Balochistan’s Future Lies in the Pen, Not the Gun

The Government of Pakistan and the Government of Balochistan are taking practical steps to provide Baloch youth with access to modern education and knowledge. On the other hand, banned organisations associated with Fitna al-Hindustan are allegedly misleading young people through fabricated stories and brainwashing, taking them to the mountains and exploiting them to pursue their nefarious objectives.

The Government of Balochistan has established IT hubs and digital centres in Panjgur, Turbat and Kharan under the Balochistan Special Development Initiative (BSDI) to introduce young people in southern Balochistan to modern technology. These centres aim to equip youth with contemporary skills, including e-commerce, digital marketing, web development and graphic design, enabling them to pursue freelancing and online employment opportunities.

Through its DigiBizz programme, the Balochistan Science and Information Technology Department is providing training in freelancing, e-business and digital marketing so that young people can connect with the global digital marketplace and earn a livelihood.

To promote technical education and skills development, the Balochistan Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA-B) is working to organise the province’s technical and vocational training system. A decision has been made to bring polytechnic institutes, colleges of technology and vocational training centres operating under various departments under the regulatory and operational control of TEVTA-B. The objective is to align technical education with the needs of the job market.

In southern Balochistan, the Gwadar Pak-China Technical and Vocational Institute, Turbat Technical Training Centre, Gwadar Vocational Training Centre and the Women Skill Development Centre in Khudabadan, Panjgur, are providing young people and women with opportunities to acquire technical skills in various fields.

Short courses lasting between three and six months have also been introduced in line with the requirements of industry and commerce. To align technical education with industrial needs, an agreement between TEVTA-B and Pak Suzuki Motor Company has resulted in the provision of 12 modern automobile engines to various technical institutions. These engines will be used to provide students with practical training in automobile engineering.

At a TEVTA-B board meeting chaired by Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, it was decided to work on a plan to provide technical training to 25,000 young people and connect 30,000 skilled workers with overseas employment opportunities.

An Institute Registration Portal has also been introduced to facilitate the registration and monitoring of technical institutions.

Initiatives are also being undertaken under the TVET-IV programme of the Balochistan Labour and Manpower Department and the British Council to equip women with modern technical and digital skills. The programme focuses on creating employment opportunities and supporting women in starting their own businesses through training in digital and high-tech fields. Financial support from the European Union is also part of the initiative.

The Higher Education Commission’s South Balochistan Coastal Region Scholarship Programme is another important initiative aimed at promoting higher education. Under this programme, students from Gwadar, Lasbela, Kech and Awaran are receiving scholarships, making access to higher education easier for young people from underdeveloped areas.

Similarly, the University of Turbat, in collaboration with the Balochistan Emerging Leaders Initiative, is working in the fields of artificial intelligence and modern technology. Efforts are underway to introduce digital automation and align the university’s academic and administrative systems with modern technological developments.

In the education sector, the World Bank-supported GRADES-B project also represents an important development. The project includes plans to enrol 250,000 children in the education system, construct 3,000 additional classrooms, introduce double shifts in 900 schools and train 5,000 teachers. It also includes funded scholarships and safe transportation facilities for 400 female students.

The large number of out-of-school children remains a major educational challenge in Balochistan. By granting conditional cabinet approval to the Non-Formal Education Act 2025, the Government of Balochistan has taken a step towards providing a legal foundation for the non-formal education system.

Under this legislation, efforts will be made to bring children aged between 10 and 16 back into the education system if they have been unable to attend school for various reasons. Double-shift schools and non-formal education centres can also play an important role in achieving this objective.

According to official statistics, 1,211,757 students are enrolled in 15,368 government schools operating under the Balochistan School Education Department.

The provincial government has set a target of enrolling 261,012 children in schools during the 2026 academic year, while the target of enrolling 237,000 children was achieved last year.

Similarly, 11.5 million textbooks were printed for the 2025–26 academic year to ensure the provision of free books to students. Work is also underway on a digital school census and a teachers’ attendance management system to improve the overall education system.

Balochistan’s youth have several pathways to progress and build a prosperous future. To benefit from these opportunities, they must focus on education, modern knowledge and skills development.

Today, the youth of Balochistan must decide whether they will stand with the state or support banned organisations that, according to the writer, are pushing them into the flames of terrorism at the behest of foreign forces. The writer alleges that the leaders of these organisations live comfortable lives abroad, their children study at foreign universities, while young people in Balochistan are being turned into suicide bombers.

The hands that should have been holding pens are now holding guns. Baloch youth are being incited to rebel against their own state.

