actuality that there is a military action or targeted action on miscreants, the reality is that there is considerable unrest in almost all parts of Balochistan. There may be external influences, but the lack of consultation and involvement of the local population in decision making is an important reason due to which people feel offended.
The right to life and freedom from arbitrary detention is violated with impunity. Violent streaks of sectarianism, extremism, nationalism and separatism have all played a part. An armed insurgency is underway in the province. Bands of extremists have a free hand in intimidating and killing people. Targeted killings and kidnappings for ransom are pervasive. Members of religious minority communities are at greater risk and have been forced to migrate to other parts of the country and abroad. Journalists and human rights defenders have been targeted for highlighting violations of rights. The state accuses other countries of seeking to destabilize Pakistan by interfering in Balochistan. Even if such a role is there, it has been made possible because the situation was volatile enough to begin with. Over the past 10 years, the Pakistan’s powerful establishment has launched a systematic and widespread campaign to subjugate the ethnic Baloch population. Thousands of cases of killings, torture, enforced disappearance and forced displacement have been documented by Amnesty International, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Human Rights Watch, Asian Human Rights Commission and International Crisis Group. An official policy of impunity has empowered soldiers, agents and officials to torture, enforce disappearance, kill, and extract Balochistan’s natural wealth illegally. There are more than 1,100 documented cases of enforced disappearances, including women and children, who are still missing, while upwards of 8,000 were forcibly disappeared at some point during the last five years in the Baloch intifada against Islamabad’s oppressive policies. The extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances bordering on genocide that the Baloch are faced with demand urgent international action.
THE SOCIO ECONOMIC AND GEOGRAPHICAL STRUCTURE
The socio-economic development in Balochistan compared with other provinces of Pakistan appears to face particularly daunting challenges. To comprehend the unrest, political instability, power crisis, Baloch ethnicity, violent behaviour, and aggression in Balochistan, it will be essential to be familiar with the, norms of Baloch society, ethnic values, and Baloch Culture. It is also compulsory to get acquainted with the innate atmosphere occupied by the Baloch people that would be helpful to find out their traditions of life and habits.
Balochistan is the largest in area and strategically significant province covering a sizable portion of the country with the least populated and the poorest in per capita income since its birth constituting approximately 48 % of the total landmass of Pakistan. The Balochistan population was 4.5 million in 1981/82 and 6.6 million in 1998 and 7.8 million in 2004/05, including other ethnic groups such as the Pukhtoon, Punjabis. According to the accessible data, there are about four million Baloch speakers majority in Balochistan province, and an important Pukhtoon speaking minority around Quetta, and Sindhi and Punjabi settlers in the irrigated districts to the southeast. Different tribes of Balochistan with several characteristic contain a great degree of cultural and linguistic diversity. Balochistan has certain apprehensions and fears of financial, poverty, unemployment, economic, social and political marginalization and not getting its due respect, opportunity and respective share in the federal system. Balochistan Province is rich in mineral and natural resources but as yet under-developed sector in Balochistan’s economy and financial system.
Presently, there are seventy-seven recognized tribal groupings. Linguistic differences exist between the tribal groupings. The state society variations and conflict in Balochistan which deal with power politics have different socio-political, financial, economical and regional connotations. Balochistan is passing through a critical period of its history. The current uprising in Balochistan is secular in nature and bears no similarity to the Taliban insurgency in the Pakistan’s north. The present unrest in Balochistan, which started in 2004, mainly resulted from the highhanded policies and strategies of General Pervez Musharraf and the clash and tense standoff between military and paramilitary forces and armed Bugti tribesmen and Baloch Sardars (feudal lords) have threatened the centuries old feudal culture in Balochistan and there seems a large thrust for economic development of the province since 1947.
The majority of the Balochis feel aggrieved, and that a general basis of their aggravations is the belief that the province is not receiving proper attention from the federal government and a due share of resources of Balochistan is not handed over to the province. They are deprived of their fundamental and basic rights and their resources i.e. gas, oil etc. is being used for the benefit of others and this mistrust has increased the grievances of the people of Balochistan. The present wave of targeted killings and the violent incidents in Balochistan are taken in the background of a simmering guerrilla warfare being waged by alienated nationalist elements like the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
THE UNSCRUPULOUS CONDITION OF THE PROVINCE
According to a report compiled by the HRCP, in the cases of enforced disappearance that there were credible allegations of the involvement of state security forces, particularly the Frontier Constabulary (FC). There was material on record to substantiate claims of the families that the victims were disappeared by the FC or had been killed while in custody. Many of the disappearances had occurred at public places. In others, some of the individuals picked up along with the still missing persons had returned and confirmed that they were held in FC custody. While First Information Reports (FIRs) had been registered with the local police in almost all cases of enforced disappearance, there had been no efforts by the police to investigate the cases. The enforced disappearance is just a small part of the indiscriminate human rights violation; the locals have been facing much more. There have been reports of extra judicial killing of number of men who reportedly went missing. The absence of the political government and the civil authorities from critical areas of decision making by now seems obvious. The political government had abdicated its responsibility towards the people and hid behind its own helplessness in the face of domination of the military and intelligence agencies in the decision making process in the province. Several incidents like enforced disappearances, extra-judicial killings and other lawless actions of the security forces depicted the manner in which the political government had failed in its responsibility to protect people’s rights and fundamental freedoms. The civil authorities at the local level were more willing to intervene with the military and paramilitary forces, albeit without much success.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan carried out a fact finding mission highlighting the crisis in Balochistan. The key findings of the mission are: Agents of the state, as well as the insurgents and extremists operating in the province share a common disregard for rights of the citizens. The insurgents have murdered ‘settlers’ in targeted killings with impunity. A few amongst the Baloch nationalist elements tacitly condone these killings and others do not condemn them openly. The extremists have treated members of religious minorities as fair game. The state, which is expected to hold itself to a higher standard, does not seem to be perturbed by actions of its agents, something that is apparent from a lack of investigation into allegations of serious human rights violations. There is strong evidence of involvement of the security forces in enforced disappearances and killings. FIRs registered against personnel of security agencies remain uninvestigated without exception. The police have not even managed to get an audience with the personnel of security forces accused of abducting the citizens, much less investigate them, and the courts have failed to ensure compliance with their orders.
Enforced disappearances continue to be reported from all parts of the province. Little headway has been made in ensuring the release of a large number of missing persons from unacknowledged custody of security agencies. The Commission set up to investigate the cases of enforced disappearance has been largely ineffective, leading to people’s frustration.
In a new and worrying trend mutilated bodies of victims of enforced disappearance have started turning up by the roadside and in desolate places. These include several cases where witnesses had held agents of the state responsible for the disappearance. Not a single case has been investigated. All authority in the province seems to vest with the security forces which enjoy complete impunity. There have been widespread complaints against the attitude of the FC personnel at checkpoints.
The civil administration, elected by the people and meant to represent them, appears to have ceded its powers. The security forces in Balochistan do not consider themselves answerable or accountable to the political government or judiciary, nor feel compelled to cooperate with the civil administration.
The provincial government is seen as powerless and irrelevant and is accused of failing to raise issue of critical concern to the people, of a general inability to govern and of total subservience to military authority in the province. The political parties do not engage in a discourse among themselves on what their common demands should be.
