The PM’s promise

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that peace will be restored in Balochistan at all costs and assured that the development of the province remains among the federal government’s top priorities. Meeting with Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti in Lahore this week, the prime minister reviewed ongoing development projects and pledged “all possible support” for the province’s economic, social and law and order improvement. But while such commitments make headlines, the situation on the ground tells a more sobering story. Even as the prime minister spoke of progress and peace, the Balochistan government was justifying its harsh crackdown on protests led by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC). The arrest of BYC leaders has triggered widespread protests and a fresh wave of anger in the province.

Meanwhile, the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), a mainstream nationalist party, has announced a long march to Quetta following the government’s refusal to release the arrested leaders. The party’s sit-in at Lakpas, ongoing since March 28, was even targeted by a suicide bomber in a chilling reminder of the volatile security environment. No one can deny the security challenges facing the province. Terrorist attacks have increased in frequency and intensity, and the state has legitimate concerns about law and order. But even in such circumstances, the government must tread carefully. A sweeping crackdown on peaceful protesters and nationalist activists is a short-sighted and counterproductive response. When legitimate Baloch voices such as Akhtar Mengal and Dr Abdul Malik Baloch -- leaders who reject militancy and advocate working within the constitutional framework -- are pushed to the margins, the only beneficiaries are extremist elements.

Groups like the BYC have emerged precisely because the state has failed to engage meaningfully with the province’s youth and intelligentsia. Years of neglect, the unresolved issue of missing persons, lack of control over Balochistan’s resources and repeated disenfranchisement have created a trust deficit that no amount of development projects alone can fix. Political alienation breeds radicalism. The very leaders who could help bridge this gap are the ones the state continues to ignore. The voices on Balochistan’s streets today are a cry from a people who feel betrayed.

The only way forward is through meaningful dialogue and political accommodation. PM Shehbaz Sharif must understand that peace cannot be imposed -- it must be built, slowly and sincerely, on a foundation of trust and justice. Kinetic operations can target terrorists, but they cannot eliminate the unrest festering in Balochistan. For that, the state must listen to its people. Not just in photo-ops or meetings, but in real terms -- by allowing protest, engaging with dissent, ending enforced disappearances and giving Balochistan a genuine seat at the decision-making table. The hour is late, but not too late.