I had the opportunity of
meeting Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) Gen Khalid Shameem
Wynne in his office who was among my bright students in 1982 Command & Staff
Course Quetta. It was indeed heartening to note that unlike so many others,
power and pelf had not intoxicated him. Despite his shoulders laden with four
stars and the aura of his powerful appointment; he was courteous and modest and
exhibited no sign of a puffy General Officer. I availed the opportunity to
discuss with him host of current issues over a cup of tea. Thirty years of time
lapse had not brought any change in his effervescence, uprightness and
assertiveness. Balochistan interested him the most where he had spent 17 years
of his life including his Army service. He may be the only one in the Army to
have served in every rank in Balochistan, which included his stints as
instructor in Infantry School and Directing Staff in Command & Staff College,
GOC, Commandant Infantry School and Corps Commander. In the backdrop of his
extraordinary rich experience in that volatile province, I deemed it proper to
extract some pearls of wisdom from him and to know his point of view how he saw
the imbroglio which is upsetting every Pakistani. Major points that I gathered
are penned in succeeding paragraphs.
Population of Balochistan is 8 Million out of which the Baloch and Brahvis are
0.4 Million, the Pathans 3.5 Million and settlers’ 0.5 Million. Within Baloch
dominated areas, Sindhi-Balochis residing in Sibi and Jacobabad areas comprising
Jamalis, Magsis are peaceful and friendly. Pat Feeder Canal and Katchi dam help
them in their agriculture. Those living in Quetta and immediate surroundings are
involved in business activities and smuggling and pose no threat to the
federation. Pashtuns do not have the germs of separation. They are better
educated and prosperous and are pro-Pakistan and do not subscribe to the Baloch
separatist agenda. They are fully involved in cloth business, transportation and
agriculture, fruit-growing and also in smuggling. Shia Hazaras are pro-Pakistan
and do not support Baloch nationalists seeking separation of Baluchistan. People
living along the Makran coast known as Makranis have made fishing as their main
source of earning and except for a small number all are peaceful people.
Sizeable number of Makranis has settled in Karachi (Lyari).
Only those Balochis residing in Turbat and surroundings towards the coastal side
are trouble makers. Their numbers do not exceed 3 - 5 lacs and those who have
shifted to the hills and are actively involved in terrorism are about 2-3500.
Small portion of Baloch dominated Naushki is connected with Helmand province of
southern Afghanistan. Naushki route, along which large desert patch acts as a
barrier, was used as a supply route but has now been effectively blocked.
Another route via Zhob through Pashtun belt is difficult for foreign agencies
and Baloch rebels to frequent because of non-cooperation of the Pashtuns.
Owing to demographic and geographic constraints, the small segment of trouble
creators is in no position to achieve independence of Baluchistan since it
cannot generate the desired critical mass. Moreover, after Nawab Akbar Bugti,
the nationalists are deprived of a popular leader. The runaway Sardars trying to
stir up Baloch nationalism and espousing the cause of independent Balochistan
are unpopular and have no standing among the great majority of Balochis who are
loyal to the concept of Pakistan.
MI-6 is the major foreign agency involved in Balochistan and is assisted by RAW,
RAAM and CIA. Brig Neel, the Consul General in Indian Consulate in Kandahar
helped by Afghan National Directorate of Security has been the major coordinator
to keep the pot of insurgency in Balochistan on the boil. India’s focus has been
on students and teachers of schools and colleges in Balochistan, particularly
within Baloch dominated regions and Quetta. It has invested huge amounts to
subvert the Baloch youth and make them anti-Pakistan. Indians invite Baloch
teachers and professors to India and bribe them. RAW’s sustained efforts
resulted in making the Baloch students sing their own Baloch national anthem,
and hoist Baloch flags instead of Pakistan flag on school/college buildings.
Hatred against Pakistan, Pak Army and Punjabis has been ingrained into the young
and impressionable minds of Baloch students.
One reason of continuing deterioration of law and order in Balochistan is the
reversal of Gen Musharraf’s policy of A and B Areas. Over 95% territory had been
converted to A Area under police control which produced good results and helped
in keeping law and order under control. The current provincial government
reversed his policy in 2008 and handed over control of 95% territory to Levies
and only 5% to Police. While 48% population resides in cities, 52% live in rural
areas in Balochistan. The Levies are recruited from the Baloch tribes strictly
on the recommendations of the Baloch Sardars. As such the Sardars exercise total
control over the Levies. While the provincial police has been politicized and
made ineffective, Levies are used by MPs as per their desires who are empowered
to give salaries to them.
The criminals after committing crimes in cities slip to B Areas, which are
within grasping reach (half an hour to one hour distance), where the police
cannot meddle. Since the entire Balochistan government including the chief
minister is involved in criminal activities, it takes no interest in catching
the criminals. It lacks the political will to improve the security situation in
the province and to address the genuine grievances of the Baloch. Control of B
Areas by the Levies suit the Pashtuns as well since they too are heavily
involved in smuggling.
Gen Wynne said that military operations of all sorts were stopped in May 2008
under federal government’s orders once Haqooq-e-Balochistan package was
approved. He added that since then no covert or overt operation has been
conducted and not a single Army personnel is involved on any operational duty as
is being alleged by some Baloch leaders. He also clarified that majority of
Frontier Corps wings are deployed along the Afghan-Iran border, while others are
on protection duties and receive orders directly from the Interior Ministry. He
said that the FC is called out to engage in most troubled areas under orders of
the provincial and federal governments.
Although work on converting Kohlu and Sui into military cantonments has been
stopped under Federal government’s orders and Sui garrison has been converted
into Pakistan Educational City, the CJCSC was of the view that cantonments not
only helped in promoting education and bringing prosperity, but also facilitated
the Army to promptly respond to the natural disasters in affected areas as well
as to foreign threats.
In Gen Wynne’s view, Road Karachi-Turbat-Quetta, Road Sibi-Bolan-Quetta and
Coastal Highway must be kept open. He said that 45% cadets in Cadet College near
Sui functioning for over a year are Baloch. He was of the view that all Baloch
graduates should be given jobs in government departments to help checkmate the
trend among the misled youth to join insurgent forces for money. He said that
handing over Gawadar Port to Singapore was unwise and added that efforts are in
hand to transfer the operational charge of the port to the Chinese. When asked
about the future prospects of Baloch insurgency he was candid in saying that
Balochistan will continue to simmer for quite some time because of involvement
of too many foreign actors, but will not break off as feared by some since the
troublesome Baloch do not have the ability to develop critical mass and unless
critical mass is developed, insurgency cannot turn into a province wide
insurgency as was the case in East Pakistan.
His assurance may not be to the liking of prophets of doom and those having a
set agenda but would be of some relief to the great majority who feel pained and
worried over the deplorable state of affairs of Balochistan. However, rather
than getting complacent, what is urgently required is to control the ongoing
simmering by removing socio-politico-economic grievances of the people of
Balochistan and above all making the province stable and peaceful. Target
killers and those pursuing foreign agenda must be brought to justice otherwise
the patriots will get disillusioned.
Asif Haroon Raja
The writer is a retired Brig and a freelance columnist and a defence analyst.
Email: [email protected]