Balochistan APC

PROMISES abound when it comes to addressing the problems faced by Balochistan. This time round we have been told that an all-parties conference will be called ‘within days.’ At least that is what the Prime Minister promised on Wednesday, adding that his administration has not forgotten the Balochistan issue. The public perception in this regard, he stressed, is incorrect. Doubting Mr Gilani’s intentions is not the point here, for he is widely seen as a sincere man even if lacking the authority a Prime Minister ought to wield in a parliamentary system. But words alone cannot dispel the impression that Balochistan, for whatever reason, does not rank high on the government’s agenda. Preoccupation with the Malakand operation cannot be an excuse because that battle is only a few weeks old while the government has been in office for well over a year. In a welcome move in February last year, the PPP leadership offered a public apology for atrocities committed against the people of Balochistan. It was also stated — in March 2008 — that the concurrent legislative list would be abolished within a year to give the provinces greater control over their resources. Massive uplift ‘packages’ were announced for Balochistan, the most underdeveloped province in the country. All these pledges, however, have resulted in little movement on the ground.