Use of force rather than political engagement or dialogue remains the preferred approach. Promises made in the Balochistan package about concrete reform, inquiry into the murder of Baloch leaders, release of missing persons, economic opportunities for the people, and rehabilitation and settlement of the internally displaced persons in Balochistan remain little more than promises.
There is an acute sense of fear in the province, in particular among those whose relatives have gone missing or have been released after their enforced disappearance. People are hesitant to pursue the cases for fear that other members of their family might be targeted. Targeted killings on the basis of ethnicity and belief are rampant. Those targeted include professionals such as teachers and doctors, as well as traders.
Members of religious minority communities speak of a heightened sense of insecurity amid targeted killings and kidnappings for ransom. In some instances, children have been taken out of school because of safety concerns. The Hindus, Ahmedis, and Hazara/Shias who have the means have migrated abroad in view of the security concerns. The relatively poor members of the targeted communities have relocated to Quetta or to other provinces. No efforts have been made to promote harmony and reconciliation among the communities.
Rights of minority groups, women, children and workers have been neglected.
Those who have the misfortune of being non-Baloch ‘settlers’ in Balochistan have been doubly victimised. In a number of districts, large areas have been cleansed of ‘settler’ populations.
Lawlessness has proliferated at an alarming rate and has brought normal life and economic activity to a halt. At least 78 organised gangs are reported to be involved in abduction for ransom in the province. There is a widespread perception that criminal gangs and individuals involved in heinous crime enjoy support of politicians and security forces.
Human rights defenders and political activists have been targeted for no reason other than for raising their voice for people’s rights and exposing violations of human rights.
Involuntary displacement continues in the province many years after the people were uprooted because of conflict and natural and manmade disasters.
Obviously the killing of unarmed civilians by the militants and indiscriminate use of force, disappearances and torture of political activists and human rights abuses by the military and paramilitary forces are inhuman and widely condemnable acts. There is however much more to understand about the causes behind the anger and despair of the Baloch people. The absence of the rule of law, lack of justice, transparency, awful governance, endless exploitation, the centre’s unwanted control over Baloch wealth, militarisation, erosion of human resource, lack of clear and long-term social, economic, education and development strategies and denial of basic human rights is creating more insecurity among the population, instead of respect and support for the state.
Islamabad has to rethink its policies, including governing Balochistan through the outdated ‘control’ policy. Control is based on a set of mechanisms used in multiethnic states by the dominant ethnic group to contain and retain its hold over dissident ethnic minorities. Besides demands such as the release of the missing persons, the people in Balochistan also have the same demands and yearn for the same rights as the people elsewhere in Pakistan. They demand realization of their economic, social, cultural and political rights, in particular access to healthcare, education and work opportunities, building and improvement of basic infrastructure, and a say in matters that affect their life, including their rights over natural resources.
REPORT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON BALOCHISTAN
Sensing the condition to have been going out of control the Government of Pakistan constituted a parliamentary committee on Balochistan to look into the camouflaged affairs of the province. The very nature of this committee was to provide a scholarly review of the entire province and to come out with concrete conclusions and recommendations. After a detailed analysis and interpretation the committee has presented its report before the national assembly of Pakistan. According to the first draft of the report the situation in Balochistan has evoked a genuine concern, with a deteriorating law and order situation and strident political demands that threatened the destabilization of Balochistan with a growing sense of deprivation in that province. It has been declared to be a victim of a deep crisis which has further created a security vacuum leading to instability into the day to day functioning of the region. The fundamental duty of the committee was to promote inter-provincial harmony and protect rights of provinces with a view to strengthen the federation.
The Committee held detailed and substantive discussions with all relevant federal and provincial authorities, as also with local leaders of political parties to have a better insight into the problems and suggest remedial measures. The demands of the Baloch people and political parties are clear: administrative and financial control of all development projects in the province with the Balochistan Assembly and the Balochistan government and a halt to the construction of new military cantonments in the province. However, the Pakistan government and military officials have been brushing aside these demands and popular sentiments. Out of sheer frustration, the Baloch people have resorted to insurgency. Islamabad blames the Balochistan unrest on vested tribal and political interests out to create instability and draw benefits. The nationalist politicians and baloch intellectuals believe that the state establishment and the ruling elite had been engaged in a variety of policies regarding Baloch demand of cultural and political identity. There have been attempts to the eradication of Baloch culture by denying education in mother tongue and non acknowledgement of a Baloch’s existence as a separate national entity within Pakistan. The Pakistani national state has been adopting an approach of induced assimilation to the dominant nationality in the name of national integration that is the creation to a novel nation from several ethnic nationalities as part of their nation-building efforts.
The committee did recognize that the province is resource-starved and generates revenue of only Rs.1.6 billion just enough to pay the monthly salary of government officials. The province, therefore, is dependent on Federal Government's grant of Rs. 27 billion, and thus has a deficit of Rs.15.5 billion. In social sectors also, Balochistan is much below the country average. Its literacy percentage is 26.6% as against national average of 47%. Only 20% have access to drinking water as against 86% of Pakistan. 47% of the population is living under poverty line. The committee has openly condemned the deteriorating condition in Balochistan.
The committee undertook the task of analyzing the basic condition of almost all the sectors that are directly or indirectly concerned with the province. To address different issues involving security and development of the province, federal secretaries were summoned to give evidence in its meetings. Senator Sanaullah Baloch had demanded that leasing rights of exploration and exploitation be given to provinces through amendments in the Constitution. He also demanded an increase in royalty and referring to Article 58 of the Constitution, urged that requirements of the province in which the well head is situated be given preference. Secretary Defence briefed on three issues, Establishment of cantonments; Land allotted to Defence forces; and the Role of Intelligence agencies in Balochistan. He justified the proposed establishment of cantonments in Gwadar,
Dera Bugti and Kohlu for logistic reasons as the province is too large for reaction time.
On the role of law enforcement agencies Director General F.C. Balochistan gave a presentation explaining the mandate, which, interalia, includes, a) Guarding the borders with Iran and Afghanistan; b) Maintenance of law and order and c) Anti drug-trafficking and smuggling. The security of Gwadar has also been assigned to IG FC.
FC is also involved with security of gas compression plants of PPL and OGDC in Dera Bugti and other institutions in the region. Senator Sanaullah Baloch complained that Balochistan was not given due representation in the armed forces. DG FC however informed that in FC Balochistan representation is 24% more than population proportion. Senator Buledi stated that there are 342 check posts and people do not consider FC as a friendly force. IG FC responded that FC is considered in an adversarial light because of the anti-smuggling role.
Home Secretary Balochistan gave a briefing on law and order situation in the province, which has 1200 km border with Afghanistan 960 km with Iran and a coastline of 770 km. Its population comprises of 45% Baloch, 38% Pukhtoon and 17% others. Balochistan has 27 districts, 89 police stations and 286 Levies Thanas. The sanctioned strength of police is 19145 and that of Levies 13357. The province has been divided into 'A' and 'B' areas. The 'A' area consists of cities and towns and is under police jurisdiction. The 'B' area is under the jurisdiction of the Levies.
