All free thinking Balochs are unanimous in their mistrust of the government which has never worked for Balochistan because it only represents an elite of some areas of Pakistan. Unless this changes, there will be no progress.
The decision of Balochistan’s development and how it should be carried out should be left with FREELY elected Baloch leaders.
http://www.dawn.com/2005/02/16/letted.htm#3
Balochistan issue
Balochistan has been neglected throughout under a succession of different governments. If any development has been done, it has clearly benefited the centre and the people living in other provinces. A clear-cut discrimination is seen in dealings with the largest province by all governments, be it in terms of health, education, or development.
The province has only one university, and that also doesn’t have all the departments needed, one medical college lacking any facilities for post-graduate studies, one engineering university and a polytechnic college each for boys and girls.
The health sector does not present a much brighter picture: the capital of the province has only two government-run hospitals, neither having all facilities. All districts have hospitals but none can handle emergencies and they lack equipment, technicians, and medicines.
Giving jobs to a meagre few is not giving jobs to anyone. A month or so ago, unemployed engineers had gone on a hunger strike for days demanding jobs. Their numbers were in three to four digits. Why weren’t they employed on the mega projects?
There is a shortage of clean water, metalled roads, health facilities, education, and the list goes on. When the government can throw in a couple of crores for publicizing its efforts in development, why doesn’t it give the people their due rights and fulfil their basic needs?
There is no means of transport for many people: they use donkeys and camels, they have to daily collect firewood for cooking, infectious and water-borne diseases are rampant, mother-child care is unheard of, mortality rates are high and life expectancy low.
When the government won’t give the people natural gas coming from their own province, how does one expect them to believe the government that Gwadar port, Mirani dam, Kacchi canal, exploration of natural resources in Kohlu and the building of cantonments are going to benefit them?
MEHNAZ MIR MARRI
Quetta