By Gibran Peshimam
The writer is city editor, The News, Karachi.
Judging by the feedback, the reaction to labelling Balochistan’s fast-deteriorating and drastically-changed situation Pakistan’s chief problem – one that will carry on beyond operations in the Tribal Areas and the NWFP – has met with across-the-board agreement. However, the persisting question is how to tackle the situation.
The need to bring the Baloch nationalists and others stuck in the middle on board is obvious. Yet, the question of how and whether any measure will earn the trust of these elements remains highly debatable. For starters, let it be known that what needs to be done now is obviously diametrically opposed to what is being done now and has been done in the past in Balochistan. That is, Islamabad needs to push boundaries, break stereotypes and think out-of-the-box.
Big. Long-term. Enduring.
No status quo, not even hybrids (ala the trademark ‘three pronged’ proposals of a certain London-residing retired general). No, those will not do. More of the same in terms of policy means more of the same in terms of results. That’s a time-tested policy. We need pristine. The good stuff. Uncut, unadulterated.
In short, unprecedented.
Any compromise has to begin with the release of the ‘missing’ people, a large chunk of who are activists or sympathisers of the Baloch nationalist movement. Releasing them unconditionally, in a dignified manner possibly with an overarching apology, would send the right signals to begin with. You cannot say that you sincerely want to work with the nationalists while keeping them habeas corpus in a practice that is against all civilised norms.
This is just the beginning of the appeasement process. We need more drastic steps. This would, as mentioned earlier, entail engaging the true representatives of Balochistan.
Call on Brahmdagh Bugti. While he may not hold as much clout as the establishment alleges he does, the point is that he is the default protagonist-in-chief of the Baloch resistance. But this, needless to say, will be difficult.
In a recent interview, the young Bugti, alleged to be operating from Kabul, shows that he is in no mood for reconciliation. And why should he be? According to reports, he was there when his grandfather, the indomitable Nawab Akbar Bugti, was killed in the mountains by the state of Pakistan.
Before that, in 1959, Babu Nowroz, one of the original Baloch nationalists, was called down from the mountains with his companions, including his sons, to negotiate after those in power swore on the Holy Book that they would not be arrested. They were. And then hanged.
Nawroz’s death penalty was later turned into a life imprisonment, owing to his age.
So when Brahmdagh says, “If someone expects us to still negotiate with the people who ruined our lives then you are not being fair with us,” he is spot on justified.
To mitigate this, there needs to be a concerted, institutionalised reconciliation process. If the establishment can conjure up an audacious document to give the past plunderers of this country a clean slate to come back and restart their trade, then surely such a concession can be afforded to people who have been suppressed for decades, and whose return is a big part of saving your largest province from brutal secession. Drop the cases of sedition, subversion and other such charges against Brahmdagh, against Hairbayar and Gazin Marri and other Baloch leaders. This should be approved unconditionally by parliament and made into law instantly. The BRL – the Balochistan Reconciliation Law.
To show even more sincerity, pull out the armed forces from the areas where these leaders will be returning to. Call in the United Nations. Let them come in and handle their return to ensure that any sign of mistrust is mitigated.
They will come. The credibility of coming out into the open, onto Baloch soil, will be a proposition that will definitely attract them. In any case, if Brahmdagh is indeed in Afghanistan as is alleged, then he should know that history shows that the Baloch nationalists have been expelled from there before – Prince Abdul Karim, the brother of the Khan of Kalat – and there is no reason it cannot happen again, especially with a fickle and stretched Washington calling the shots.
Then show them that you are sincere in conceding self-determination. That freedom is possible without complete secession. This will entail constitutional guarantees. Now, this is a process that Pakistan needs to move to regardless of its policy towards Balochistan. The federation has long been struggling under the centralised control policy of Islamabad. What is needed is a step towards a confederational system that goes deeper than just abolishing the Concurrent List, which should have been done a long time ago to begin with.
The constitutional guarantee can take the form of a 50-50 basis sharing formula between the centre and the provinces. That is, 50 per cent of the constitution should be written by the centre, and the rest can be decided by the respective province itself, which should be absolutely free to decide on issues such as employment quotas, investments etc. You want only Baloch to run Baloch affairs, including the law-enforcement agencies? You want a massive chunk of resource revenue? It’s your call. Land ownership, the works.
All this may sound drastic. But what other option is left? If you want to be taken seriously, you have to abandon shallow moves such as conjuring up polished old policies under the garb of fresh initiatives, such as what the Balochistan Package is sure to be.
Of course this is all a moot point if the government doesn’t have the will or the spine to confront tradition and abandon archetype strategies that are more about conceited jingoism than heartfelt patriotism. Sadly, this is probably the case. The government that tries this, or any other drastic last-ditch attempt to win over the trust of the Baloch, will have to be iron-willed.
As it stands, anything less, and the Balochistan Package might as well be categorised as foreign aid. http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=206262