The committee examined the concrete steps and actions for providing greater job opportunities to the people of Balochistan, both in government services and in the mega projects launched with much fanfare by the Central government in the province. The Committee emphasized that the employment quota of 5.4 percent in the central departments and divisions under the Constitution of 1973 for Balochistan to be firmly put into practice. Balochis were not getting their due share in the Gwadar bonanza and the committee made its recommendations that Head Office of Gwadar Port Authority should be shifted from Karachi to Gwadar and preference for job should be given to local youths. The Balochis had many grievances and the sub-committee examined the fact that the royalty of gas in Punjab was a good deal greater than in Balochistan, and suggested an enhancement in the royalty and gas development surcharge to be provided to the province. According to media reports, sub-committee recommended a new method for sharing out the royalty on the basis of gas found out by each province by combining together the development surcharge and royalty. The other important suggestions of the Sub-Committee were: A) construction of main roads connecting Balochistan with Sindh, Punjab, NWPF (Now Pukhtoon Khwa), Afghanistan and Iran will be accelerated; (B) An effectual anti-drought policy should be built up to improve water shortage; and (C) The allocation of resources and readjustment of funds between centre and provinces (National Finance Commission Award) should be announced providing special consideration to the viewpoint of the people of Baluchistan. The recommendations of the Sub-Committee were not given solemn considerations and proper steps and actions were not taken by the federal government and the problems of Balochistan remained formidable, particularly in the copper extraction plant in Saindak being run by Chinese and in which local people of Balochistan especially Baloch are not given jobs. The Gwadar Port and Naval Base were built at the mouth of the Gulf and unfortunately the local participations and sharing in these projects were not observed. It is further extent that even the suggested Master Plans of the Gwadar port and city are not available to the Balochistan government, regardless of demands from the Balochistan Assembly that the Master Plan should be presented before it. The Baloch people and political parties alleged the Musharraf military regime that it is not serious to put into practice the recommendations of the Sub-Committee. Senator Syed Mushahid Hussain expressed the serious reservations about the non implementation of the report and stated that even if fifteen percent of the recommendations of Sub- Committee had been implemented by the federal government then the situation in Balochistan would have been different.
The Governor of Balochistan, Owais Ghani stated that the ongoing uprising has affected 1.5 percent of total area of Balochistan and the local people affected are 1.3 percent and it is mostly restricted to Dera Bugti. The slight attempt was done by the parliamentarians, both from the government and opposition, by constituting a parliamentary committee, to resolve burning issues of Balochistan peacefully.
From 2004-2010, much has been said and written about the volatile situation in Balochistan, but the federal and provincial governments are not serious to understand the real issues and have not taken concrete steps to resolve the grievances of Balochis. Both the government and the opposition must reconsider their tactics urgently. It should at once open meaningful talks with the opposition on Balochistan. The government must understand that its repressive policies are not only being resented inside the country but also drawing flak from world opinion. The Constitution of Pakistan, similar to Indian Constitution, gives a quasi-federal structure. Federal government has overriding authority. There is however a need that the provincial government should be excessively involved in provincial affairs. It is also necessary to increase the stake of the province of Balochistan in the federation through various economic measures and their increased participation in the Federal Administration.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Looking at the grave situation of Balochistan the Human Rights Commission too came out with a set of recommendations intended to fabricate a structured concrete path towards a fairer and just society. The HRCP has recommended that the illegal practice of enforced disappearances represents a complete negation of rule of law and must stop forthwith. The state must ensure that actions of its agents remain within the confines of the law and that derelictions are investigated in a transparent and credible manner and punished according to the law. All victims of enforced disappearance must be immediately traced, released and given compensation. Those involved in illegally detaining them should be prosecuted. For reasons identified, the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances does not enjoy people’s confidence. Their dissatisfaction with the commission must be acknowledged and a mechanism that has people’s confidence must be promptly introduced in order to investigate the cases. All security forces operating in the province should be brought under civilian control. Any operation conducted by law enforcement agencies must be within the framework of rule of law, and under civilian oversight. The Frontier Constabulary should act only in aid of the civilian forces and under civilian control. The civil armed forces, wherever called in aid of civil authorities, should be under the control and discipline of civilian administration. In no case should they assume to themselves police functions or act arbitrarily. There should be an immediate end to the complete impunity from the process of law that the FC currently enjoys in Balochistan.
There is an urgency to create a climate of confidence and trust in Balochistan so that wider consultation with all stakeholders becomes possible. As a first step towards confidence building, demilitarization of the province is essential.
The task of policing in the province should be restored to the police, which must be properly trained, equipped and sensitised to ensure restoration of law and order and respect for people’s rights. The police must exercise their responsibility of recording FIRs and actively investigating cases of enforced disappearances, targeted killings, discovery of mutilated bodies, and kidnappings for ransom. They should be given confidence to investigate complaints lodged against personnel of security forces involved in policing duties, irrespective of the rank of the accused or his affiliation with a security force.
The need for accountability of security forces and for eliminating the complete impunity with which serious human rights violations have been committed by them has been ignored so far. HRCP believes that illegalities by state agents persist mainly because of the impunity they have enjoyed so far and would cease to a large degree as soon as it is clear that illegalities would not go unpunished. HRCP emphasises that internal security can never be guaranteed by violation of rights. A formal mechanism should be established to systematically hold the law enforcement and security forces personnel accountable and probe any complaints made against by the people. Such a mechanism must inspire the people’s confidence and must be convenient and accessible.
No one other than the authorities authorised by the law should take a person into custody. A detained person must be promptly informed about the charges against him, in accordance with the constitutional guarantees, should be produced in a court within 24 hours and his due process rights should be respected and facilitated. Failure to observe these rights should be vigorously prosecuted.
It is a matter of grave concern that victims of enforced disappearance are now reappearing as mutilated dead bodies thrown in desolate places rather than being produced before courts of law. Every single instance where a missing person’s body is found must be judicially probed and the report made public. Families of the victims should also be given compensation.
The powers of decision-making and governance must be restored to civil political authorities in the province. The provincial government needs to assert its authority and act in the interest of the people. The provincial government must meet its obligation of ensuring law and order and respect for all the rights of all the people. It should not remain a spectator as people are killed because of their religious beliefs or ethnic identity. The government must ensure protection of all teaching staff and see to it that educational institutions function in a peaceful manner. The rights of all the people, including the so-called settlers, must be protected and violators brought to justice.
The higher judiciary may instruct the subordinate courts to actively pursue cases of rights violations. The judiciary should also be more assertive in ensuring compliance with its orders.
Complaints of support and patronage of elements involved in heinous crime, such as targeted killings and kidnappings for ransom, by politicians and security forces must be thoroughly probed, the findings made public and any individual found guilty prosecuted.
The government must ensure, in consultation with the targeted communities that all possible measures are taken to prevent targeted killings, to effectively investigate the cases and prosecute those accused. Proactive steps to increase religious, communal and ethnic harmony are in dire need and must be taken on priority.
Places of worship and gatherings of minority religious communities must be protected and the communities assured of their safety.
It is entirely unacceptable that a substantial number of internally displaced persons in the province remain uprooted and uncared for. Steps to rehabilitate and, as far as possible, resettle all displaced persons in the province in their native areas must be given priority.
All victims of violence perpetrated by agents of the state must be compensated adequately and promptly.
The government must recognise and prevent the great personal risks that human rights defenders face in the province. While the government is under an obligation to provide a secure environment to all people, it is all the more important in the case of human rights defenders for no reason other than the fact that without their role many violations of human rights would go unnoticed. Incidents of killing of human rights defenders must be effectively pursued and no effort should be spared to bring the killers to justice. There is a dire need to end the climate of fear in the province and to reassure the people. Unless that happens the people would not pursue legal remedies against agents of the state that they hold responsible for violating their rights, especially in the face of a state that has long looked the other way when it should be focused on protecting rights.
