TRUE, the government has much on its plate but that cannot be an excuse for ignoring issues that need to be addressed urgently. The past week has seen at least four statements by senior politicians regarding the situation that has been festering in Balochistan for decades. Last Monday, the Balochistan Assembly speaker spoke of a “trust deficit” between the provincial leadership and the government in Islamabad. This lack of faith, he said, was a major impediment in the way of restoring peace in Balochistan and normalising province-centre relations. He added that many among the Baloch are of the view that the Frontier Corps is running a “parallel government” in the province. The same day, an influential Baloch nationalist leader accused Islamabad of hypocrisy and failing to honour its commitments. On Tuesday, the chairman of the parliamentary committee on national security urged the prime minister to hold talks with Baloch leaders without further delay. The veteran PPP politician from Karachi also shared 15 recommendations which he felt made “a good basis for initiating a dialogue with angry Baloch leaders”. And on Friday, a key senator from Balochistan again brought up the trust-deficit issue, asking the centre to hold talks with both Baloch nationalists and separatists.

Islamabad does indeed have a lot to answer for. The sense of alienation and deprivation that is part and parcel of the Baloch psyche took root soon after the creation of Pakistan. Since then Balochistan has seen its natural resources stripped by the centre without a hint of shame. What could arguably have been the most prosperous province in the country is today its most backward. It has suffered ruthless military operations and seen its people tortured, killed or ‘disappeared’. In recent years, successive governments found it fit to negotiate with Taliban barbarians but did little to bring the Baloch nationalists on board and address their genuine grievances. Apologies for past atrocities committed against the Baloch ring hollow when words are not matched by actions. Development packages become meaningless if they are not delivered forthwith. Promises of provincial autonomy find few takers when months go by without even a hint of their implementation. It was in March 2008 that the prime minister pledged that the concurrent legislative list would be scrapped within a year, thereby giving the provinces greater control over their own resources. Nearly 14 months later there has been no real movement on this count. When will the centre wake up?  http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/editorial/balochistan-and-the-centre-859