Balochistan - Is there a solution?

[东风夜放花千树]

What would you suggest they do if the Govt is mean to you for 75 years.

Indian Kashmir, Manipur, Assam, Nagaland, and Naxalite rebel groups answered your question and agreed with what you said.

India has not resolved separatist forces and demands for autonomy. You actually tried to stir up internal issues in Pakistan; concerning Pakistan's internal affairs, Indians have no right to comment.

We all hope for peace and stability and are looking for solutions. India, on the other hand, expects chaos and war.

Despicable Indians.

 

[kambhakt]

Indian Kashmir, Manipur, Assam, Nagaland, and Naxalite rebel groups answered your question and agreed with what you said.

India has not resolved separatist forces and demands for autonomy. You actually tried to stir up internal issues in Pakistan; concerning Pakistan's internal affairs, Indians have no right to comment.

We all hope for peace and stability and are looking for solutions. India, on the other hand, expects chaos and war.

Despicable Indians.

What does that have anything to do with the question I asked.

 

[VCheng]

For the military quite frankly, while there may be some part of institutional interest to keep the status quo, it is a capacity and capability problem for the state of Pakistan, plain and simple. Not unwilling, but unable.

A question here, if I may:

Are we to assume that the military institutional interest and those of the State of Pakistan are on the same page?

Perhaps not.

 

[Jango]

A question here, if I may:

Are we to assume that the military institutional interest and those of the State of Pakistan are on the same page?

Perhaps not.

No, absolutely not. Should have made that distinction clear initially.

Another question then, to the original point I was making, while there may be unwillingness and institutional interest for the military to keep the status quo, was it the case since the beginning, or did it come about after a long period of unrest and resignation to fate where you think "I'll just make do with what I have and keep my stake in the pie"?

Surely the inability piece came by first. Or are you telling me no one every in our country has thought of the idea to resolve this issue once and for all?

 

[VCheng]

Or are you telling me no one every in our country has thought of the idea to resolve this issue once and for all?

What do you think I am telling you?

 

[KingQamaR]

Pakistan has never isolated the border with Iran and Afghans supply lines. Basically failed to seal the border, exhaust them/ their resources, keep them on the run, control/isolate the battlefield was way to beat BLA.

 

[SteppeWolff]

Pakistan has never isolated the border with Iran and Afghans supply lines. Basically failed to seal the border, exhaust them/ their resources, keep them on the run, control/isolate the battlefield was way to beat BLA.

Army knows that too, probably much better than any of us. But borders are still like a sieve, even the official crossing like Chaman was opened near this Eid to let hordes in.

I wonder why

 

[Cipher212]

There is no military solution to it. Much better and thorough operation was conducted in Zia era with thousands killed. At best it will let you mow the lawn in the short term while creating even more resentment amongst the local population.

A true solution would require a massive budget and some serious social development. If the average baloch child starts having access to basic amenities and finds opportunities in life, he will not feel the need to take up smuggling, joining BLA or working for some Sardaar to make a living.

This will require some sacrifice by the state and large concessions. Including integration of the biggest separatist voices in the state into mainstream.

You do have a successful example of this formula in Indian occupied Kashmir. The urge for independence or joining Pakistan grows less and less in them.

 

[Jango]

What do you think I am telling you?

Well...fair point. But now the cat is out of the bag and can't pass the buck around any longer.

 

[safriz]

The only solution is splitting Balochistan into smaller provinces.

 

[Watandar]

The sardars were given money and weapons and allowed huge privileges so that they could administer and maintain law and order in their parts of the province. This was the British system that Pakistan foolishly continued after 1947.

Since the sardars are not keeping their part of the bargain and instead playing both sides, why not just abolish the sardari system now ? Yeah it will lead to a higher level of violence in the province in the short term but at least one major blocker in resolving provincial problems will be removed.

Another good move will be splitting the province into smaller units.

 

[VCheng]

Well...fair point. But now the cat is out of the bag and can't pass the buck around any longer.

I beg to differ on this proverbial cat, Sir.

The cat has been out of the bag and roaming around kitchens of the whole neighborhood, lapping up all the milk and cream it can find, for nearly 50 years now.

