GWADAR: National Party chief Dr Abdul Malik Baloch has said that the root cause of Balochistan’s problems lies in unresolved democratic and national questions and a multi-ethnic country can only remain stable when all languages and cultures are treated with equal respect.

Speaking at an intellectual session of the Kech Cultural Festival that focused on education, civil society, and journalism in Balochistan, he said that meaningful dialogue is the key to find out the solution to the issues being faced by the province.

Eminent educationist Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy, senior journalist Shehzada Zulfiqar, Quetta Press Club President Irfan Saeed and others spoke on the occasion and suggested various steps for restoring peace in Balochistan.

Dr Baloch acknowledged that the province’s literacy rate is below 50 per cent while poverty and ignorance are widespread, making it essential to grant people their constitutional and democratic rights.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy said that children must be taught in their mother tongue at the primary level to strengthen children’s identity and language skills. However, he said, learning English was equally important to stay connected with modern sciences and global knowledge.

Dr Hoodbhoy said that religion and science are distinct — religion teaches morality, while science provides knowledge based on observation, logic, and experimentation.

He said a true education system is one that encourages questioning, critical thinking.

Senior journalist Shehzada Zulfiqar said journalism in Balochistan is under severe pressure and in decline, with weakened press bodies and mainstream media largely restricted to government narratives instead of highlighting provincial issues.

He noted that this vacuum is now being filled by social media, which has emerged as a powerful platform for advancing cultural and public narratives.

Quetta Press Club President Irfan Saeed said that journalism in Balochistan is losing its identity. He said that journalists from Makran could bridge this gap by building provincial and national-level linkages through their struggle. He pointed out that the intellectual and literary activities taking place in Kech prove that real Balochistan remains alive.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2025