JUST two days after the president, while on a visit to Balochistan, discussed the need for a political dialogue to address the province’s problems, terrorists struck in Surbandar, on the outskirts of Gwadar, murdering seven innocent men as they slept. All the victims, who worked at a local barbershop, hailed from Punjab. This is the third incident of its kind in the province over the last few months. Nine passengers were pulled off a bus in Noshki by militants last month and after their papers were checked, the men were later found murdered under a bridge. Meanwhile, six labourers were killed as they slept last October in Turbat. In all these incidents, the victims were originally from Punjab. No cause can justify these ghastly crimes. The political leadership, from the prime minister down, has condemned these barbaric murders, and has vowed to secure justice for the slain men.

The apparent aim of these reprehensible acts is to foment ethnic unrest by targeting individuals of a certain ethnicity or regional background. While locals in Balochistan should be given preference in jobs, there can be absolutely no justification for targeting workers from outside the province trying to make an honest living there. Most of the victims are driven by poverty to leave their homes and families behind just to ensure their loved ones have food on the table. Moreover, citizens of all federating units have the right to live and work anywhere in Pakistan, so targeting people by terming them ‘settlers’ and ‘outsiders’ is totally unacceptable. It is a matter of concern that terrorists have struck at a time when the state has raised the need for a political dialogue in Balochistan. The involvement of hostile foreign actors cannot be ruled out either, especially given the fact that the Chinese are active in Balochistan, while Gulf investors are also considering putting money into schemes in the province. If prosperity comes to Balochistan, and locals are given employment opportunities through foreign investment, the narrative of the separatists will be seriously punctured. Therefore, the grotesque acts of violence could be designed to scare away foreign investors. The state needs to provide security to all Balochistan’s people, while those involved in these gruesome crimes must be brought to justice. Sustainable socioeconomic development cannot take place in Balochistan in the presence of terrorist threats.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2024