There has been no significant progress in bringing the Baloch separatists to the negotiation table, it has been learnt. Official sources told Business Recorder that Balochistan Chief Minster Dr Abdul Malik Baloch has made several attempts to persuade the separatist elements to come to the negotiation table and backchannel negotiations are still underway but there has been no breakthrough yet.
The Chief Minister travelled to London and met some of the separatist leaders but, sources maintained, separatist leaders expressed serious reservations on certain issues that were yet to be addressed including the continued abduction of Baloch youths and recovery of their mutilated bodies.
Sources maintained that separatists pointed out the failure of the provincial government to recover the huge number of missing persons and highlighted the incumbent government's failure to take critical steps to prepare suitable ground for dialogue. When contacted Jan Buledi, spokesman for the Balochistan government, confirmed that backchannel dialogue with Baloch separatists was ongoing, and maintained that the provincial government had prepared the ground for negotiations with no major operation conducted against those holding guns.
"We are trying our level best to bring them to the negotiation table but let me tell you...there is no breakthrough so far," he admitted, adding the government does not want to disclose the little progress that has been made so far, as it will create further complications.
To a question, Buledi maintained that the law and order situation in Balochistan has improved as compared to the tenure of the previous government. He claimed that the present provincial government had made several administrative decisions, including depoliticizing the police, improving co-ordination among the law-enforcement agencies - Police, FC and intelligence agencies.
He said the provincial government has also built capacity of the police by providing adequate funds and the required equipment which has enabled law-enforcement agencies to take effective actions against miscreants. In the past, he pointed out there were growing cases of kidnapping for ransom, recovery of mutilated bodies and active presence of criminal gangs at main highways but these cases have largely been controlled.
To another query, he said that Balochistan was confronting two major security issues: sectarian conflicts created by the sectarian groups and the lawlessness created by Baloch separatists. He maintained that Balochistan was also subjected to after effects of the ongoing military operation Zarb-e-Azb in the North Waziristan Agency.
Buledi stated that the government has made effective plans for protection of the Hazara community and security agencies now provide them an escort from Quetta to Pishin. "We are providing every possible security to the Hazara community in order to ensure their life and property," he maintained.
Responding to a query on the implementation of the Aghaze Haqooq-e-Balochistan package announced by the former PPP government, Buledi said that the package has created problems for the provincial government instead of bringing any positive change. The previous provincial government recruited 5,000 Baloch youth on contract under the package and the present government, despite financial hardships, was finally able to regularise them, he said. "There is nothing on the ground under this package except for promises made by the previous PPP government," he added.
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