What can be the possible reasons for Baluchis vehement opposition to the establishment of contonment areas in Baluchistan? It has been seen that the areas near such contonments usually prosper in the longrun.
Its quite disturbing to read such news items in which leaders like Akhter Mengal referred to the resistance in Baluchistan as insurgency and talked about possible disintegration. This week while going through the news papers I came across a statement by Mir Baz Catherani, PPP’s Vice Chairman in which he has warned the govenrment of a possible separatist movement, in the context of the present situation in Baluschistan.
Put more soldiers in Balochistan :k:
Crush the rebel scum!!! 
Minerva I think it is fairly obvious why the Baloch oppose these projects. The Federal government has zero credibility in the smaller provinces. The Baluchistan provincial government has almost entirely been sidelined in the development of Gwader. If the government spent half the money it is going to spend on cantonments ..on education, gas and electricity there wouldn't be a problem in Baluchistan.
People don't pick up the gun for funs sake...
Zakk,
I have known people to sight reasons that the prominent leaders in remote areas such as Balochistan or Sindh do not want their people to enjoy education. With electricity & water they can live with but they feel threatened by educational institutions.
A number of PTV dramas have been produced on this specific issue.
In your opinion, how much truth do these claims hold?
Thats precisely what was done in East Pakistan wasnt it?
^ those who don't learn from history are condemned to repeat it Spock :)
Ahmadjee: You are absolutely right the Sardar system of Baluchistan, Sindh and Southern Punjab has played a significant role in keeping those regions backward.
At the same time, much of the under development is because of discrimination by the federal government, not the provincial one. Consider most of the Sardars are on the governments side, Feudal leaders and the corrupt as a rule always side with the government in power. The political opposition (I am not sure who is responsible for the militant side) is led by a collection of Ethnic Baluch and Pashtun Nationalists. Out of the lot only a few are what would be considered tribal Sardars or Maliks (mengal and Bugti probably only stand out).
Even now if you look at the Human Development Indicators Dera Bugti Khan is rated as the poorest district in Pakistan and Baluchistan has the highest levels of poverty in Pakistan. An irony that the villages next to the gas fields don't have access to gas, nor does the province receive a fair share of resources in the NFC.
Gwader is more complicated, recruitment for the project seems to be based in karachi and not Quetta and even the most conservative estimates seem to suggest that the population of Gwader will increase by about 4 times after the Port opens. If the Baloch don't get preference in recruitment the population of Gwader could exceed the number in all of Baluchistan, that would politically destroy the Baloch in their own province (where they are already struggling for dominance with the pashtuns).
The lesson from East Pakistan was not enough soldiers, backed by not enough heavy firepower.
Also, we only had 12 planes with ground attack capability in East Pakistan.
Now, our A-5s, Mirage's and F-16 can let loose rains of cluster bombs on those who have the audacity to rebel. We have hundreds of them currently within striking range of any Baluch rebels.
The total strength of infantry, tank and artillery forces that can easily be deployed to any site in Balochistan is far greater than we had available in East Pakistan.
Further more, there are no safe zones, no external countries giving support, for any rebels who may be in Balochistan.
We have a marvellous opportunity to utterly crush any insurrection that dares to challenge the authority of Pakistan.
M_S, the lesson from East Pakistan is 'what you sow, so shall you reap'. I don't doubt Pakistan's military had a strategic disadvantage but we had lost the home ground. If the government was doing all it should have, you wouldn’t had a home ground disadvantage.
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*Originally posted by mAd_ScIeNtIsT: *
The lesson from East Pakistan was not enough soldiers, backed by not enough heavy firepower.
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I call for your appointment as the chief advisor to Generallisimo Musharraf! ;)
cool thread Minerva :k:
hmmm
ive been thinking abt this issue too
i dont think the Balochi ppl r supportive of these protests against the dvlpmt of their province
Mr. mAd_ScIeNtIsT, it seems you belong to the military establishment. People like you are enemies of united Pakistan. The Baloch struggle will continue to its conclusion.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Talwar: *
I call for your appointment as the chief advisor to Generallisimo Musharraf! ;)
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Why chief advisor only? With this kind of mindset he himself can become the generalissimo of this hapless country.
The lesson from East Pakistan was not enough soldiers, backed by >>not enough heavy firepower.
what a joke. that wud only lead to an insurrection within the army. u think the 40% pakhtuns in the army will go against their balochi brothers? and punjab alone isn’t that powerful, is it?
wait, even before anything like that happens, mushy is gonna get murdered, with mr. moderate muslim’s lack of “ethnic” background. 