As pointed out in these columns in our issue of October 30, coming in the midst of President Zardari's all-out efforts for undoing the accumulated wrongs of political, economic and social dimensions, from a multi-prong thrust of national reconciliation, the havoc wrought by Wednesday's pre-dawn massive earthquake would make it inevitable to put on hold all the plans in that direction until completion of gigantic task of rescue and rehabilitation thrown up by widespread devastations.
Needless to point out, this thought had emerged from the initial assessments of losses in lives and property. But as later reports have indicated, the earthquake and its after-shocks that shook the mountains, caused a far greater tragedy, destroying several thousand homes and killing far more than 200 people.
Mud-brick houses were flattened in landslides in areas bordering Afghanistan, instantly killing or injuring their inmates, either in sleep or otherwise in freezing winter. According to one report, as international and national rescue teams struggled to arrange help to survivors passing the night in the open, spotted increasing number of victims.
Quoting military sources, the report said that soldiers, helicopters, tents, blankets, food and medical help have been sent from Quetta, to Ziarat and also that an aerial assessment of the damage had begun. From all indications, the tragedy reminded of the 7.6-magnitude earthquake in the country's north-west and Azad Kashmir in October 2005 that resulted in the death of 74,000 people and displacement of as many as 3.5 million.
The earlier assessment of Balochistan tremors was based on the toll taken in Ziarat alone, the famous hill station that has grown into an ideal tourist attraction for its scenic beauty and abundance of juniper forest. Later reports of devastations in Wam, a village close to the border with Afghanistan, added more to grief from human misery.
Thankfully, response from international agencies and countries from far and near appears to have been quicker, perhaps, because of the affected areas' proximity to the scene of the ongoing war against terror hence being already in the world's focus. For the World Health Organisation said it had been rushing enough medical aid and supplies for 50,000 people, while also flying trauma supplies stored at the UN Humanitarian Response Depot in Dubai to treat 400 people.
Similarly, the International Committee of the Red Cross reportedly assessed that hundreds may have died and thousands may have lost their homes to the tremors. The United States, Canada and neighbouring India also offered humanitarian relief.
In a far-flung village, its chieftain made a desperate appeal for supplies, noting urgent need for warm clothes, blankets, tents and food, and pointing out that though the military had established camps and was providing food, it was not enough.
However, taking into consideration the difficulties in reaching the areas of devastation and the compulsions of the freezing vagaries of weather, two days will appear too short a time not only to rush medical and other assistance, but also to make its through appraisal.
However, now that the government will have to turn all its attention away from national reconciliation to rescue and relief in the otherwise vastly suffering Balochistan, one hopes it would redouble its efforts in the new direction, more so as a means to test the nation's backing of its plans and programmes.
It can rightly be expected that if vigorously pursued from an objectively conceived approach, the bold new approach can prove instrumental in arousing the entire nation's passion for undoing the long neglected woes of Balochistan in true spirit of unity in diversity.