It must be made clear: Balochistan’s future lies in the pen, not the gun.The Government of Pakistan and the Government of Balochistan are taking practical steps to provide Baloch youth with access to modern education and knowledge. On the other hand, banned organisations associated with Fitna al-Hindustan are allegedly misleading young people through fabricated stories and brainwashing, taking them to the mountains and exploiting them to pursue their nefarious objectives.

The Government of Balochistan has established IT hubs and digital centres in Panjgur, Turbat and Kharan under the Balochistan Special Development Initiative (BSDI) to introduce young people in southern Balochistan to modern technology. These centres aim to equip youth with contemporary skills, including e-commerce, digital marketing, web development and graphic design, enabling them to pursue freelancing and online employment opportunities.

Through its DigiBizz programme, the Balochistan Science and Information Technology Department is providing training in freelancing, e-business and digital marketing so that young people can connect with the global digital marketplace and earn a livelihood.

To promote technical education and skills development, the Balochistan Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA-B) is working to organise the province’s technical and vocational training system. A decision has been made to bring polytechnic institutes, colleges of technology and vocational training centres operating under various departments under the regulatory and operational control of TEVTA-B. The objective is to align technical education with the needs of the job market.

In southern Balochistan, the Gwadar Pak-China Technical and Vocational Institute, Turbat Technical Training Centre, Gwadar Vocational Training Centre and the Women Skill Development Centre in Khudabadan, Panjgur, are providing young people and women with opportunities to acquire technical skills in various fields.

Short courses lasting between three and six months have also been introduced in line with the requirements of industry and commerce. To align technical education with industrial needs, an agreement between TEVTA-B and Pak Suzuki Motor Company has resulted in the provision of 12 modern automobile engines to various technical institutions. These engines will be used to provide students with practical training in automobile engineering.

At a TEVTA-B board meeting chaired by Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, it was decided to work on a plan to provide technical training to 25,000 young people and connect 30,000 skilled workers with overseas employment opportunities.

An Institute Registration Portal has also been introduced to facilitate the registration and monitoring of technical institutions.

Initiatives are also being undertaken under the TVET-IV programme of the Balochistan Labour and Manpower Department and the British Council to equip women with modern technical and digital skills. The programme focuses on creating employment opportunities and supporting women in starting their own businesses through training in digital and high-tech fields. Financial support from the European Union is also part of the initiative.

The Higher Education Commission’s South Balochistan Coastal Region Scholarship Programme is another important initiative aimed at promoting higher education. Under this programme, students from Gwadar, Lasbela, Kech and Awaran are receiving scholarships, making access to higher education easier for young people from underdeveloped areas.

Similarly, the University of Turbat, in collaboration with the Balochistan Emerging Leaders Initiative, is working in the fields of artificial intelligence and modern technology. Efforts are underway to introduce digital automation and align the university’s academic and administrative systems with modern technological developments.

In the education sector, the World Bank-supported GRADES-B project also represents an important development. The project includes plans to enrol 250,000 children in the education system, construct 3,000 additional classrooms, introduce double shifts in 900 schools and train 5,000 teachers. It also includes funded scholarships and safe transportation facilities for 400 female students.

The large number of out-of-school children remains a major educational challenge in Balochistan. By granting conditional cabinet approval to the Non-Formal Education Act 2025, the Government of Balochistan has taken a step towards providing a legal foundation for the non-formal education system.

Under this legislation, efforts will be made to bring children aged between 10 and 16 back into the education system if they have been unable to attend school for various reasons. Double-shift schools and non-formal education centres can also play an important role in achieving this objective.

According to official statistics, 1,211,757 students are enrolled in 15,368 government schools operating under the Balochistan School Education Department.

The provincial government has set a target of enrolling 261,012 children in schools during the 2026 academic year, while the target of enrolling 237,000 children was achieved last year.

Similarly, 11.5 million textbooks were printed for the 2025–26 academic year to ensure the provision of free books to students. Work is also underway on a digital school census and a teachers’ attendance management system to improve the overall education system.

Balochistan’s youth have several pathways to progress and build a prosperous future. To benefit from these opportunities, they must focus on education, modern knowledge and skills development.

Today, the youth of Balochistan must decide whether they will stand with the state or support banned organisations that, according to the writer, are pushing them into the flames of terrorism at the behest of foreign forces. The writer alleges that the leaders of these organisations live comfortable lives abroad, their children study at foreign universities, while young people in Balochistan are being turned into suicide bombers.

The hands that should have been holding pens are now holding guns. Baloch youth are being incited to rebel against their own state.

It must be made clear: Balochistan’s future lies in the pen, not the gun.