CPEC: A Key Opportunity For Socio Economic Development of Balochistan

Imagine how ridiculous that sounds, when someone, who is born under the shadow of luxuries, lived there all his life in the ‘Glare of Money’, ignoring the fact that there are many living around his kingdom depending upon his mercy that he' nor his forefather ever spare. The life of common people in their surrounding was nothing but utter slavery; forget about asking for the rights with strong courage, they never even dare to beg these Sardari-Kings, ever.

Yes, that’s right; I am talking about the Sardars and Nawabs of Balochistan who are ruling poor Baloch since the time of independence but even after decades of rule they could not provide the basic facilities to their people. Saying that would be more appropriate that these rulers did not let their people have healthy life style; schools to hospitals, government to private sectors, roads to sewage system, in short nothing had been done that could help the common man in Balochistan.

                Beside taking share from budget these Sardars and Nawabs also used to take share of billions of rupees from ‘gas-wells’ in Balochistan BUT where all that money has gone, no one knows, not even government of Balochistan. Even a common man can tell you that why there was no development done during the period these Sardars have ruled Balochistan. I wonder why Balochistan government never had any check and balance on these elected Sardars sitting in the assembly; anyways it is a different debate that may not be relevant to my the topic; so let’s just get back to REAL issue of today: CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor).

                Couple of days back I scanned through a blog that was trying to create confusion by putting up so many misleading questions on CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor). In my views, these types of questions should not go un-noticed as it can easily distract common populace. So, here I am putting forward fact shed to all those questions one by one:

-          Multi-billion dollar economic corridor deal between Pakistan and China is aimed at colonizing the Balochistan province, and must be resisted.

Interesting, someone like grandson of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti is talking about colonization in Balochistan? Especially when something really reassuring is going to happen for poor’s living in Balochistan? What these Nawabzadaz have done for people of Balochistan? Clean water? No; Good roads? No; Health and educational sectors? No; electricity and gas? No, nothing. Now ‘Mr. Perfect’ sitting in comfortable couch in Switzerland with dozen of pretty faces around him declaring a billion dollar project as ‘colonizing the Balochistan province’? wow that’s some REAL sincerity with the poor people of Balochistan?

-          Balochistan remains Pakistan’s poorest and least populous province.

Who is responsible for this? of course all those Nawabs and Sardars who had been elected by the people of Balochistan. Just for Mr. Brahamdagh Bugti’s information, let me take you back to the history for a while as he might have forgotten his forefather’s dodgy past; The Provincial Assembly of Balochistan was constituted under a Presidential order in 1972. The foundation of the present Assembly building was laid in 1973 by the Governor Mohammed Akbar Khan Bugti, from that time and till now ONLY Sardars and Nawabs are controlling Balochistan Assembly. If they haven’t done their job right, would that be fault of someone living in Punjab or Gilgit-Baltistan?

-          Rebel groups have waged a separatist insurgency in the province for decades, complaining that the central government in Islamabad and the richer Punjab province unfairly exploit their resources.

-          So finally they are admitting that the insurgents in Balochistan who are involved in anti-state activities in the name of so called ‘Narazgi’ (Anger) are just playing Naraz-Baloch card for Balochistan resources? Everything is in Balochistan, Sardars and Nawabs are controlling it then what this ‘Narazgi’ has to do with other provinces? It’s ‘I’ start putting blame on ‘my’ brother in-law’s wife for ‘my’ dirty kitchen instead of asking my wife to keep it clean; sorry for this example but that’s exactly how these RAW sponsored rebels are talking since decades..

-          Islamabad reacted to the insurgency by launching a military operation.

-          Brahamdagh Bugti, leader of the Baloch Republican Party living in exile in Switzerland, and grandson of slain nationalist leader Akbar Bugti, talks about the separatists’ stance on the Pakistani-Chinese deal.

So those who are fighting with heavy weapons and heavy explosives should be left free for roaming around in the Urban Areas of Balochistan? They should be set-free to bomb trains, damage public property and gas pipelines just because they are ‘angry’? Imagine how un-professional that sounds. Militants are angry on government and killing innocents in Balochistan’s markets, bus stops, railway stations and even using hand grenades on houses where innocent women and children live; should government of Pakistan let these militants do all that crap just because they are ‘ANGRY’? Are you even in your senses Mr. Bugti?

