Contemporary Comments (II) April 09, 2013 Dangerous times

The words of Akhtar Mengal, ex-chief minister of Balochistan and chief of Balochistan National Party chief, may sound harsh. He has spoken of the smell of blood permeating the air of Quetta, of the disservices done to the Baloch people over more than 60 years, of mutilated bodies still turning up in the province, of attempts to crush the BNP and of no-go areas still present in Balochistan. While all this may not be easy to accept, we do need to take heed of Mengals concerns. His warning that in the prevailing situation a peaceful, fair election may be difficult to conduct in Balochistan is also one we must not ignore. It is clear the security situation in Balochistan presents huge challenges. There is no real sign yet of an attempt to deal with the multiple problems Mengal refers to. This could cause much trouble as polling draws nearer in the most troubled of our provinces. It is vital that it take place here in an environment that can encourage participation and draw people back into the political mainstream. As Mengal has said, right now the state of security makes this look like an extremely difficult task. But somehow the challenges he has pointed out need to be resolved and the various stakeholders in the province need to be involved in this. Balochistan must be made a top priority; the voices raised from it heard. Indeed, even beyond Balochistan, security will play a key part in this election. Right now, no-go areas exist in Karachi too. It is yet to be seen if they can be eliminated, despite the demand and pressure coming from the Supreme Court. The threat from militants has already led to the Awami National Party stating that Asfandyar Khan Wali will not be leading its campaign due to the risk to his life. This will naturally impede the party in its election preparations. The Pakistan Peoples Party too faces a similar situation, with Bilawal Bhuttos efforts to lead its campaign shackled by the threat to his life. We are caught up in an irony. What we need most at this time is a fair election with high participation, which is beginning to look more and more difficult. Akhtar Mengal has laid out before us the ugly picture as it exists in Balochistan. And the situation is, no doubt, disturbing. In Balochistan, or anywhere else, we cannot afford to see the election turn violent, adding to the lines of rift that already threaten to tear the country apart further destroying what dwindling sense of calm still remains within it.

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