The threat to sabotage the upcoming general election pervades all over the place in Pakistan but where it is real and instant is Balochistan. Curtsey the decade-old multidimensional, ethno-sectarian strife in the province the fuse for violence is short, a dilemma regularly enforced by sectarian groups, ethnic nationalists, armed groups of political parties, death squads, contract killers, ransom-demanding kidnappers quite a few foreign-funded non-state actors.
These anti-state elements have the desired potential and there is always the fear that they would stop at nothing short of disrupting the electoral exercise by use of force. Already, they have shown their teeth by killing the district election commissioner of Quetta, Mohammed Ziaullah and struck at a district office of the Election Commission of Pakistan, besides dropping terrorist threat at the offices of the parties who want to participate in the election. But, paradoxically, greater the threat the higher is across-the-board political stakeholders' resolve to be part of the electoral race. Of course, there are very many different 'justifications' by the parties for their boycott of the 2008 election. But one thing common to their experiment is the realisation that during that interregnum they couldn't be of any service to their constituents. All of them are now in the electoral race; as they share hope to serve their people - and the apprehension that out there, there are forces who want them to miss the bus. And in this if there could be any real help and reassurance to persevere in the resolve to be part of the electoral exercise, it was to be of the army chief General Kayani, and it is there now in so many words.
"Army will wholeheartedly welcome an all-inclusive election" the COAS General Kayani told the provincial governor and caretaker chief minister, urging upon all the political stakeholders to participate in the upcoming election. His move is said to be an assurance he wanted to give to the political leaderships who have joined the race but receive threat from the separatist forces to stay away from the polls. He reiterated the Pak Army's commitment to extend all possible assistance to the Election Commission of Pakistan for holding free, fair and peaceful election. That all the political parties, particularly the nationalist groups, are now on board in support of the election it has revived hope to refurbish democratic credentials of the Baloch society. In it there are clear signs that people in the province want solution to their problems through peaceful means. It is also a clear rejection of the separatists' agenda. No doubt as this game-changer scenario unfolds the anti-state forces will raise the ante of violence. The elements like BLA, BRA and BLF will try at disrupting the electoral process by all means at their disposal.
We believe and hope that the Army Chief's unreserved commitment to provide full protection would help dispel the fears of disruption. By urging for an all-inclusive election the army top brass seems to have welcomed the decision of the nationalists to participate in the election. Interestingly, General Kayani's visit to Quetta is almost simultaneous to the Supreme Court's call to the Balochistan interim government and law enforcement agencies to provide security to voters as well as to the candidates. Chief Election Commissioner former Justice Fakhruddin G Ebrahim was in Quetta last week, where in a meeting with the leaders of political, religious and nationalist parties, he asked them to be vocal about their reservations if they have any, and said he would do everything possible. It seems 'every thing possible' is being done. This indeed is the silver-lining to the dark clouds of instability, uncertainty and violence the millions of voters of Balochistan getting ready to drive out of their skies.