PAKISTAN’S ‘national’ leadership seems to discover a new eloquence whenever it sets foot in Balochistan. Every new claimant to the Islamabad throne comes bearing grandiose solutions to its many problems. But what has ever come of the big promises that are made to the Baloch people every few years? Little or nothing, as conditions in the province attest. It is unfortunate that, in recent years especially, most Baloch lawmakers have seemed content playing second fiddle to those sitting in cities far away instead of fighting for their constituents. Their constantly shifting alliances have come to be seen as a leading indicator of the fate of whoever controls, or wishes to control, the government at the Centre. What is happening now suggests that nothing has changed from the past. The PML-N’s top leadership recently concluded a two-day trip to the province to round up support for Nawaz Sharif’s bid for a fourth stint as prime minister. Before departing, they did what all other politicians do to show they ‘care’: they announced mega development projects and promised, for the umpteenth time, to bring the province “on a par with Punjab”.

If the past is any indication, these promises will likely be forgotten quickly once the expediencies of power get in the way. Over the past five-odd years, one of Balochistan’s more independent leaders, Sardar Akhtar Mengal of the Balochistan National Party, went first with the PTI and then with the PDM hoping that one of them would have a solution to the problems his people face. He returned empty-handed both times. The truth is that no political government at the Centre really has it within its means to address Balochistan’s ‘real’ issues, like the routine disappearances of Baloch youth and the widespread disenchantment with the state. Successive leaders have tried to throw money at what they see as a ‘development problem’ in the hope that this will resolve the multifarious problems faced by the province. However, given the lack of meaningful civilian oversight or control over the province, even such development favours a select few rather than the people at large. The answer, as always, lies in giving the Baloch people meaningful representation and the means to resolve their problems themselves. The first step should be to give sincere leaders more space in the province’s politics. This isn’t too much to ask for.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2023