Good for Balochistan

[Dance]

The announcement by the army chief that the last of the military battalions posted in the troubled Balochistan district of Sui will be withdrawn within two months is news that will be welcomed by the people of the province. So will General Kayani’s assertion that there will be no further intervention in the province by troops, except with the permission of the provincial government. The deployment of troops in Balochistan has, over many decades, added to the anger and angst which runs through the territory and is added to each time a civilian is stopped at a barricade manned by uniformed personnel. The realisation of the problem had come some months ago, when the central government had ordered the cancellation of new barracks planned for Balochistan. The army chief’s decision takes this further — though he still seems to be somewhat out of step with reality when he speaks of the part played by the army in the development of Balochistan, and especially the educational institutions set up there. This is not a role everyone in the province welcomes.

The issue of Balochistan is not only that of development, but also of the manner in which resources to it are allocated and utilised. It is important for the people of the province to be treated as decision-makers in the process. Had this role been granted to them earlier and greater wisdom exercised by both the military and political leadership in the handling of affairs in the province, we may have averted the crisis we see there now. Of course, much more still needs to be done to redress the grievances of the poeple of the province. That said, the gesture of the troop pullout is a significant one. The expanded recruitment of Baloch youth in the army may also help address the unemployment crisis in the region. But these actions are not enough on their own. There are many complications in the Balochistan situation; positions have become more and more entrenched over the years. Some nationalists are unwilling to consider anything less than complete autonomy. Political dialogue is essential to resolve these issues, and, alongside the military withdrawal, move towards finding lasting peace in a province where chaos prevails for now.

Good for Balochistan – The Express Tribune

 

[Leader]

some sensible moves, slowly but I hope surely.

 

[Dance]

Appeasing Balochistan: Back to barracks in two months, promises Kayani​

QUETTA:
Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani announced on Monday that the drawdown of troops from insurgency-hit Balochistan would be completed in two months when the last army battalion deployed in the province’s restive district of Sui will return to the barracks.
“In future, no [military] operation will be conducted in the province without the permission of the provincial government,” General Kayani said at the inauguration of the Government Institute of Technology in Gwadar.

The army chief also announced that 5,000 Baloch youth would be inducted in the army later this month when the national census, currently under way in parts of the country, is completed. The latest recruitment drive will bring the number of conscripts in recent months to 9,000, some 4,000 of whom were inducted earlier – as revealed by the army chief.

General Kayani was blunt in his assessment of the problems facing Balochistan, citing in particular the lack of technical education as a major reason for the backwardness and underdevelopment of the province. Recognising the needs of the people, Gen Kayani said that the military is taking steps to resolve the problems of Baloch youth so that they could also use their talents and become involved in the prosperity of their country.

He pointed out that the army was playing an important role in the development of Balochistan. In the sphere of education, he said, some 23,322 students, including 4,418 Baloch students, are enrolled in 44 schools and six colleges set up by the army or its subsidiary organisations in Balochistan. Another 567 students are studying in prestigious institutes of other provinces under Chamalong Education Programme. Up to 4,500 students have completed their education at the Quetta-based Balochistan Institute of Technical Education, while another 3,600 students will start their training during the current month.

In his address, Gen Kayani noted that the army was playing a role in the country’s economic stability. The purpose of setting up the institute is to impart technical education to the local manpower so that they could earn their livelihood respectably and play their role in the development of the country. He congratulated the people of Balochistan upon the establishment of the institute and said that it would be catalyst in the progress of the province, especially Gwadar.

The Institute of Mineralogy, Army Medical College and Cardiac Treatment Centre will soon be established in Quetta, he said. Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani, Commander Southern Command Lt Gen Javed Zia, senior civil and military officials and respectable of the area also attended the inauguration ceremony.

Earlier in March when Gen Kayani inaugurated a marble project in Balochistan, he had said that the army was not conducting any operation in Balochistan and that troops were only deployed in Sui and that personnel elsewhere were restricted to the cantonment.

Gen Kayani said Balochistan could become prosperous by exploiting some of its vast reserves of mineral resources. “The people of the province are owners of these natural resources and local tribes have their share in them.”

Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani thanked General Kayani for taking personal interest in the affairs of the province and making initiatives for the progress in the province. He urged the youth of Balochistan to come forward and play their positive role in the development of the country. He assured the army chief of his full cooperation.

Later, the elders of the area met General Kayani and appreciated the ongoing development projects of the army in the province and assured their full cooperation.

Appeasing Balochistan: Back to barracks in two months, promises Kayani – The Express Tribune

 

[Last Hope]

It is already posted, around 2-3 days ago! Please have a look on the earlier posts!

 

[Dance]

It is already posted, around 2-3 days ago! Please have a look on the earlier posts!

Sorry it didn't turn up when I tried looking for it.

Mods please merge/delete this thread