Balochistan needs more attention

Rulers must learn from history. Woe betide those rulers who repeat past mistakes. Had those of them who ruled the roost between 1948 and 1968 not committed political follies, our East Pakistani brothers would never have said goodbye to us. The forces hostile to the creation of Pakistan exploited the economic deprivation of the East Bengalis to the extent that they thought they would be better off without Pakistan. Didn’t Bengalis taunt us then that the rulers sitting pretty in the federal government were spending a lion’s share out of the income on the export of jute, which was their product, on the western wing of the country ?Didn’t the Bengali civil servants posted in the then under-construction federal capital of Islamabad say that the vast roads of the federal capital smell of East Pakistan’ s jute?
Small wonder our enemies exploited the sense of economic deprivation of our Bengali brethren which ultimately resulted in the break -up of this country.
We should be extra cautious about Balochistan now which is the new target of our enemies. They are not at all happy over Gwadar coming up as one of the biggest international seaport. The prime minister had better set up his camp office there and he should be physically present in Quetta for at least a week every month. Isn’t Baluchistan the biggest province of the country, area-wise, therefore, demanding greater attention of the PM who is the chief executive not only of other provinces but of Baluchistan too?His presence there would enable him to develop a close rapport with the people belonging to all shades of opinion, besides, keeping the staff of the nation building departments on their toes. The locals of Balochistan should be closely associated with all the developmental activities being carried out in the province, rather they should be made a stake holder in them. This is the only way to win their heart and soul and keep at bay the element which wants to create seeds of ill-will in the hearts of the locals against the federal government just as they did in case of East Pakistan.