-          The Baloch separatist demand a share of the financial benefits and doesn’t allow China and the Punjab to use Balochistan for their benefits.

   
Government of Pakistan is giving all finances to elected members in Balochistan assembly. If militants are un-happy with that they should come through proper channel. Take part in elections, get elected, sit in assembly and talk like a ‘human’ if they are really seeking for ‘human rights’.

-          Some Baloch leaders have also complained that Islamabad deliberately changed the corridor route in favor of the Punjab, avoiding Balochistan’s key cities.

Mr. Brahamdagh Bugti now there are three arteries running in CPEC covering all the provinces of Pakistan. Stop lying from a cozy living room of Switzerland. Three CPEC routes – western, central and eastern alignments – were under consideration. Although the government insisted on building the western alignment in the first phase. The western route starts from Gwadar and passes through Turbat, Panjgur, Nag, Basima, Sorab, Qalat, Quetta, Qilla Saifullah and Zhob in Balochistan to reach Dera Ismail Khan in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and then heading to Hassan Abdal before reaching Islamabad.

-          There will be massive human rights abuses in Balochistan because of this deal.
A business deal that can help not only improve infrastructure of Balochistan but also can provide massive job opportunities for engineers, labors, architectures and businessmen community in particularly  for only Balochistan people. This megaproject is a massive investment plan that will transform Balochistan into a huge regional economic hub, in the region.

-          Isn’t there terrorism in the Punjab, in Karachi, and in other parts of Pakistan? But are there people attacked by helicopters like the residents of Balochistan?

I can present hundreds of examples in response to this illogical statement. Pakistan has been put in state of war and military action can be taken any time ANYWHERE needed depending upon how critical the intensity of  situation is, even in the heart of Islamabad someone challenging writ of the government and threatening/harassing civilians with weapons in their hands, government has not spare them no matter what. Lal-Masjid is the BIGGEST example, were they Baloch? No; they were only doing illegal activities and disturbing ‘law and order situation’ just like militants are doing in Balochistan. Government is dealing all terrorists equally; doesn’t matter if they are living in FATA or Loralai.

-          Everyone knows how the lawmakers get elected to Balochistan’s provincial assembly.
This argument is quite interesting. Brahamdagh’s grandfather had been part of the Balochistan assembly and remained as governor of the province, by lifting such points isn’t he actually leaving BIG question mark on the ‘era’ when his grandfather was part of the elected government’?

-          CPEC would not bring any prosperity to people of Balochistan.

I wonder what makes Mr. Brahamdagh feels that this development project will not bring any prosperity to people of Balochistan. He nor his forefathers or any other Sardar in Balochistan could bring such type of mega projects for the Socio economic development of Balochistan (except Gwadar project which was also completed in General Mushraf’s era).

-          Some clerical jobs? We don’t want to be the gatekeepers of gas pipelines; we demand a fair share of the wealth for our province.

This again leave question mark on all those Sardars and Nawabs who never took interest in education sector of Balochistan. When you provide no educational facilities to people of this province how these people can get job of some engineer?  After ruling decades you people have not done nothing for poor Baloch, children of Sardars and Nawabs are completing studies in Oxford university but a common Baloch living in the deserts of Balochistan doesn’t even have a proper school in Balochistan. Baloch are having 6 percent quota in civil superior services of Pakistan & Balochistan public service commission is only for the people of Balochistan which offers merit & quota based jobs to Baloch people.

                If Sardars have been ruling Baloch people then it is their responsibility to provide basic facilities to Baloch citizen that includes clean water, better health and educational facilities, schools and hospitals, buildings roads and power supplies along with proper sewerage system. BUT nothing has been done so far, since past decade government of Pakistan is building school, colleges and universities in Balochistan with the help of Pakistan Army. Many small projects are already under process and CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic corridor) is above all those projects. These development projects are ray of hope to end Sardari and Nawabi colonization in Balochistan, for them which is very hard to digest.

                I, as a responsible citizen of Pakistan, urge all these Sardars and Nawabs to eradicate this self-exiled life and instead of seeking for political asylum in Switzerland and England ‘return to Pakistan’ and do something good for Baloch what their forefather could never do.