The political parties and the larger civil society in Balochistan should hold wider consultations on the way forward. In particular, the political parties should engage in a discourse among themselves to thrash out their common demands to protect and promote the rights of the people and the interests of Balochistan. The political parties should also take up the situation in Balochistan in parliament. All political forces in the province should be brought into the political mainstream.
Improvement in the law and order situation is imperative for economic activity, which is vital to overcome poverty and large-scale unemployment in the province.
The steps announced by the government with the stated aim to empower and reassure the people in Balochistan have not had the desired effect. Measures in the spirit of ameliorating the lot of the people must continue to be pursued and implemented.
Last, but not the least, actions speak louder than words. The government needs to take practical steps to provide relief to the people of Balochistan, such as providing employment to the youth, increased funds for the provincial government, withdrawal of army and paramilitaries from the Baloch territory, release of political prisoners and disappeared persons and constitutional amendments for greater provincial autonomy. In short a political settlement is urgently needed and vital if Balochistan is to be spared any more pain.
CONCLUSION
The existing tense situation, conflict and discrepancy in Balochistan are not only political but also social which demands a serious reflection on the whole issue of the federal arrangement. Therefore it should be tackled and readdressed in the context of socio-political manner. There are two modes to deal with the social and political rehabilitation of Balochistan, one to eliminate the basis of mistrust and doubts, and secondly to review the overall federal structure with a firm resolution to make a stronger federation where each constituent unit is not threatened by another unit. To achieve this, if the provinces have to be delineated into smaller units, it should be done. In Balochistan, the traditional Sardars of tribes in order to continue their tribesmen under their influence and control are usually not supported and taken interest of their educational, social and political uplift. Similarly, the central and provincial governments failed to pay the required attention and steps for the development of socio economic condition of the province and yet have not taken initiatives to cool down the situation and have not persuaded the Baloch tribal chiefs for table talks to resolve the ongoing tense situation and confrontation in the area and have not made efforts for the implementation of recently announced economic package for Balochistan and other concessions to assuage the anger and frustration of the people of Balochistan.
Unfortunately, the accumulated problems of the people who had suffered the worst of the military's excesses and internal differences in the movement caused a political implosion after the February 2008 general elections in Pakistan. The cynicism and isolation of Baloch youth and students from this fake pledge of mainstream and normal politics can be directly traced as the basis for the present armed resistance and struggle undertaken under the banner of the Baloch Liberation Army. The guerrilla Baloch Liberation Army has been hitting targets and conducting operations since 2003, thumping and hitting the infrastructure of communication and transportation and paralyzing the capability of the central authorities to acquire the benefit of Balochistan’s wealthy mineral resources for the advantage not of the people of Balochistan, but outsiders. The mega-projects being initiated in Balochistan during the Musharraf military regime, including Gwadar, do not envisage any contribution and participation of or advantage for the local people. The flare-up and explosion of annoyance in Pakistan's poorest province is the tip of the iceberg of Baloch nationalist resentment.
After passing eighteen Amendments in 1973 Constitution, the Concurrent List of subjects has been deleted from 1973 Constitution and the matters related to the Concurrent List would be dealt by the Province and it is a positive step to redress the grievances of Balochistan. Every section and article of the eighteenth amendments should be implemented without making it a point of prestige. The trend towards the concentration of power in Islamabad will have to be reversed and steps initiated in that direction should be completed within the tenure of the present parliament. The practice of trying to rule the provinces by contrived majorities that are beholden to the centre will also have to be abandoned. This has led only to the creation of suspicion of the center’s intentions in the smaller provinces, which feel that their concerns and misgivings on many vital matters are not being taken seriously into account. The eighteen Amendments in 1973 Constitution is a very timely move. This move tends to show awareness among parliamentarians that the provinces must be mollified. The benefits and remedies that will accumulate to the people of the Balochistan from implementation will persuade the people that the government is serious in redressing their grievances. It will reduce the complaints of the provinces and regional parties. If the basic spirit of the 18th Amendments in 1973 Constitution is implemented, measures are taken to rationalize Sui gas royalty, steps are initiated to boost up the Balochis' participation in Gwadar port and other development projects, special measures are taken to resolve the issue of missing persons, we can still save the federation from the dangers it is facing today. As the political climate improves, development works in the province should be taken in hand in right earnest and quickly carried to their end and will be beneficial for the people of Balochistan.
The only silver lining for the province would be a timely initiation of efforts directed towards construction of a sincere road map of development by a mutual collaboration of the provincial as well as the central government. The half hearted efforts implemented so far have proved to be inefficient. Therefore it is time that the civilian government takes affirmative actions, thus creating a long sought era of stability and peace in Balochistan.
Bibliography
• Report of the Parliamentary Committee on Balochistan
• Report on Balochistan 2011 the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
• Ethno Nationalism: Understanding The Dynamics Of Unrest In Balochistan- Imran Umar Baloch
• Balochistan- the Asian Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Network (AITPN)
• The Resurgence of Baloch Ethnicity and Nationalism in Balochistan Muhammad Ishaque Fani • Sanaullah Baloch’s article on Balochistan (Pakistan’s national assembly)
Okay?[edit]
I was just Wiki-surfing and I find your user talk page. I would just like to say, maybe you should move this content to your user space?Gregory Heffley (talk) 22:37, 19 September 2011 (UTC)
THE ECONOMIC AND STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF BALOCHISTAN[edit]
THE ECONOMIC AND STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF BALOCHISTAN
Ankit Arvind
Observer Research Foundation
ABSTRACT
The paper focuses on the economic and strategic importance of Balochistan. It is an attempt to analyze and highlight the factors that make Balochistan an important strategic region by systematically presenting data, resources and the developmental projects in Balochistan. Nearly 80 percent of all the minerals produced in Pakistan come from Balochistan. The region is in fact a store house of natural resources that include gold, iron, silver, zinc, copper etc. The geographic location of Balochistan in the Perso-Oman Gulf confers strategic importance to this region on account of its easy access to central Asian countries, Gulf States and other neighbouring countries. The proposed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline and the Iran-Pakistan (IP) pipeline will pass through Quetta and Suri districts of Balochistan thus enhancing its strategic significance. A 700 mile long sea coast and the development of the Gwadar Port have great prospect for the economic development of the region.
The province of Balochistan possesses a great economic and strategic potential. Of late this region has been under the scanner of several global players, like the US, China, India and Russia. The province has also witnessed an increase in the total annual investment. Balochistan can very well stabilize Pakistan’s shattered economy. Therefore this paper is an attempt to emphasize the economic and strategic potential of the region.
KEY WORDS
Balochistan Gwadar Port Sui Natural gas reserve Strait of Hormuz .
The given map depicts the location of different resources spread across the Province of Balochistan.
THE ECONOMIC AND STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF BALOCHISTAN
INTRODUCTION
Balochistan the southern-western province of Pakistan possesses great economic potential. It is the largest of Pakistan’s four provinces in terms of area. It comprises 44 per cent of the country’s total land area. However in terms of the population Balochistan is the smallest province. There are three geographic regions of Balochistan, Hub, Lasbella and Khizdar. The coastal belt comprising Makran is dominated by Gwadar Port. Eastern Balochistan is home is a sparsely populated region and is home to the richest but largely untapped deposits of natural resources in Pakistan including oil, gas, copper and gold.