TAXILA, Oct 31: Terrorism, suicide attacks have started taking its toll on excavation and research work on cultural heritage as seven foreign teams of archaeologists and researchers have decided against initiating their projects especially preservation of ancient sites including Buddhist till indefinite period.
Sources in federal department of archaeology and museums have confirmed that seven foreign teams of archeologists and researchers from France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Japan, England and China would not join their excavations, preservation and restoration work due to prevailing security situations in country especially in the NWFP.
While confirming the suspension of the visit of the foreign experts, Bahadur Khan, deputy director federal department of archaeology and museums said despite issuance of NOC to seven foreign teams of researchers, they had refused to begin the work.

Japanese team of researchers was headed by Prof. Masui of NARA University, Koran team by Prof Mon of Dungook Buddhist University Seoul, British team by J.R. Knox of British National Museum, Italian team by Prof Claree of ISAO, US team by Dr Mark Kneyor of Wisconsin University, French team by Dr F.F Jarriage of Jumiet Museum and Germen team by Dr Hupman of Hdelburg University.
Abdul Ghafoor Lone, who looks after the administrative affairs at the federal department of archaeology and museums in Islamabad, when contacted confirmed that foreign delegations of archeology experts would not be visiting Pakistan for excavation and exploration due to law and order situation in Pakistan.
A senior archeologist Mehmoodul Hassan, who leads many excavations teams in different parts of the country especially in Taxila, while talking to this reporter said that these foreign teams were playing key role in excavations, preservation and restoration of ancient sites of cultural importance.
He said earlier such foreign teams had made remarkable discoveries and preservation at Julian-II near Taxila, pre-historic sites at Bunnu, Balochistan and Buddhist sites at Swat valley.
He said that if these teams came here over one dozen sites could be preserved and restored for coming generations.
Ali Gohar, conservation engineer at federal department of archaeology and museum sub regional office at Taxila said that previous experience of working with the foreign teams contributed a lot in cultural heritage and training of Pakistani archaeologists and archaeological engineers. He said the experts of the developed countries had many skills and were equipped with latest and modern tools of the preservation and excavations.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/preservation-of-ancient-sites-falls-victim-to-terrorism-119

NAUSHAHRO FEROZE, Oct 31: The Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party (STPP) is struggling to create awareness among people about their rights and to get back the provincial resources for the benefit of poor and downtrodden lot.
Chairman STPP, Dr Qadir Magsi told this to a gathering in Moro on Saturday.
The Pakistan People’s Party has handed over Sindh to a particular party and the people were living in abject poverty despite the fact that this province was full of natural resources like petrol, gas and coal and harbours, he said.
Magsi said that it was a shame that people here were jobless, selling their children and youth committing suicides out of sheer frustration.
Settling of outsiders was an attempt to convert Sindhis into minority in their own land and deprive them of their right to employment, he said.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/stpp-vows-to-protect-sindhs-resources-119

LARKANA, Oct 31: On the intervention of the Supreme Court, a murder case has been registered four years after the killing.
The FIR of the murder case of Asif Ali Gopang, who was killed in July 2005 in Larkana, was registered on Saturday against eight people.
Talking to journalists, complainant Mukhtiar Ali Gopang, father of deceased, alleged that Malik Mohammed Ayaz Awan, an official at Hyderabad post office, bore grudge against him after he had sent proofs of his corruption to the high ups.
Mukhtiar alleged that Malik Ayaz in connivance with some people killed his son on July 16, 2005, and threw the body in the Rice Canal.
When approached, Mukhtiar said, the then SHO of Taluka, inspector Syed Asif Shah, refused to register an FIR.
“Since then I approached several officials to secure justice but to no avail. Finally I sent an application to the chief justice of the Supreme Court who asked the Sindh IG to send a report about the murder case,” Mukhtiar said.
The IG asked Larkana DIG Sanaullah Abbasi to send a report about the case, he said, adding that the IG immediately took action.
The former SHO was arrested and his name was incorporated in the FIR on the charge of negligence, Mukhtiar said.
Those nominated in the FIR registered under sections 302, 201, 217, 218, 342, 34 and 120-B of the PPC with Taluka police station include Ayaz Awan, Gul Mohammad Shaikh, Taj Mohammad Shaikh, Shafi Mohamnmad Shaikh, Imtiaz Ali Gopang, Irfan Ali Gopang and Sarfraz Gopang.
The complainant said that the Shaikhs and the Gopangs were involved in a land dispute with him. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/it-takes-four-years-to-lodge-an-fir-119