BY virtue of its geo-strategic location and huge natural resources, Balochistan offers itself as veritable land of opportunity and presently developmental efforts are underway to realize its potentials.

A Rs130 billion development programme including some mega projects are being executed at Gwadar and other districts under tight security and a policy of appeasement.

Will it be a sustainable process to which is linked the prosperity of the country today? After all, what are the factors that disrupt the economic development and destabilize the security situation in a region? Nothing but political instability, communal and social disharmony and confusion.

Recent gas supply disruptions from Sui cost the economy billions of rupees. Official estimates put the loss at Rs150- Rs200 million per day, because of the adverse impact on key economic sectors like power, industry and agriculture.

In the year 2004, government beefed up the security in sensitive areas like Sui, Khuzdar and Gwadar. On May 4, 2004, three Chinese engineers were killed and nine others wounded when an explosive-laden car blew up as a van carrying 12 Chinese engineers and technicians passed by. Even before the government had time to recover from the terrorist attack, Gwadar airport was attacked by rockets on May 21, 2004.

In the same month, four explosions rocked Gwadar where Chinese engineers were engaged in building a deep-sea port, but caused no casualties or damage. The explosions went off at the gate of port site, a police check post, the officers' mess of the Frontier Works Organization engaged in building a coastal highway.

On July 15, 2004, the site of the under-construction Mirani dam was rocked when over a dozen rockets exploded in the residential area of the project, some 50km from the Turbat city.

In the beginning of year 2005, the trouble erupted in Sui Tehsil of Bugti Tribal area where sensitive gas installations like gas purification plant and pipelines network supplying gas to different areas across the country, are located.

Ultimately, more than 2,500 paramilitary forces and regular troops took control of Sui. Helicopters began to hover over the gas field and sensitive installations in Bugti tribal area.

An improved law and order situation is a must to attract the foreign investors for developing the vast oil and gas resources in the province. Some people opine that a military operation will create resentment and resistance in the province.

Not only that. Such an operation will retard the development of the province, it will also create fears. What is needed is to create real security environment that will serve long-term objectives associated with the economic development of the province.

The immediate cause of resentment among Balochis is the realization of lack of employment opportunities for the local people in the ongoing mega projects; and then the government's plans to set up cantonments in Mari, Bugti tribal areas and Gwadar.

The prevailing grievances have its roots in the decades-old Islamabad's policy of discrimination and neglect toward Balochistan. The main grievances include the denial of provincial autonomy as guaranteed by the Constitution, royalty on gas and other minerals, economic backwardness and inadequate fiscal disbursement.

The expected large-scale influx of people from other three provinces to Gwadar would change the demographic landscape of the province. This scenario strengthens the local people's fear of becoming a minority in their own province.

The nationalist parties contend that uplift programmes reflect the federal government's plan to settle outsiders in Gwadar and other areas, which, they think, would change the demography of the province.

What is critical for creating a real security environment is the creation of local stake and fair distribution of development gains. New doors to optimism, cooperation and prosperity would be opened.

The politics of agitation must be replaced by the economics of issues with viable solutions. Ultimately, the rational use of Balochistan's natural endowments would give the country an economic fillip.

It is about the stake, cooperation, support and engagement of the populace in the development activities taking place in their area. The real parameters of security vis-à-vis development process are yet to be defined in our society.

In broader perspective, security concept covers all areas- from economic, social, political and cultural to environmental. If all these areas are secure and invulnerable, the development process, which involves changes, certainly brings a positive change not only on ground but also in social attitudes of the people.

In a state of real security one feels economically, socially, politically and culturally secure: security in its all aspects. The real security environment is yet to be created in Balochistan, as deployment of forces and establishment of check-posts or military cantonments at different places create a sense of vulnerability, rather than safety.

These are the short-term and temporary measures, which are normally taken to bring calm to an area under trouble. Such measures have been ineffective, even counter productive to solve political problems.

There cannot be two opinions about impacts of mega projects that they would turn Balochistan into a land of opportunities for foreign investors. No mega-project will bear fruit for the national economy in the given state of security affairs, and law and order situation in the province.

The government must take such measures, which could allay the sense of alienation, bring nationalists into the mainstream politics, create local stake in the province's development and assuage their grievances. There is also a need to create a sense of ownership among the local people making them directly responsible for the security of vital installations.