THOUGH the BNP-M may have ended its 20-day protest sit-in outside Quetta on Wednesday, the core issues affecting Balochistan — terrorism and the alienation of large sections of the province’s population from the centre — remain unresolved. Former chief minister and BNP-M head Akhtar Mengal decided to wrap things up after the state did not allow him or his supporters to march to Quetta. The veteran politician had initiated a protest campaign after the authorities detained BYC’s Mahrang Baloch and other activists. Mr Mengal blamed the state for “obstructing” his march, and said that while the sit-in had ended, protests would be held across different cities and towns in Balochistan to continue to press for their demands. Several opposition parties and activists expressed solidarity with the BNP protest, though the government did not yield. In fact, Balochistan CM Sarfraz Bugti continued to use strong language against the BYC, while commenting on the BNP’s decision to call off the sit-in.

While proponents of the ‘hard state’ may argue that Baloch political activity must be crushed along with separatist terrorism, this approach is counterproductive. Violence will continue to haunt Balochistan as the separatists use terrorism to forward their aims, and the state strikes back with full force. An alternative path — dialogue, reconciliation and inclusive development — can be tried, if the state wishes to give it a shot. After all, decades of a militarised approach to solving Balochistan’s problems failed to achieve any meaningful objective. First, the government needs to differentiate between those who take up arms against the state, and those who use peaceful constitutional means to demand their rights. The former must be neutralised, while the latter should be engaged. At the other end, some activists resort to harsh anti-government rhetoric; this will hardly help the Baloch cause. Secondly, the state needs to acknowledge that mistakes have been made. This would not be a sign of weakness, but one of wisdom. For example, the problem of enforced disappearances and other violations of fundamental rights in Balochistan is not a new one. Today, it is the BYC that is raising these issues; earlier it was Mama Qadeer and others. If the state uses unconstitutional means in the province, there will be blowback from those affected. Therefore, a more compassionate and inclusive approach is needed in Balochistan.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2025