The Sonmiani controversy
THE Balochistan Assemblyâs rejection of the Sonmiani port scheme is understandable, as is the suspicion with which almost any federal project is viewed in the province. Support for major federal initiatives will be forthcoming only if the Baloch feel that they stand to benefit from such development plans, and this is clearly not the case now. Matters are not helped when the centre fails to bring all stakeholders on board, which is what appears to have happened vis-Ã -vis the proposed Sonmiani port in district Lasbela. According to Deputy Speaker Mohammad Aslam Bhootani of the ruling PML-Q, whose family has dominated Lasbela politics since 1970, neither he nor Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousuf (also elected from the same district) were consulted before the project was announced. If so, this is hardly the way to go about winning the hearts and minds of the Baloch people and their representatives. Sonmianiâs proximity to Karachi is also causing concern in Balochistan. Senior provincial minister Maulana Wasay claimed in the Assembly on Thursday that the Sonmiani port was a conspiracy hatched by the Karachi leadership which wants ultimately to merge the coastal district with Sindh. References were also made to a statement attributed to the federal minister for inter-provincial coordination, who had reportedly said that a district can be carved out of one province and merged with another federating unit through a simple majority vote in the National Assembly.
Conspiracy theories aside, it is worth asking if there is any need for another port situated so close to Karachi. It would be best to wait until Gwadar is fully operational and then assess Sonmianiâs feasibility in a few yearsâ time. This would help dispel the impression that the project is being pushed through with unseemly haste. If the Sonmiani port is at all needed, it must be guaranteed that locals will receive a fair share of the employment opportunities that arise. If lack of skills is a problem, training centres should be set up well before the project gets off the ground. The spectre of being overrun by âoutsidersâ is a genuine concern and it should be kept in mind.
http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/26/ed.htm#2
THE Balochistan Assemblyâs rejection of the Sonmiani port scheme is understandable, as is the suspicion with which almost any federal project is viewed in the province. Support for major federal initiatives will be forthcoming only if the Baloch feel that they stand to benefit from such development plans, and this is clearly not the case now. Matters are not helped when the centre fails to bring all stakeholders on board, which is what appears to have happened vis-Ã -vis the proposed Sonmiani port in district Lasbela. According to Deputy Speaker Mohammad Aslam Bhootani of the ruling PML-Q, whose family has dominated Lasbela politics since 1970, neither he nor Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousuf (also elected from the same district) were consulted before the project was announced. If so, this is hardly the way to go about winning the hearts and minds of the Baloch people and their representatives. Sonmianiâs proximity to Karachi is also causing concern in Balochistan. Senior provincial minister Maulana Wasay claimed in the Assembly on Thursday that the Sonmiani port was a conspiracy hatched by the Karachi leadership which wants ultimately to merge the coastal district with Sindh. References were also made to a statement attributed to the federal minister for inter-provincial coordination, who had reportedly said that a district can be carved out of one province and merged with another federating unit through a simple majority vote in the National Assembly.
Conspiracy theories aside, it is worth asking if there is any need for another port situated so close to Karachi. It would be best to wait until Gwadar is fully operational and then assess Sonmianiâs feasibility in a few yearsâ time. This would help dispel the impression that the project is being pushed through with unseemly haste. If the Sonmiani port is at all needed, it must be guaranteed that locals will receive a fair share of the employment opportunities that arise. If lack of skills is a problem, training centres should be set up well before the project gets off the ground. The spectre of being overrun by âoutsidersâ is a genuine concern and it should be kept in mind.
http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/26/ed.htm#2
