14 panorama DHAKA, FRIDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2012 panorama panorama panorama panorama panorama panorama panorama panorama panorama panorama No calm for Balochistan? Islamabad’s political plexus, enduring anxieties, and the fruitlessness of regional aspirations

slamabad is reaping all lishment to allow any sub - really a nation state of the rising suspicion regarding for - But due to incompetence and eral elements into the politi - sidelining the Baloch in sig - the benefits, depriving stantial regional autonomy, Baloch people with a fixed set- eign actors in Balochistan. corruption among civilian cal-administrative system, nificant decisions concerning the locals from their thus depriving the Baloch peo - up of a political-bureaucratic Now, a fifth insurgency is institutions and subordinated described as ‘fissiparous ten - their province. Furthermore, legitimate share’! In brief, this ple of their legitimate rights. framework, it gave birth to the under way in the form of a authorities, politicians and dencies’ (Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto) a‘demilitarisation process’ has popular statement among crit - The government in Islamabad ideational roots of Baloch more or less‘low intensity con - bureaucrats continue to rely which were identified as to be started which includes ics of the political plexus of the is worsening the situation by nationalism by giving a con - flict’ which however carries on the army and (military) sources of instability and the withdrawal of troops, the country’s establishment sum - depriving the province of a fair crete, historical-institutional high potential to turn into a intelligence in maintaining law essential challenges towards stop of building new canton - marises much of the griev - share of revenue distribution point of reference. large scale mass upheaval at and order. In consequence national unity and integration. ments, and limiting the per - ances of the Baloch people natural resources. By evaluating the historical any time, like after a rape of a they are losing significant deci - Promising measures like Raza formance of the Coast Guards towards Pakistan’s national Furthermore, the Punjabi patterns of coercive force as female doctor in a hospital in sion-making power when it Rabbani`s 18th Amendment to their primary duties, e.g. government. But besides the dominated national estab - political instrument, it is not Sui by Pakistani soldiers result - comes to policy formulation to Pakistan’s Constitution, the only controlling the borders fact that this sentiment is in lishment also ousted the surprising that the current ed in a major attack on the and implementation towards 7th National Finance under the Customs Acts. line with the core rational of Baloch from local decision- armed confrontations in nearby gas installations in Balochistan. Therefore, it Commission Award (NFC), the In this context one must conflictual relations between making and implementation Balochistan are hardly a new early 2005 as well as other vio - seems that civilians have not Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e- state that the recently the center and its obstinate processes by appointing phenomenon. Post-colonial lent incidents in other parts of much room to manoeuvre to Balochistan package (or announced ‘reanimation’ and DR. SIEGFRIED periphery, it only partially bureaucrats from Sindh and Pakistan witnessed four insur - the province. work towards a non-security ‘Baluchistan conciliation pack - intensified implementation of reflects the multidimensional Punjab to the provincial insti - gencies: First, between 1947 Since then, the insurgency dominated approach. age’) mark some important the Balochistan package by the O. WOLF and multi-layered conflict in tutions and authorities, espe - and 1948, after the Khan of which started already in 2004 However, with or without civil - efforts on paper but fail to pro - end of 2013 remains highly Balochistan today. cially the local security forces. Kalat declared independence is picking up more steam with ian control it seems that there duce significant changes unlikely taking into account - Doubtless, Balochistan is a In addition Islamabad does on August 15, 1947 and after each violent clash, worsening is no remarkable difference towards worthwhile de cen - in addition to the lack of moti - region of contradictory not shy away from dismissing several months of war Kalat the security situation and dete - between civilians, the‘elected tralisation in reality. This is vation- the poor governance extremes: With 43 per cent of ‘inconvenient’ provincial gov - was annexed forcefully by riorating the socio-economic representatives’ of the people unfortunate since the package performance of successive the country’s land-mass ernments. Subsequently, the Pakistan. Second, from 1958 conditions of all people living in Islamabad or the generals was trying to deal with