With the discovery of a number of natural resources and its important strategic location the province of late has witnessed an enhanced global engagement. This region is endowed with varied resources which include earth and water minerals . It holds large quantities of coal, gold, copper, silver, platinum, aluminum, and uranium. The 750 Km long coastline is not only a possible site of transit routes for trade and travel, but also the gatekeeper of rich marine resources. Strategically the geographic location of Balochistan has an added advantage with its close proximity to Central Asian regions . Balochistan is also a potential transit zone for pipelines , which include the proposed TAPI or Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India pipeline and IP or Iran and Pakistan pipeline. The resource rich province has come under the scanner of some global players longing to invest and explore in the region. The United States of America, Russia, China, India and even Pakistan have shown keen interest in the region. The strategic importance of Balochistan lies in its potential to either take the forefront in development in South Asia, or be the epicenter of the next large scale multinational conflict.
The region is experiencing increased interest from foreign investors and developers, with the discovery of vast fields of natural gas, along with other valuable minerals. To augment this development, the construction of a deep-water port at Gwadar has the potential of bringing globalization to the region in an exponential manner. However the irony is that even though Balochistan is regarded as a resource rich area, the social, political and the economic condition of the locals is very grim. The province is in a state of disorder owing to the dreadful activities carried on by sectarian forces like, the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Sahaba as well as the security forces.
The given table highlights some general figures pertaining to Balochistan:-
Literacy Cultivated area Population Population- density Area Coastline Districts
30.1% 2.11 million Ha 7.8 million 19.8/ Km 347,190 sq Km 770 Km 26
Note: - the figures have been taken from sitesources.worldbank.org
THE ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF THE REGION
In terms of the economic potential of the province it is imperative to mention that Balochistan is one of the richest areas as far as the natural endowment of resources is concerned in South Asia. A substantial portion of Pakistan’s energy and mineral requirement, quantitatively accounting for more than 60 percent of the requirement, is fulfilled by the Province. The low population density also provides a high value of natural resource per person. It also has plenty of real estate for extensive building projects, along with access to a cheap labor pool.
The Balochistan province represents Triassic to recent strata with different sedimentary basins like Balochistan basin, part of Indus Suture (Axial Belt), and Sulaiman and Kirthar basins. Indus Suture separates the Balochistan basin in the west and Sulaiman and Kirthar (part of Indo-Pakistan subcontinent) in the east. Indus Suture includes the igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic melanges . The Sulaiman and Kirthar basins consist of Triassic to recent strata. Balochistan is the richest mineral province of Pakistan. The Chagai-raskoh magmatic arc and Indus Suture are the richest metallogenic zones in the Balochistan province and also in Pakistan; where as the Sulaiman and Kirthar are rich in sedimentary minerals. Balochistan province has large proven reserves of indigenous iron, copper, lead, zinc, barite, chromite, coal, gypsum, limestone (marble), ochre, silica sand, etc, small deposits of antimony, asbestos, celestite, fluorite, magnesite, soapstone, sulphur, vermiculite, etc.
Few resources have already been explored and are utilized within Pakistan, where as some are being exported but most of the resources are yet to be explored and utilized. Cement raw materials are found in abundance, so the installation of more cement industries can be very advantageous for the country’s economy. Similarly coal production in the province is also very high. According to the figures published by the Geological Survey of Pakistan , 58 percent of the total coal production takes place in Balochistan.
The Balochistan coast offers an economic zone potentially rich in oil, gas, and minerals spread over approximately 180,000 square Kilo Metres. The low population density implies that the province enjoys a potentially high value of natural resources per person. The forbidding topography is home to rich mineral deposits – some of which have been explored and exploited while yet others remain to be put to economic use. The strategic engagement in Balochistan was till recently confined to India, Iran and Pakistan. Apparently the abundant resources of the province has given enough reasons to the global players who till now were inattentive to the province, to engage with it at the bilateral level.
It is imperative to mention that Balochistan as a resource rich province has been witnessing a phase of intense instability both social and political. Therefore exploration and utilization in a number of sectors are inadequate. Proper utilization and exploration of resources has the potential to greatly assuage the problem of energy crisis in South Asia, especially Pakistan. Balochistan in the coming years assuming the grim climate of instability to ease out will be at the crossroads of experiencing a climate of multifold increase in the level of investment both indigenous and global . Hence, emerge as a global strategic block.
The following shows the production of various minerals and metals in quantitative terms for the year 2007-08 in Balochistan:-
36, 583 tons (t) copper, 245t antimony, 49,268t barite, 331t basalt, 33,815t chromite, 25t clay, 2,325,220t coal, 291t granite, 259t rhyolite, 134t diorite, 183t gabbro,2,431t serpentinite, 98t gneiss, 323t quartzite, 360t sulphur, 176t dolomite, 424t fluorite, 75t galena, 15,808t iron ore, 727,951t limestone, 70,740t marble (onyx), 267,312t marble (ordinary), 790t magnesite, 1,385t manganese, 5,060t pumice and 1,306,764t shale .
Copper – The copper deposits occur extensively at several localities in the Chagai magmatic arc. Dasht Kain copper deposit is 35 Km NW of Chagai villages is porphyry type copper prospect associated with two tonalite porphyry stocks. Talaruk copper deposit is 64km NW of Saindak in Chagai District. It is a massive Kuroko type deposit and mineralization is of submarine exhalative origin. The copper ore occurs in two zones, one in rhyoliteintrusives in which chalcocite is the main copper mineral and the other in volcanic breccia associated with gypsum. Six bore holes were drilled at this deposits and its copper content has been about 0.65%. Saindak Copper Deposit at Chagai district, where a total of 412million ton deposit of ore has been discovered of which 0.38% is copper. Apart from these deposits the Western part of the province is supposed to have a major chunk of copper deposits. Gold- Silver – world class deposits of Gold and silver have been found in and around porphyry copper deposit region.
Iron ore – Balochistan Basin has ample iron ore deposits, spread over a large area including Saindak, Mashki Chah, Durban Chah, Amir Chah, Chilghazi, Gorband, Kasanen Chapar, Kundi Balochap, Pachin Koh, Chigendik, Bandegan and Nok Chahareas.
Some of the important iron ore deposits include Pachin Koh-Chigendik iron deposits located near Nokundi town and Chilghazi iron deposit located near Dalbandin town.
Tungsten – Tungsten ore deposits has been found at Amalaf in Chagai district. The ore is found in pyroclastic rocks of Saindak formation.
Sulphur – Sulphur deposit is located in the Koh-i-Sultan volcano. The ore found contains 60% sulphur.
Marble – Marble, various types of Lime stones and igneous rocks mainly granite are found from Chagai area.
Lead-Zinc – Lead, Zinc are found in and around Saindak, Koh Marani, Dirang Kalat, Makki Chah and Ziarat Balanosh.
Manganese – Manganese is reported to have been found at Nushki.
Barite-Tourmaline – Barite and tourmaline too has been reported to be found in and around Chagai area.
Chromite – Deposits of Chromite have been found in Nag-Bunap and Rayo Nai valley within a distance of 3km, near Kharan Kalat town.
Vermiculite – Vermiculite deposits are reported from Doki River on the northern edge of the western Raskoh.
