Gohram Aslam Baloch
QUETTA: Former Balochistan chief minister and National Party chief Dr Abdul Malik Baloch has said that it has become inevitable (to decide) whether the people or the gun is the source of power in Pakistan.
In an exclusive interview with WE News, Abdul Malik Baloch said there had been political instability in Balochistan for the last four to five decades. Balochistan has been neglected politically, economically and socially, and feelings of resentment and deprivation are natural here.
He said that Pakistan is a multi-ethnicity country, but ethnicities are spurred here. Balochistan has not been given economic equality, and its resources are being looted.
He said that the decision-makers and institutions do not have love and sympathy for the people of Balochistan but love the province’s resources very much. He further said that it is not the establishment but a certain mindset that needs to be changed to create an atmosphere of trust among the people.
In response to a question, he said that terrorism increased four times in Balochistan and intensified when Nawab Akbar Bugti was killed. He said that unless the political problems of the province were resolved, the issues would further exacerbate.
After becoming the chief minister of Balochistan, Dr Abdul Malik initiated talks with estranged Baloch leaders.
Answering a question, he said that the elite, including Sardars (chieftains) and Jagirdars (landlords) of Balochistan, have always been patronised by Islamabad.
He further said that through the democratic process, “we will fight the political and economic case of Balochistan while remaining within the ambit of Pakistan. “We can sit together to sort out the overall issues of Balochistan.”
Responding to a question about the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), he said that now the narrative of the PDM has changed. He said that before the PDM government was formed, a 26-point agenda on
Balochistan was part of its manifesto, but now it is nowhere to be seen.
Abdul Malik said that although they support the PDM and its narrative, they were not part of the government.
Dr Baloch said there was no need to ‘isolate’ Balochistan in politics, but “we should continue the political process with other democratic forces.”
He said that holding elections was part of the democratic process, and the PDM should not shy away from holding elections as they were necessary to resolve the country’s problems.
He also demanded that free, fair and transparent elections be held in the entire country, including in Balochistan. The people should be empowered to decide who they want to elect because the source of power rests with the people. “If elections are held like the ones in 2018, people will lose faith in the democratic process.”