many regimes in developing the Balochistan is the largest of electoral process has lost sig - to 1959, after the martial law in Balochistan. The robust in Rawalpindi in their of the most pressing chal - country into account. In con - Pakistan’s four provinces nificance for the Baloch as a regime sent its troops into response of the Pakistan secu - approach towards lenges of the Balochistan con - sequence, the half-hearted (besides Sindh, Punjab, form of expressing their polit - flicts. Some of the ‘ignored measures of Islamabad are not Khyber Pakhtunkhwa/former ical will. In brief, they treated issues’ are giving priority and only fruitless but further alien - NWFP) but also the least pop - Balochistan like an internal control over natural resources, ate the Baloch. ulated region (with around 6 colony, the same strategy broadcasting and telecasting Nevertheless, one must also million inhabitants , Baloch which the Punjabi dominated infrastructure to the provin - state that the conflict has only amount to 4 per cent of government applied to its for - cial government, starting a become much more complex the total population). It is mer East-Pakistan wing until sustainable dialogue for peace over the years, especially due strategically well placed but it fought successfully for its with the Baloch, and facilitat - to the increasing number of does not receive in-depth pri - independence. Last but not ing the return of exiled dis - actors involved not only inter - oritising within security cir - least, decisions regarding sents. Furthermore, the inves - national but also local ones. cles. It is rich in energy and Balochistan are made in a tigation of activities by Therefore, the conflict is not mineral resources, but it is at framework of a tense civil-mil - Pakistan’s security agencies, anymore only about the cen - the same time Pakistan’s least itary relationship which does particularly the role of the tre and periphery, Baloch ver - DUE TO AN developed and industrialised not favour a sustainable polit - paramilitary Frontier Corps sus Islamabad. It is also about ‘ENDURING ANXIETY’ region with the lowest level of ical solution. In consequence, Baluchistan, the regular Army international rivalries, Baloch literacy and income with over Baloch (leaders) had no share and intelligence services, the versus non-Baloch living in OF NATIONAL 80 per cent of the population in the existing state power ‘missing’ political activists and Balochistan, and last but not DISINTEGRATION, THERE living beneath the poverty line. structure, forcing them to turn target killings e.g. of key fig - least it involves conflicts Beside the fact that there are towards an ‘own state entity’, ures like Nawab Akbar Bugti between Baloch versus Baloch IS AN UNWILLINGNESS OF strong elements of secularism either through more autono - in August 2006, the most visi - divided through different ISLAMABAD’S POLITICAL and anti-religious-extremism my or by creating an own sep - ble face of the current Baloch cleavages like attitude towards as well as pro-Pakistan senti - arate state. resistance, who was not only Islamabad, significance of AND MILITARY ments, it is the country’s most However, to be able to a Tumandar (tribal chief) of autonomy or separatism, use ESTABLISHMENT TO troubled area finding its understand this conundrum the largest Baloch tribe, the of violence as a political tool expression in severe militant one has to take the complex Bugti, but also a strong pro - etc. As a result, the prospect of ALLOW ANY SUBSTANTIAL responses towards Islamabad and long history of the ponent of autonomy, or any form of political solution REGIONAL AUTONOMY combined with a remarkable Balochistan crisis into Nawabzada Balach Marri, the is becoming increasingly increase in violence against account. As many separatist, elusive commander of the remote. However, the estab - non-Baloch, ethnic and reli - subnational and autonomous secretive, shadowy Balochistan lishment in Islamabad will gious minorities. tendencies in South Asia, also Liberation Amy (BLA), in never accept a separation of How have these antagonis - Baloch nationalism can be Kalat in order to arrest the rity forces did not only lead to Balochistan. Here one has to November 2007. Witnessing Balochistan. Observing the tic trajectories developed over traced back to colonial times. Khan as well as to disarm the massive human rights viola - state that both, politicians and numerous extrajudicial killings imbalance of military capa - time? Did they only surface In consequence of the ‘Great tribesman, which inevitably tions (many observers are soldiers, belong to the same by Islamabad’s law enforcing bilities of the combatants due to the unfortunate histor - Game’ during the 19th centu - led to violent clashes and claiming the existence of ‘kill type of establishment which agencies Baloch people are involved, there are no doubts ical legacies or political mis - ry, the largely