Balochistan is the largest
province of Pakistan in terms of land (43%) and the smallest in terms of
population (6%). Balochistan has been the most backward province of the country
due to many reasons and governance crisis is one of them. Governance, generally,
refers to the conducting of public affairs and management of public resources.
Governance is the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions
are implemented. Governance crisis is the name of ineffective leadership and the
lack of sincerity in rulers. Governance crisis takes root when personal
interests are preferred to common interests. Ethnic strife, exclusive hereditary
politics and language-based divisions have paved the way for governance crisis
in Balochistan. Political immaturity and the militarization of provincial
political issues not only brought the province to the brink of total collapse,
but also made the country a laughing stock of the world.
In Balochistan, there have been ethno-political differences between the two
major ethnicities: Pashtun and Baloch. Thus, Since the day first, Baloch and
Pashtun politicians have been at cross purposes politically. Like other
provinces, Balochistan has no Balochistan-led and Balochistan-owned inclusive
political party. For Political dispensation, Balochistani politics depends on
PMLN, PPP and PTI; and sometimes, un-natural political parties or alliances are
also formed in the province to run the province anyhow. The formation of such
artificial political parties has plunged the province into the vortex of
governance crisis as well.
Balochistan is a mineral-rich province. It gives ways to Iran, Afghanistan,
China and Central Asian countries. C-PEC, Saindak and Reko Diq are considered
game-changers for the province. However, a handful of Baloch and Pashtun
hardcore nationalists are not agree to the decisions and agreements made by
Islamabad regarding Balochistan’s natural resources. Such elements create
continuous chaos and become hurdle in maintaining good governance in the
province. The destructive and subversive activities of such disgruntled elements
pave the way for military interventions; which not only damage good governance
but affect budget of the province also.
Naturally, Balochistan is a mountainous, water-stressed, terrorism-torn and the
most illiterate province. The province spends much more revenue than that it
generates. Due to the fall of agriculture, livestock and business activities, it
becomes difficult to run the province smoothly. The lack of financial resources
makes it also impossible to gasify and electrify the sparsely-populated areas of
the province. There is no denying the fact that corruption and nepotism are
found under the sun, and Balochistan is also second to none in this respect. The
lack of media, weak justice system and education poverty have paved the way for
cruelty to women, child labor, overpopulation and abject poverty in the
province. Feudalism, theocracy, hereditary politics, and tribalism have stopped
women from becoming the instrumental part of good governance in the province.
Educated and skilled youth cannot become decision-makers and legislators in such
a dynastic political environment. Landlords and feudal lords are not aware of
the real issues of the province. With the exception of Balochistan Public
Service Commission, merit and transparency have no existence in the province at
all. Provincial investigative bodies have become toothless due to
politicians-bureaucrats nexus. Corruption is growing up by leaps and bounds in
the province. Public administration and civil servants in Balochistan have no
work ethics. Politicians submit fake degrees to contest elections, law enforcing
agencies kill innocent individuals in fake encounters, businessmen evade taxes,
builders use outdated materials, teachers skimp on class work, and doctors
recommend substandard drugs to gain more and more personal benefits by violating
the rule of law in the province. Levies personnel, clerks, teachers and other
appointments in the province are made on political basis. Thana culture,
Sefarish (bribery) culture, red-tapism and corruption are the results of such
political appointments. Politicization of the provincial institutions has
worsened the soft image of the province. 18th amendment has become boon for rich
provinces and bane for Balochistan. NFC award also treats the province like a
step mother. Every year, the sorry saga of lapsing budget shows the
ineffectiveness of leadership and governance crisis in Balochistan.
The irreparable damage caused to Balochistan by the recent rains and floods is a
prime example of bad governance. Only twenty-four hours long rains inundated the
entire province. Innumerable houses, a number of bridges, several kilometers of
roads, acres of croplands and countless livestock were washed away in the
floods. Schools, colleges, universities and businesses remained closed for two
weeks. The province fell prey to infectious diseases and skyrocketing inflation.
The breaking down of dams exposed the reality of bad governance in the province.
Building code, carpeted roads, modern drainage system, heavy water passable
bridges, prefab homes and mobile hospitals have no existence in the province.
The continuous protests of teachers, doctors, business community, civil society
and the families of enforced abductees show that governance crisis is at its
peak in the province. Bad governance is the root cause of all calamities in
Balochistan.
Governance crisis has put not only the province at stake but it has also put the
safe future of the country in danger. Unemployment, poverty, illiteracy,
extremism and terrorism are the results of bad governance in Balochistan.
Governance crisis in the province may harm Pak-China, Pak-Iran and Pak-Afghan
relations to a large extent. Governance crisis in Balochistan may increase
foreign interference and economic instability in the whole country. Governance
crisis has tarnished unity of the province and vilified soft image of the
country. The curse of enforced disappearances has compelled even the educated
Balochistani male and female youth to adopt destructive activities at the cost
of exploding themselves. The case of Shari Baloch is enough to comprehend the
gravity of bad governance in Balochistan. Islam Abad High Court (IHC) has
declared “enforced disappearances” a crime. Militarization is not solution to
political issues. It is hoped that new Reko Diq deal may heal the deep wounds of
the province.
In a nutshell, Balochistan has been in the grip of governance crisis since day
one. Balochistan needs Balochistan-led and Balochistan-owned political set up.
Balochistan-center relations need to be reviewed. Balochistan needs to be made
the place able to live in. Prosperous Balochistan can make Pakistan prosper.
Baloch-Pashtun unity is the need of the hour to put an end to governance crisis
in the province. Balochistan government should listen to separatists and solve
their demands by adopting appeasement policy. Political reconciliation,
transparency, accountability and peace-building measures should be the first
priority. Local Government elections be made affective. Merit should be followed
in making decisions and recruiting employees. Agriculture be reviewed. Proper
urban planning be introduced. Pakistan’s development depends on good governance
in Balochistan. Ignoring Balochistan may become the last straw on the back of
already destabilized Pakistan. It is right time to address gruesome governance
issues of the province, otherwise the province would prove Achilles heel of
Pakistan.
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