 

[Hopefully Pessimistic]

The first step should be creating more provinces in Balochistan. Create provinces to empower and represent Brahui, Pashtun, and middle class Quettans. Create a separate province for Makran. Ideally each division in Balochistan should be made into a separate province. The risk for this is public outrage and more dissent but separatism in Balochistan is already at the point where a little more won’t make any difference on ground.
Use the newly empowered ethnic groups to control their own provinces. This will make them choose between Pakistan and separatism dividing a wedge between them and separatist Baloch groups. The local police and the paramilitary in these areas should be made of local ethnic groups of the new provinces. Each security force martyred in these new provinces will deepen their bond with Pakistan.
Pakistani army should withdraw to the borders in Balochistan. A presence in each of the new provincial capitals and international border is enough. All internal security should be handed over to locals.
Pakistan should take a step by step approach in developing and integrating Balochistan. In the first phase Hub district could be made twin cities with Karachi. Laws should be made to make it harder to expand Karachi in any other direction other than into Hub. Development in Hub should be incentivized and infrastructure should be laid to fully connect it to Karachi. This should be expanded along Makran coast until Gwadar is fully integrated into Pakistan. It is far easier clearing out a single district of Balochistan at a time and developing it rather than trying to develop and secure all at once.
This would address grievances while crushing the idea of independent Balochistan as a whole.
It is simply not realistic for Pakistan to develop all of Balochistan at once. A more realistic approach is leveraging Karachi, Quetta, and Punjab’s development to spread into surroundings areas in Balochistan.

Not a bad suggestion at all mere bhai, but to begin with after splitting up perhaps a ruthless operation to set the stage is needed, like Turks vs Kurds. After this establish the carrot & stick approach and expansion of settlements alongside the coastal area Karachi to Gwadar!

 

[Hopefully Pessimistic]

The sardars were given money and weapons and allowed huge privileges so that they could administer and maintain law and order in their parts of the province. This was the British system that Pakistan foolishly continued after 1947.

Since the sardars are not keeping their part of the bargain and instead playing both sides, why not just abolish the sardari system now ? Yeah it will lead to a higher level of violence in the province in the short term but at least one major blocker in resolving provincial problems will be removed.

Another good move will be splitting the province into smaller units.

First time I agree with this guy.

Sometimes good & effective policies for lasting peace will short term have violence but in the end will be the most secure.

Smaller units and abolishing the sardari system will definitely help. Also development of settlements spanning from Karachi to Gwadar for economic activity can boost the national economy exponentially since its a coastal zone.

Pair this with ruthless grand ops mixed with IBOs, its a good strategy over a few decades.

 

[hussain0216]

The sardars were given money and weapons and allowed huge privileges so that they could administer and maintain law and order in their parts of the province. This was the British system that Pakistan foolishly continued after 1947.

Since the sardars are not keeping their part of the bargain and instead playing both sides, why not just abolish the sardari system now ? Yeah it will lead to a higher level of violence in the province in the short term but at least one major blocker in resolving provincial problems will be removed.

Another good move will be splitting the province into smaller units.

In order to break up the sardar system, wadera system, feudal system or tribal systems In Pakistan you need a hard state with strong leader

Many of these sardars, chiefs, waderas will have politicians in power, so your first obstacle will be the political system itself that is made up of the very powerful elites you seek to cut down to size


Your second problem is that these systems however archaic, dated and useless are embedded in their respective cultures

So the same people we seek to remove or cut down to size or chiefs, sardars, feudal lords etc will appeal to the general idiotic ignorant public and push back by supporting calls for Independence, freedom blah blah blah with the aim of forcing the state to back off

These guys play double games anyway with the state, but if you openly push them towards independence movements then they will need to be culled

Then you have thick as shit general public and liberals,
Can you imagine?
Stet oppress Sardar (insert name) the leader of the people
Or
The waderas are the kuulchaar or Sindh and stet will not be allowed to meddle in our affairs
Or
Panjaabi will not be allowed to remove our chiefs the heart of our people



So the system needs change, it needs reform, so many of these sardars, chiefs, waderas, feudal lords types need a bullet in the head, but doing so will require full state and military determination not only to break the system but to brutally put down any dissent