autonomous unrest. Third, in 1962-63, after and dump activities’) but also is trapped in an‘enduring anx - starting to press very hard that Balochistan will remain guidance of the post-colonial (Baloch) princely state of Kalat refuting the election results of initiated yet another vicious iety’, a phenomenon especial - towards an immediate tracing part of Pakistan. But as long as era, which was marked by was forcibly divided between the then introduced system of circle of accusations and vio - ly significant, since it comes and release of political pris - Islamabad does not spend more than six decades of Iran, Pakistan and ‘Basic Democrats’ by the mil - lence, from both sides. along with an absence of long- oners and/or ‘missing persons’. more efforts in finding a polit - unsuccessful, repressive poli - Afghanistan. Additionally, the itary regime in Islamabad However, in order to under - term strategic visions in all pol - Another important demand is ical solution the armed con - cies leading to the suppression part which remained in which lead to several stand why history is repeating icy fields. Having the impres - an increased participation of flict and the deterioration of of Baloch aspirations of auton - Pakistan was absorbed by the upheavals like a left wing rev - itself in Pakistan and why elites sion of being sandwiched by Baloch people and the intro - the security and socio-eco - omy? British Raj in 1884, an act olutionary revolt known as the are unable or unwilling to arch enemy India and a hos - duction of a provincial con - nomic situation will prevail Having this puzzle in mind, which was repeated by the “Parari Movement”. Fourth, learn from the past one has to tile Afghanistan, there is a ten - sent in decision-making over a stabilised development. the line of argumentation newly independent Pakistani between 1973 and 1977 where take a closer look at dency to permanently evoke processes especially when it Subsequently, Balochistan will made here is that the Baloch authorities. This chain of the provincial government Islamabad’s political plexus. a sense of suspiciousness, comes to major development continue to pose a major chal - conflict is a ‘logical response’ events initiated a historical were dismissed after being One of the major problems heated exaggeration, and con - processes in their province. In lenge for the stability of all to the challenge of being a legacy which is still very much accused of supporting anti- is that Pakistan presents itself spiratorial fantasies in the this direction, one of the most future national governments marginalised subordinated alive today; it is hence no sur - Pakistan activities. as a typical case of failed civil - areas of external defense and debatable issues is the and preserve the influence of part in a highly centralised sys - prise that this trajectory cur - Subsequently Balochistan was ian supremacy and any form internal security. Moreover, the Gwardar port project. the military in politics. To sum tem of governance, first rently influences Pakistani pol - put under governor’s rule, of institutionalised civilian notion that both states are try - A case which not only up, as long as there is no peace imposed by the British colo - itics. In this context one has to meaning under direct control control. Therefore, civilians ing ‘to slice the Pakistani pie’ emphasizes the international and respect for human rights nial rule and later continued mention, that the then Khan of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali have to tread dangerous established an extremely nar - dimension of the Baluchistan in Balochistan there will be no by the Pakistani government of Kalat Nasi Khan was able to Bhutto, who at the time was waters in order to balance dif - row and inflexible mind-set conflict but also the strong democracy worth the name in after a forced integration; not organise the Baloch in a ruling in an increasingly auto - ferent interests and power rela - when it comes to the incor - Chinese influence in Pakistan, Pakistan. only undermining their quest ‘greater organised entity’ for cratic style. tions within the security-gov - poration of more rights, free - especially in troubled but for independence but also tak - the first time. The core of this This four year long conflict ernance nexus. On one side, doms and autonomy/self-gov - strategically well located areas The writer is a lecturer of ing away the quasi- ‘quasi-state structure’ was a led to the death of 55000 they try to weaken the army’s ernance for the provinces in like Gwadar near the mouth Political Science and autonomous status. Due to an military-administrative based Baloch fighters, either involved grip on power in Pakistan, on general and Balochistan in of the Straits of Hormuz. The International Relations as well ‘enduring anxiety’ of national alliance of a significant part of in randomly coordinated trib - the other side in order to keep particular. accusation of illegal allotment as a senior research fellow in disintegration, there is an Baloch tribes in order to estab - al resistance groups or well the internal security situation Subsequently, Pakistan of land in Gwadar by the Department of Political unwillingness of Islamabad’s lish a unified army. However, organised and trained units. under control, they have to security circles are allergic Islamabad’s stakeholders is Science, South Asia Institute, political and military estab - despite the fact that it was not Currently one could also see “eschew reliance with them”. towards the adoption of fed - just another example for Heidelberg University Love: A paradox that is not

