The fast tempo of developments in the tribal north-west tends to steal the media limelight relegating the trouble in Balochistan to the back burner, although, strategically speaking, the latter is far more consequential to the national unity and integrity.
What we have in the tribal region today is militancy within the parameters of national unity; it is neither a struggle to break away from Pakistan nor for greater autonomy. There the militants are engaged in a fight to protect their culture and way of life.
But in Balochistan, a part of the people, howsoever small in numerical strength, have been waging a struggle for separation. There are entities like Balochistan Liberation Army who have been in rebellion against the unity of the state of Pakistan - with active support of some hostile foreign governments.
Of course, most of the so-called insurgents are patriotic Pakistanis who want their rightful place in the federation of Pakistan. They are conscious of the fact that enormous mineral wealth lies under their feet but they remain poor and backward. Somehow, they say, the mega projects to exploit their resources have not benefited them. And, when they protest against their exploitation they are dubbed as rebels and crushed with force.
With the inauguration of democratic era in the wake of February elections they hope things will not remain the same. Their hope is not entirely misplaced. Within a few days its massive electoral victory the PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari made a public apology over the injustices done to the people of Balochistan.
There is a long painful history of wrongs done to them; the latest being the target killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti when he charged the federal government of being discriminatory in fixing much lower well-head price for the Sui gasfield than for others in the country.
Then it was Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani who made the pledge to set up what he called Truth and Reconciliation Commission to alleviate sufferings of the people of Balochistan. His announcement had come in the wake of an embarrassing demonstration in front of 10 Downing Street, London, by the political exiles against "forced and illegal annexation" of Balochistan.
The Prime Minister had also pledged to withdraw from the Concurrent List from the Constitution. Additionally, a number of political activists detained by the previous administration were released and names of some important political leaders dropped from the exit control list (ECL).
Quite a bit seems to have been done or is in the pipeline to remove the pain suffered by the people of Balochistan but a lot is still needed to be done to win the battle of hearts and minds. They have to be mainstreamed by assuring them of the equality of their rights and of their control over what belongs to them - be it their share in the federal government or the mega projects like the Gwadar port project.
A general feeling pervades among the Baloch youth that they have been left out from the national mainstream. There is large-scale joblessness, a situation exacerbated by low quality education in the province. In this background the recent meeting of President Zardari with Nawabzada Gazin Marri in Dubai acquires pertinent importance.
The Nawabzada is said to have been assured by the President that military operation in Balochistan would stop, missing people would be traced and all political prisoners would be set free. Though the President met the Baloch leader in his personal capacity and their discussion was unofficial the significance of their meeting cannot be overlooked in the given circumstances.
The possibility of parleys between the federal government and the angry Baloch leaders seems to be materialising after a long time. It should not be lost in the bureaucratic labyrinths. No effort should be spared to build on the growing mutual trust, even when enemies of Pakistan would try hard to sabotage the reconciliation process.