Balochistan has sizeable reserves of coal and natural gas, and there is a conjecture that it may also hold large reserves of petroleum. Natural gas has special importance in Pakistan’s energy profile as natural gas accounts for 50% of Pakistan’s total energy consumption. Balochistan accounts for 36% to 45% of total energy production of Pakistan. Balochistan’s natural gas reserve is very important from Pakistan’s point of view. Natural gas is not only the primary energy source of Pakistan but also out the total proven natural gas reserves in Pakistan estimated at 28 trillion cubic feet, 19 trillion cubic feet reserves are found at Balochistan itself. Even though Balochistan has such an ample reserve of natural gas, yet it only consumes 17 per cent of its total reserves.
The long operating Sui gas field in the Bugti tribal region is responsible for the production of a major portion of the province’s natural gas. However this region is gravely affected by the Baloch militancy. Attacks against natural gas installations and pipelines are increasing in number. According to a report published in 2006, the violence had increased in frequency and intensity. The recent targets of the insurgents are energy production sites like the Sui in Dera Bugti. On May 19, 2006, two main gas pipelines to Punjab were blown up, cutting off gas supplies to the province.
The total consumption of energy and resources in Pakistan is increasing exponentially and there is immense pressure on Pakistan to rely on imports to meet its energy demands. However some of the pressure can be relieved by aggressive exploration and extraction of resources in Balochistan. However in order to carry on the exploration smoothly the authorities need to neutralize the acidic effect of the sectarian violent activities that have affected normal life in Balochistan. The potential that this region possesses can only be completely explored until and unless the prevailing situation there becomes normal.
Balochistan will also become a transit route for the proposed 1,680 Kilometer long Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India (TAPI) pipeline. This pipeline would have the capacity to transport up to 3.2 billion cubic feet daily from Turkmenistan’s Dauletabad field to markets in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Another proposed pipeline is Iran, Pakistan (IP) pipeline. These pipelines are of immense economic and strategic importance to Pakistan in general and Balochistan in particular. However the threat of the insurgents remains intact even to these strategically important pipelines.
The region apart from the construction of the natural gas pipelines is also witnessing the fast paced development of competitive and politically divisive transport corridors built on a north-south axis. These corridors consist mainly of port, road, rail and air infrastructural networks. The primary function of these networks is along with promotion of commercial and political ties, access to the energy rich CARs and to achieve some influence over the production, processing and distribution of energy resources.
Apart from the regular exploration and mining activities, the development of the warm water deep sea Gwadar Port at Balochistan has the potential to augment the economic development of Balochistan and subsequently Pakistan. The port is located on the eastern bay of a natural hammerhead shaped peninsula jutting out into the Arabian Sea from the coastline. The port is situated close to the Strait of Hormuz and its important oil shipping lanes. This region is home to around two-third of the world’s oil reserves. It is also on the shortest route to the oil rich Central Asian states through land-locked Afghanistan. The deep sea port at Gwadar is likely to generate around two million jobs in the coming years . The purpose of developing this port according to the officials is to stimulate economic growth in the western and northern parts of Pakistan, utilizing the available coastline resources of the country and also providing an outlet for the land-locked Central Asian countries and Afghanistan through transit trade and offering transshipment facilities. Finally, the port will also act as a catalyst for large number of related projects like, trans-shipment of bulk cargo, oil storage, refinery and petrochemicals, export processing and industrial zones, export of minerals and livestock and services like hotels accommodation and tourism.
The map shows the location of the strategically and economically important Gwadar Port.
Investment in Balochistan:-
Balochistan provides highly developed industrial estate facilities in the province. These estates caters to all types of industry needs and are well supplied with a wide range of infrastructure and related services which include Quetta Industrial and Trading Estate , Hub Industrial and Trading Estate , Uthal Industrial Estate (UIE) , Marble City etc. The major sectors for investment in Balochistan are Minerals, Agriculture, Horticulture, Fisheries, Livestock, Tourism and Oil and Gas.
A large number of Business opportunities are provided by the Mineral Sector in Balochistan. These opportunities primarily include, coal mining and processing, coal washing plants, coal brequetting plants, marble, onyx and granite mining and processing, marble/granite warehousing, marble, granite and onyx mosaic and handicraft centers, steel mills, copper and lead-zinc exploration, Mining and processing, chromite mining, chromite beneficiation plants, export of chromite, export of marble, onyx, granite products, barite mining and processing, limestone mining and crushing units, gems exploration and mining, gems lapidaries and gemological labs, manganese mining, processing and export.
Priority sector of investment in Balochistan:-
Minerals Horticulture Fisheries Livestock Handicrafts
Important minerals:-
Coal Chromite Barytes Sulphur Marble Iron Ore Quartzite Limestone Sulphor
Main areas of investment in horticulture:-
Fruit processing plants Apple treatment plants Date processing plants Tomato paste manufacturing Fried dried onion plants Cut flower business and floriculture Plantation of palm trees and processing Cool chains
Apart from the rich resource base Balochistan is also reported to have 49 per cent of the total livestock in Pakistan. Balochistan’s coastline includes 70 per cent of Pakistan’s coastline. Therefore Balochistan also possesses a rich marine resource potential. The annual fish production of Balochistan is 121,212 million tones .
However in terms of relative advantage there are important disparities between Balochistan and Pakistan. Pakistan is a labour-abundant economy with large growth potential in various sectors, to be precise in agriculture, manufacturing and services sectors. Balochistan is relatively limited in its endowments of human capital, agricultural growth and industrial investment. In fact Balochistan’s contribution to the national GDP has remained constant for the past few years.
The comparative potential of agriculture in Balochistan is restricted by the persistent scarcity of water in the province. Livestock and horticulture dominate the agricultural sector of the province. Although the mineral sector is far more significant but as yet is under-developed in Balochistan’s economy and by and large employs only 1.3 per cent of the employed persons in the province.
Thus it can be very well stated that Balochistan in terms of availability of resources both land and marine is the richest province of Pakistan yet it needs to build up an infrastructure conducive for long term investment and development.
The given table shows the total production of different resources in Balochistan:-
Copper antimony Barite basalt chromite clay Coal granite 36,583 245 49,268 331 33,851 25 2,325,220 291 Rhyolite diorite gabbro serpentinite gneiss quartzite Sulphur Dolomite 259 134 183 2431 98 323 360 176 Fluorite galena Iron Lime stone marble magnesite manganese pumice 424 75 15808 72,795 70,740 790 1,385 5,060 Shale 1,306,764
Note: the given figures are in the unit of tones.
The given figure shows Balochistan’s percentage share of various sectors
Area coastline livestock fishery agriculture 44% 70% 49% 40% 27%
Note: - the figures have been taken from sitesources.worldbank.org and Economic Survey of Pakistan.
An overview of the National gas production and consumption among the provinces:-
Province Total gas produced Total gas consumed Consumption as % of production Sindh 1,000,415 (70%) 459,369 (37.59%) 45.91% Punjab 68,608 (4%) 638,008 (52.21%) 930% KhyberPakhtunkhwa 26,370 (1%) 42,480 (3.48%) 161% Balochistan 318,188 (22%) 82,138 (6.72%) 25.81% Total 1,413,581 1,221,995 Note: the figures have been taken from the report on Balochistan by PILDAT
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF BALOCHISTAN:-
Balochistan is spread over an area of approximately 34.7 million hectors, constituting about 44% of Pakistan. Its area stretches from the plains of Punjab across the Suleiman range in Dera Ghazi Khan to the shores of Arabian Sea in the Makran division, and desert wastes of Thar in Sindh to the mountain belt of Waziristan in Afghanistan/NWFP borders. Its geo-strategic importance can be gauged from the fact that it not only links all the three provinces, but also two of the neighbouring countries Iran and Afghanistan through roads and railways. The international routes to Iran and Afghanistan are very important as it provide linkages to Central Asia, Middle East and Europe .
