Indeed one good step forward

At a recent session of the Balochistan Assembly, members warmly welcomed a resolution the Punjab Assembly adopted on December 22, calling for an early resolution of the Balochistan crisis and demanding that the killers of Nawab Akbar Bugti be brought to justice. The PA resolution, it may be recalled, was the follow-up of a meeting between PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and veteran Baloch leader Sardar Ataullah Khan Mengal, where the latter had given vent to his people's pent up anger against Punjab in particular and the federation in general. He had accused the "Punjabi army" of committing atrocities against the Baloch people which, he said, had brought Balochistan to the "point of no return". He said that his people were disillusioned but "if one last effort is made with sincerity, there is possibility that the Balochi youth might agree to discuss their grievances with Islamabad." For his part, Sharif had termed Mengal's concerns legitimate, promising to fight for Baloch rights. The Punjab Assembly resolution came soon afterwards. It is good to see members of the Balochistan Assembly express appreciation for a positive overture from Punjab. Nonetheless, a sense of hurt was noticeable in the remarks made by different speakers, such as Mines and Minerals Minister Abdul Rehman Mengal who while welcoming the resolution averred that "for the first time in history, Punjab Assembly has passed a resolution against human rights violations in Balochistan, and condemned the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti." He also recalled that his colleague, Minister for Industries Syed Ehsan Shah, had told the assembly that the people of Balochistan are not against the common man of Punjab, but that "they are against the elite class, which never supported Balochistan's rights at any forum." Significantly, these assertions come from moderate Baloch politicians who are part of a PPP-led government, yet their sentiments are not very different from the nationalists confronting the Centre in an unending conflict. Indeed, Baloch leaders of all persuasion have been saying similar things. What is different this time is that Punjab, perceived as an oppressor, has made the effort to change that perception. It is time now to move beyond words. For a while the national media, including popular TV talk shows, have been devoting considerable air time to the venting of Baloch youth's grievances, complete with secessionist rhetoric. From time to time Nawaz Sharif has also been demanding action against former military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf - with whom he has his own scores to settle - for his role in the assassination of Akbar Bugti. Unfortunately, however, Balochistan crisis has not been a priority item on the mainstream parties' agendas. Hopefully, the Nawaz League, now in an election campaign mode and looking for an alliance with Ataullah Mengal's BNP, as well as other parties will pay more focused attention to finding a political solution to the Balochistan issue, which essentially is a political problem. Copyright Business Recorder, 2011