I was being stunned before writing a column when I did research (a case study) on Baluchistan; the province of problems indeed. The province’s political history is beyond any vision and mission. As per the report, the government is financing 3 Arab 40 crore yearly on the 15 thousand employees, from which ultimate ratio is unnecessary. And on another hand, the government is compensating 9 Arab 60 crore to the employees in term of salaries. In the department of agriculture, there are not more than 20% of employees who are quite shameful for us all, I reckon. Baluchistan is massive enriched soil of Pakistan yet it is a collection of crisis. The issues easily could be solved but governments haven’t worked on out there in the province. The problems of the province are heightening day by day instead of lessening. It is claimed word-wide that (CPEC) China-Pakistan economic corridor which is supposed to expand economic and developments. And will bring such changes that change could change the fate of people. It is a claim by Pakistan point of view. It is at least for me quite an incredible thing that people of Baluchistan have a lot of reservations which are likely to be based on the fact. Another report given by the World Bank and (UNICEF) the most poverty exists in the province of Baluchistan as compared to others. Why the province is deprived of basic facilities? Why Baluchistan is always on stake? For what kind of sin they are paying for? Then who is responsible for this disastrous over there in the province? But unfortunately, here in our state the province which is big enough and decides about to put any party into the centre they are taken care of them, by all means. I suppose. The leading problems are out there in Baluchistan are;
Electricity crisis, extreme shortage of water, lack of hospitals, joblessness and most significantly lack of educational development. My research shows 62% of Baluchistan is deprived of safe water and more than 58% its population is uncultivated due to lack of water which is completely disastrous for people of the province. Except for these highlighted problems, there are many more to name them. Despite a small province in term of population, 52% of the population is below the poverty line and approximately, one-third of the population is unemployed.
Even more exceptional issue is literacy rate, which is round about 29%, on another hand female primary school enrollment is even lower than 20 per cent. In 1952, gas was discovered in Baluchistan still people of the province in many districts remain far away from gas transmission facility. The most responsible is our electoral system because Punjab is the most populated province having more than 11 crore population. The political parties keep all eyes out there, why? It answers that Punjab finalizes about government in the centre of the country. It is quite an injustice to the other province and due favour with Punjab province. It must be taken into account of justice to remove depression from the rest of the provinces. Our system is based on nepotism and extremism which divides people from people in the entire country at all. Further, some statistics about the provinces which threaten are; the economy of Baluchistan depends upon the production of natural gas and other minerals. The province is considered the most rejected area where a majority of people lacks basic life necessities. Since 1970, the province shares of Pakistan (GDP) gross domestic product 4.9 to 3.7. And in 2007 it had the highest poverty rate along with infant maternal mortality rate. The very dangerous thing to be noted is; in 2001-2002 poverty ratio was at 48% and in 2005-2006 was at 50.9%. According to the Dawn newspaper report, the rate of multidimensional poverty in the province was 71% in 2016. This is the blunder by governments of the country. It is only a reason for the electoral system. If Pakistan wants to remain stable and strong from a national point of view then it is a due need of change its election system to avoid anxieties from the small provinces. All three provinces have reservations on Punjab that the province of Punjab is colonized on their rights. Then what would they do? They would run their liberation movements and after that, they would be declared traitors. They will be killed by the state. The system itself is responsible for killing its people. There should be an equal and transparent electoral system across the country. The election commission should make a percentage of the voting system. If the party which is likely to form the government, it must fulfil the criteria of winning 40% from Punjab, 30% from Sindh, 20% from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 10% from Baluchistan. Then there would be fair and justice to all the provinces. Otherwise, Punjab is the thickly populated province of having massive population will enjoy all the luxuries, by all means, I reckon. And people of other provinces would go for against it and will be targeted by Army and government. This current system is full of injustice which puts people in the division. There is a dire need of such a system which brings people on a single point agenda. Still, we have not become a nation. We are Sindhi, Pashtun, Baluchi and Punjabi since separation. It was cried for that we are a nation which fulfils all the requirements of becoming the nation. This claim is yet nervous by our lords. What now needed is; to bring required changes in the electoral system, to take in confidence the provinces which are in a state of isolation, to bring such quota that could not create discrimination of favouring a particular group of people of the province, to get people out of their reservations. This government was quite firmly expected such big things at a micro-level in our traditional system but unfortunately, the government is yet looked like failed to resolve the issues. In last, I would say that on what conditions our system is standing upon, is quite a dangerous pillar, by all means. As we saw in 1971, east Pakistan became Bangladesh due to some worst decisions and lack of interest towards east Pakistan. So I wonder if it keeps going then there would be another disastrous which Pakistan may not afford to accept it.