The land mass of the province endows Pakistan with a strategic space that might shorten trade and travel costs between emerging economic regions. The long coastline is not only a possible site of transit routes for trade and travel, but also the gatekeeper of rich marine resources.
Apart from its thriving resource availability Balochistan is also a potential transit zone for pipelines. Currently there are two proposed pipelines the TAPI pipeline and the IP pipeline. The former pipeline would be developed for transporting natural gas from Turkmenistan and Iran to Pakistan and India. The latter would transport natural gas from Iran to Pakistan. The point of irony in Balochistan is that in terms of resources the province is the richest in Pakistan, however at the local level the political, social and the economic condition of the people is dismal. The level of literacy is around 30 per cent , political instability, human rights crisis in the form of sectarian extra-judicial killings have blemished the state of affairs in Balochistan.
It is imperative to understand that Balochistan possesses a great potential to play an important strategic role not only for South Asia but for the entire world. The United States of America, China, Russia, India and Pakistan have not only shown keen interest in this region but have also invested in various developmental projects in Balochistan.
Access to energy resources both oil and gas has taken a forefront in terms of driver of Pakistan’s security policy. Energy security in Pakistan as in most other countries is the top agenda of the government. Balochistan can in fact play a vital role on this front.
The development of the Gwadar Port in Balochistan has given a due strategic importance to the region. The Gwadar project was initiated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and this Port became operational in 2008. Gwadar Port in fact has been largely funded by China and consequently China which is an important ally of Pakistan intends to gain immensely from this project. China will not only gain economically from this project but this could help China acquire a firmer say in the strategic interaction in South Asia.
Gwadar has already grown into a bustling town with prospects of far greater expansion. Its location 650 Km west of Karachi provides some needed strategic depth for Pakistan’s modest sized naval force. Gwadar lies on major maritime shipping lanes close to the region’s vast oil and gas resources and also close to the rapidly growing and dynamic Persian Gulf economies. It is an all year, all weather, deep channel port that will eventually be able to offer accommodations for the largest oil tankers, along with ease of access to the docking area and unusually short turn-around times.
It has also been planned to link this port to a rapidly expanded web of road, rail, air and pipeline networks to neighbouring states.
China has acknowledged that the strategic importance of the Gwadar Port is no less than that of the Karakoram Highway which helped cement China-Pakistan relationship. Beijing in fact is interested in turning it into an energy transporting hub by building an oil pipeline from Gwadar into China’s Xinjiang region. The planned pipeline will carry crude oil sourced from Arab and African states. Apparently transport by pipeline will cut freight costs and also help insulate the Chinese imports.
From the security point of view Balochistan offers a logistical pool and an apparent military base for the ongoing operations in Afghanistan and the surrounding regions. Air Force and Navy operating from Balochistan can also exert control over the Strait of Hormuz as well as the shipping lanes transiting across the Indian Ocean. Balochistan also shares a common boundary with Afghanistan and with Iran . Thus the accessibility to these regions offers an enhanced strategic importance to Balochistan. The strategic magnitude of Balochistan lies in its potential to either take the forefront in progress in South Asia, or be the epicenter of the next large-scale multinational conflict. With increasing pressures from regional and international actors in their bids for power and influence and with its prime location along multiple sea and land routes to multiply barely tapped markets, the strategic importance of Balochistan has augmented all across. However with this development the security of the region and pacification of the Baloch has taken an increased importance.
The instability in Balochistan is no more a local concern. Prior to the discovery of natural resources the Baloch agitation was a local problem that was hardly paid attention to by other nation-states. However after the Soviet Union’s intervention in Afghanistan, Balochistan became an important strategic and economic nucleus of the region. With the international presence especially that of the Chinese increasing at a drastic pace Balochistan is all set to become a centre for enhanced global engagement.
The change in the energy perspective put forth a strong pressure on the tactical ebb and flow of the insurgent-counterinsurgent dynamic.
The American Interest in Balochistan
In the early month of 2012, a resolution on Balochistan was introduced in the US Congress. There has been a wide speculation behind the motive for the introduction of the resolution. The official reason behind such a move was human rights. However the strategic importance of Balochistan for the US has nevertheless been denied by a section within the US.
The reasons why America is taking so much interest in Balochistan all of a sudden is its natural resources and its location. Balochistan shares borders with Afghanistan and Iran along with warm waters of Indian Ocean. In fact US considers Balochistan strategically important for various reasons. From the port of Gwadar in the Makran coast Balochistan would provide an easy access to Afghanistan and Central Asia to the US. Secondly the Chinese presence and investment in Pakistan is another reason for American interest in Balochistan. Balochistan also shares its borders with Iran. This could be another reason for American interest in Balochistan. A section in Pakistan has also blamed America for supporting anti state elements in Balochistan.
The United States of America also plans to invest a great deal in Balochistan. According to some of the Pakistani officials the US is also supporting the pro- independence movement in Balochistan, along with India and Israel.
However the larger issue that needs to be answered is that how far an independent Balochistan will help satisfy the American strategic interests in the region. Based on the logic of deteriorating relations between Pakistan and the US it is somewhere clear that an independent Balochistan will in absolute terms serve a better purpose for the United States. Balochistan can not only serve as a probable transit route for NATO’s supply in Afghanistan which of late has been an issue of friction between the two countries but with its important strategic location Balochistan can also provide an easy access to Iran in case of future confrontation between the United States and Iran. This situation seems to be highly probable in the present circumstances.
The US is also very keen about countering the Chinese effect in the region. The American interest therefore in Balochistan becomes inevitable with the growing Chinese engagement in the province.
lastly with the changing energy scenario and the availability of abundant reserves of natural gas, petroleum and other natural resources Balochistan has of late taken a centre stage in the global arena as a viable source of energy and a potential global market. Thus the American interest in Balochistan has become all the more certain.
China’s Interest in Balochistan
Pakistan is one of the close strategic partners of China. With the changing geo-political situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan region, China intends to play a larger role in this region. China has been investing largely in Pakistan and has spent millions in Balochistan particularly. The strategically as well as economically important port at Gwadar has been built by using Chinese money as well as expertise. There are reports that Pakistan has also asked China to run the Port as well as establish a naval base at Gwadar.
China has large strategic and economic interests in Balochistan. The large natural resource potential of Balochistan and its location has given a lot of reasons to China to invest in the region.
The Chinese firms have been awarded contracts for the exploitation of the gold-copper reserves at Saindak in Balochistan and part of the natural gas reserves at Sui. The Nawaz Sharif Government had awarded to Chinese petroleum firm, the Bureau of Geophysical Prospecting (BGP) a one million dollar contract for seismic survey over 178 Km in Sui. This was the first time that the Chinese had entered gas and oil exploration activities in the country. China has invested $ 240 million for the development of Gwadar port and another $ 200 million for the construction of coastal highway linking Karachi and Gwadar.
