That Baloch insurgency is a highly sensitive issue is a reality that has found its best expression in the new government's desperation to woo disgruntled Baloch. It is in this very context that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has urged the estranged segments of Baloch people to join the mainstream, give up arms and abandon their current course, to be part of the caravan serving the country.
It is extremely instructive to note that he made these remarks at a gathering of area notables at the Central Relief Camp set up at the Circuit House in the quake-hit Awaran district by the Balochistan government for the earthquake victims. "They [estranged Baloch] are our brothers. We harbour no sentiment of revenge," he is reported to have remarked. However, it is a serious matter of concern that the pace of relief to the quake-hit areas is painfully slow. This is an unfortunate development. Prime minister's words now appear to be mere sloganeering.