THE preliminary, unofficial results of local government elections held in the majority of Balochistan’s districts on Sunday have revealed some interesting political trends in Pakistan’s geographically largest province. For one, independent candidates have snapped up the lion’s share of seats, winning nearly 1,900 of the 4,456 constituencies. The political parties have come in quite far behind, with the JUI-F clinching the second highest (over 460 seats) as per the unofficial numbers available at the time of writing. Polling in Quetta and Lasbela will be held later. The elections were held in a largely peaceful atmosphere, though there were reports of sporadic violence, with at least one person believed to have been killed. Most of the violent incidents occurred between supporters of rival candidates, though polling stations were targeted by suspected militants in a number of locations. As per the Balochistan chief secretary, the turnout was between 50pc and 60pc. This is an encouraging sign for the democratic process in Balochistan as figures from the 2018 general elections in the province show that turnout for both national and provincial assembly seats hovered around 45pc. Among the big winners was the Gwadar Ko Haq Do movement, which clinched the most seats in the coastal district. Late last year, the movement, led by Jamaat-i-Islami leader Hidayatur Rehman, held a nearly month-long protest in Gwadar demanding civic rights for the people of the coastal region.

The results thus far reflect the fact that the people of Balochistan have put their faith in independent candidates to get their local issues resolved, rather than give the mandate to traditional political parties or nationalists. Apparently, the movement in Gwadar — which forced the powers that be to take notice of local demands — has influenced their choices at the ballot box. It is also true that the establishment’s meddling in politics has left the people disillusioned with political parties and their ability to solve Balochistan’s problems. Yet the respectable turnout is a healthy sign both for democracy as well as stability in Balochistan, offering a democratic path to change in the beleaguered province. Hopefully, Balochistan’s voters will also fully participate in the next general elections. Regardless of whether the voting is at the local, provincial or national level, Balochistan’s elected representatives must deliver the goods to the people, while the establishment should give them the space to run the province in a democratic fashion. Otherwise, Balochistan’s sense of deprivation and disillusionment will only increase.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2022