THE MIDDLE-CLASS DOCTOR WILL BE CHALLENGED BY ANOTHER MIDDLE-CLASS DOCTOR!

Dr. Allah Nazar Baloch

Sir: The tumultuous elections and the tentative results have kept the state machinery running in Balochistan but the real question that needs to be answered is, will those involved in the conflict --the establishment and Baloch nationalist groups — alter their stance and policies? If we look at the chequered history of the imbroglio and ongoing insurgency, the answer would be in the negative.

dr Malik

The scrupulous Nawaz Sharif seems to be cautious enough in his decisions, particularly about Balochistan and generally about forming the province’s government. The nomination of Dr Malik as chief minister, instead of his own party’s provincial chief Sardar Sanaullah Zehri or Nawabzada Jhangaiz Marri, is a well thought out and welcome move. Indeed, Dr Malik will be the first chief minister who belongs to the non-tribal Mekran division of the province. In a press conference, he warned the covert forces who are responsible for the enforced disappearances of Baloch political activists that for the peace and prosperity of the province, the killing and dumping policy and disappearances must be stopped.

However, one should not live in a fool’s paradise thinking that the nationalist government can convince the militants and the radical political activists who are advocating the freedom of Balochistan and bring them to the negotiating table for talks to bring about change in the restive province. If the militants had been convinced for negotiations and talks, they would not have attacked Dr Malik and Sanaullah Zehri, belonging to parties that are involved in parliamentary politics, before May 11, 2013. Hence this pessimistic scenario has led us to argue that violence will remain prevalent in the province and the prospects of peace, stability, prosperity and development will remain dismal. Moreover, the much-hyped projects like Gwadar port and the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline continue to remain stagnant. Now the ball is in Dr Malik’s court whether he will enhance good governance and strengthen democratic projects to abate the worsening condition of the province. Dr Malik will be confronted and challenged by another middle class doctor, Dr Allah Nazar, who is said to be leading the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF). He is a well-known guerilla commander in Balochistan and enjoys a huge following among the educated youth there. The real problem is not practising good governance and addressing grievances but the daunting challenge of the clash of two ideologies, which are being represented by the two aforementioned middle-class doctors. Indeed, both Dr Allah Nazar and Dr Malik received their MBBS degrees in the same institution, Bolan Medical College, and perhaps they personally know each other. Both started politics on a common platform, the Baloch Students Organisation (BSO). Let us hope that both of them strive to heal the deteriorating condition of the province and will be the panacea for the region in a broader sense.

Unlike the Raisani government, the coming government should restrain from rampant corruption, which had been practised by the previous government. There should be an effective autonomous body for accountability and checks and balances against plunder and looting. MPA funds must be spent in the respective constituencies for development. Health, education and job creation must be the priorities of the government owing to the bad socio-economic condition of the people of the province.
SHAYHAQ HAYAT
Turbat
Courtesy: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013%5C06%5C07%5Cstory_7-6-2013_pg3_7