BRISHTY AHMED poets and contemporaries of would have been available tented love on the banks of hundred to adore each give in to her lover’s pleas, would never make the lovers John Donne. In his, two love then the lover could have the river Humber in England. breast: / But thirty thousand because the flame of desire meet because fate, first of all, hat is love? To many poems To His Coy Mistress started to love his beloved ten Then the lover in the to the rest.” is also burning inside her. is jealous of the perfect lovers of us it is like the and The Definition of Love years before the judgment Petrarchan style started to Then the lover tells his Finally, the lover tells his and secondly, a union first shower of Marvell has very beautifully and the beloved could have praise the beauty of his beloved that after her death, beloved that they should between the two lovers monsoon, filled with the expressed his contradictory collected rubies sitting on the beloved, inside her grave worms will consummate the pleasures would be a fatal blow to its aroma of raw passion, to oth - ideas of love. In To His Coy banks of the river Ganges and “An hundred years should attack her virginity and her of life like “am’rous birds of power and authority. ers it is more like the first Mistress, Marvell has the lover could have com - go to praise / Thine eyes, and honor will turn to dust. The prey” and that if they cannot Finally, Marvell ends the colours of spring after the expressed his passionate plained about his discon - thy forehead Gaze./ Two poet then beseeches her to control time they can at least poem saying that because dark days of winter, but to ideas about love and ironi - fasten its pace. the lovers cannot meet phys - some others, the ones who cally in The Definition of On the other hand, in The ically they can be united at a have borne the burnt of Love Marvell has highlight - Definition of Love, Marvell spiritual level because spiri - unrequited love, it is more ed the negative aspects of has presented a contrary pic - tual love is achievable, as is like falling into a bottomless physical love and has sup - ture of passionate love. In the consummation of spiri - pit of darkness and despair. ported spiritual love. this poem, Marvell has tual love. But in the end, if you havn’t Marvell, in his poem To His defined love as the by-prod - Love is a paradox, at times experienced love, you are an Coy Mistress has written uct of Despair and “full of sound and fury” and incomplete human being, about the need for passion - Impossibility. According to at others it is poignant silence yet to experience the most ate love in life, the lover in To the poet, his love is of rare whispering the lulling lores exotic emotion ever. His Coy Mistress appeal to birth and as a result, the of passion in your ears, All these thoughts swirled his beloved to relax her lovers cannot meet physically enveloping your soul with a in my mind while reading two Puritanical and shy attitude and make love. The lovers as joy that knows no bounds. of Andrew Marvell’s poems, and grant him the pleasure per the poet are like the two The great minds of human - Want to this last weekends, amidst the of physical love. He pleas to poles that are far apart from ity have tried to reach its crux, cacophony of the Eid cele - his beloved and support his each other and that can but its true meaning, almost brations. To His Coy Mistress pleading with valid argu - never meet until some con - in tribute to the emotion contribute? and The Definition of Love ments and reasons. vulsion occurs and the earth itself, remains just beyond are two poems of Marvell that According to the lover, the becomes flat. our grasp. I managed to escape with coyness and rigid attitude of The lovers are like two par - It is something that that at.independent during the Eid vacation this the beloved would have been allel lines that can never can be felt and cherished but time around. justified if enough time and meet. Marvell here blames at the same time it can con - @gmail.com Andrew Marvell was one space had been available. If the fate for their physical dis - tinue to elude us. Here is to of the major metaphysical enough time and space tance. The poet says that fate love in all its nuances.