China’s inevitable interest in Balochistan it seems has a dual agenda. The economic prospect remains one of the prime factors. Apart from the economic interest it is very clear that China intends to establish a compact role in the Central and South Asian region. Although China denies Pakistan’s request of building a naval base at Balochistan, yet according to the American and Indian geo-strategic analysts Chinese intentions are not clear yet and there exists a strong possibility of a Chinese naval base at Balochistan.
The ample economic prospect of Balochistan forms the core of the Chinese interests in the region. The province has been bestowed with natural gas reserves, petroleum and other natural resources. China’s energy requirement has been growing exponentially and with the changing energy scenario, Balochistan stands high as a feasible energy alternate source. Apart from the Gwadar Port, China has been investing in a number of infrastructural projects in Balochistan. China has invested greatly in highways projects running across the province. It is also planning to build a gas pipeline connecting Gwadar and Xinjiang in China.
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Indian Interest in Balochistan
The Pakistani establishment has blamed the Indian State for supporting the Baloch Liberation Army and their cause. The question is what are the Indian interests in the region? As is the case with the US and China, India too wants a share in the large resource base of Balochistan. Energy security is a major concern in India. Balochistan’s ample natural gas reserve can greatly strengthen India’s energy scenario.
India is also interested in playing a larger role in this region and thus plans to invest in Balochistan in the long term. The broader issue is that India and Iran have been active in Balochistan even before the Chinese and the American engagement in the region. As mentioned earlier a section in Pakistan in fact blames India for supporting the Baloch extremists against the state. However the Baloch leaders have denied such allegations. Even though the allegation might not be based on strong proof yet it cannot be denied that India has shown keen interest in Balochistan. India’s reasons for active participation in Balochistan vary. It is imperative to acknowledge the fact that India is also interested in capitalizing the strategic value attached to this region.
The question that arises is that how far an independent Balochistan is in India’s interest? There cannot be a straight forward answer to this complex question. Yet one cannot shy away from admitting the fact that an independent Balochistan in terms of India’s strategic interests could be very constructive. Firstly, India would definitely get a large enough space to play a bigger role in South Asia. Secondly, an independent Balochistan would by and large provide relatively easy Indian accessibility to its abundant natural resource reserve. Thirdly, India could effortlessly counter Chinese hegemony in South Asia with a strong holding in the independent province of Balochistan.
Thus India has strong enough reasons to support Balochistan’s independence. India also intends to invest in Balochistan in the short and medium term. Indian interests in the short term however are confined to natural gas and petroleum.
Beginning of Rights in Balochistan (Aghaz-e-Balochistan)
In December 2009 Pakistan’s newly elected civilian government, in an effort to bring about political reconciliation in the province, passed the Aghaz-e-Balochistan (Beginning of Rights in Balochistan) package of constitutional, political, administrative and economic reforms. It noted the province’s sense of deprivation in the political and economic structures of the federation and past failure to implement provisions of the 1973 Pakistan Constitution that sought to empower the provinces.
The package aims to delegate a range of federal areas of authority to the Balochistan government and requires federal authorities to obtain provincial government consent with respect to major projects. It seeks to redress the province’s socio-economic disparity compared to the rest of the country by increasing Baloch employment in the civil service, giving provincial and local government authorities a greater share of resource industry revenues and compensating communities displaced by violence. It also calls for military cantonments under construction in the resource rich Sui and Kohlu regions to be temporarily halted and for the military to be replaced there by the Frontier Corps. Under the package, the Balochistan chief minister is to have control over the Frontier Corps’ law and order operations. The package also calls for an investigation of missing persons and for all persons detained without charge to be released .
As a result of the package, the Pakistan federal government in 2010 released Rs. 12 billion to the Balochistan government in outstanding debts with respect to natural gas revenues. The government also announced a Rs. 152 billion budget for the province. The package also establishes a judicial inquiry into the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti and other Baloch political leaders. However despite such an intensive package, doubts persist over the future prospects of the province. The Baloch leaders have in fact completely rejected the package, stating that it does not cover the core areas of concern.
CONCLUSION
Balochistan with its South Asian political association and Central Asian ecological description has given an enhanced geo-political credence to the region. The region which was once confined to its local problems and forced instability has now become an important strategic epicenter. Although the chronic regional instability still remains a major area of concern. It has been on the global radar of important international players like the US, China, Russia and India.
With a large resource base and vast economic potential Balochistan is ready to play a greater geo-strategic role in the international arena. . The forbidding topography is home to rich mineral deposits some of which have been explored and exploited while yet others remain to be put to economic use. The land mass of the province endows Pakistan with a strategic space that might shorten trade and travel costs between emerging economic regions. The long coastline is not only a possible site of transit routes for trade and travel, but also the gatekeeper of rich marine resources.
Its growing international importance is critical for understanding what lies in its future, given the fact that merely thirty years ago, only surrounding regional powers, such as India and Iran, cared about what was occurring in the state. However the changes in the international and regional setting mean that a neglected Balochistan may turn into the next serious global conflict, which can be averted by timely action.
However, the importance of this province has come ever more into focus, due to the world’s changing political and economic position because of the diminishing market and contracting resource base. With China all set to acquire a steadfast ground in the region and the US ready to counter the Chinese domination. India, Russia and Pakistan too have shown keen interest in acquiring a share in the large economic potential of Balochistan.
As national economies expand into various markets and competition for valuable resources intensifies, Balochistan due to its location and resources stands to be caught in the crossfire of multiple agendas. With the discovery of vast fields of natural gas, along with other valuable minerals, the region is experiencing increased interest from foreign investors and dev1elopers. Along with this, the terrain of Balochistan makes it a prime location for the development of roads, railroads and pipelines to connect the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia. To augment this development, the construction of a deep-water port at Gwadar has the potential of bringing globalization to the region in an exponential manner.
Security issues in the region involve global players such as China, Iran, and India in the politics and the future of Balochistan. Shortages of natural resources and strategic location are prime factors for additional international pressures placed on the government. Ironically, these same resources are the reason why the Pakistani central government cannot afford to deal with the insurgents demands. With the vital necessity of the resources, as well as the security of the region for extraction and distribution, while the Baloch have more incentive to fight, the central government has more reasons for the ruthless crushing of the insurgency.
It is also important to note that Balochistan has a long history of political instability. Therefore the region by default has acquired the status of being a highly sensitive zone. Consequently any form of third party engagement in the province can prove to be fatal for the concerned groups. Therefore it will be interesting to see how the concerned authorities handle the on going problem of insurgency in the province and thus carve out a planned development model for the province.
Proposed natural gas pipeline route transiting Balochistan
REFERENCES:- • www.balochistan.gov.pk/ • books.google.co.in/books/about/Metallogeny_and_mineral_potential_of_nor.html?id=mkpRAQAAIAAJ&redir_esc=y • www.cgmme.com/Article.aspx?CId=Pakistan&Txt=1 • www.buildasia.net/conferences2007/Mineral_Resources_of_Balochistan.pdf • www.scribd.com/doc/85341992/Minerals-of-Balochistan-Research-Paper • eprints.hec.gov.pk/898/1/627.htm • siteresources.worldbank.org/PAKISTANEXTN/Resources/Pakistan-Development-Forum/Balochistan.pdf • www.pakboi.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=253&Itemid=176 • http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=90266 'Bold text </nowiki>